First response pregnancy test faint line after 1 hour

I know how hard it can be sometimes to tell if it's a line or not. When I was trying to conceive, I remember squinting at pregnancy tests trying to work out if there was a faint line or not. In fact, I always asked my husband to check – and then I admit I may have sometimes done a repeat test to be sure!

Why is the line so faint?

If the line is faint, then it is likely that you are testing very early on in your pregnancy.

A pregnancy test is designed to show a line if it detects, in the urine you dipped it into, a threshold level of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). Levels of hCG rise rapidly in the early weeks of pregnancy, are at their highest at about 10 weeks of pregnancy, and then slowly fall again.

But if you're taking the test very early on in your pregnancy, your levels of hCG will be small, meaning that, although there is enough for be detected by the test kit, it is only enough to create a faint line.

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Can a faint line ever mean I'm not pregnant?

A false positive pregnancy test is extremely rare ("false positive" means the test is positive but you are not actually pregnant). That's assuming, of course, that you haven't used a test that's past its expiry date or are 'reading' the result long after the wait time outlined on the packet.

A false positive can occur if you are on particular medication, such as a fertility drug containing hCG, or if you have a medical condition, such as an ovarian cyst, which can raise your hCG levels. A pregnancy test may also be falsely positive if you have recently had a miscarriage or termination of pregnancy, as it takes a little time for the hCG levels to fall.

It is also possible that you can have a genuinely positive pregnancy test and then, a few days later, if you test again, it's negative. This is because urine home pregnancy tests are extremely sensitive and can pick up a pregnancy in the very early stages – and, unfortunately, not all pregnancies progress past these very early stages. If the pregnancy doesn't progress, then a new test will show as negative. This is called a chemical pregnancy – or a very early miscarriage – as it tends to occur before a heartbeat can be seen on the scan, so before approximately 5 or 6 weeks of pregnancy. In this situation, bleeding tends to start soon afterwards but, if it does not, then please see your doctor.

So if I get a faint line, should I do another test?

Yes, that's what I'd recommend – but leave it a couple of days or so. Levels of hCG double every 48 to 72 hours in the 1st weeks of pregnancy so the line on the pregnancy test may be stronger when you test in a few days' time.

I'd also recommend that you make sure you do the pregnancy test the first time you wee that day as that's the time of day when your wee is likely to be more concentrated.

What's hCG exactly – and how do pregnancy tests work?

HCG is a hormone that's made initially by the embryo itself, and then by your placenta, and has various roles, from supporting the corpus luteum (what is left when the egg is released) to supporting implantation.

The pregnancy test works by absorbing your urine onto the pad or strip of the pregnancy test and, if there's hCG present in that urine, it will bind to antibodies which are attached to the coloured dye in the test that forms the blue or pink test line – and make that line show up. If there is no HCG present in your urine, and you are not pregnant, there are no antibodies to bind to the dye, so no line forms.

There is generally a control line in a pregnancy test to check that the test is working. In a positive pregnancy test, both the test line and the control line should be seen.

About our expert Dr Philippa Kaye

Dr Philippa Kaye works as a GP in both NHS and private practice. She attended Downing College, Cambridge, then took medical studies at Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’s medical schools in London, training in paediatrics, gynaecology, care of the elderly, acute medicine, psychiatry and general practice. Dr Philippa has also written a number of books, including ones on child health, diabetes in childhood and adolescence. She is a mum of 3.

Pics: taken from the MadeForMums Chat forum

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Does a faint line on a pregnancy test mean positive or negative? Find out for sure, plus learn how it differs from an evaporation line.

Maybe you’ve been TTC for a few months, and you’re anxious to see those two pink lines. Or maybe your period is a little late, and you’re wondering if a surprise baby is on the way. In either case, you’ll need a pregnancy test to give you some answers.

But what if you get a faint line?! What does that mean? You’ve got questions, and we’ve got answers. In this post, we’ll cover:

Here’s a video!

What Does a Faint Line on a Pregnancy Test Look Like?

A faint line looks different depending on which test you use. Most pregnancy tests use two parallel lines or a plus sign to indicate pregnancy.

  • If you take a test with the plus sign, you’ll be looking for one dark vertical line (the control line) and one faint horizontal line crossing it.
  • If you take a test with parallel lines, you’ll be looking for one darker line next to one faint line.

If you are testing early (before you’ve even missed your period), the faint line may be so faint it’s barely visible—almost like a tiny, tiny smudge. The further along you are, the darker the line usually becomes. You can see what this progression looks like in the image below:

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What Does a Faint Line Mean?

A true faint line—unlike an evaporation line—is usually a true positive.

A positive result (even a faint positive result) means that implantation likely occurred, and your body is beginning to produce HCG, a hormone that is vital for sustaining a pregnancy. This also means that you’re in the very early stages of pregnancy.

If you continue to test after you get a faint line, you should notice that the line grows darker as the days go on.

Can a Faint Line Be Negative?

Pregnancy tests have one goal: to detect hCG. When your test shows a faint line, it means that your body is detecting some hCG, which typically indicates pregnancy. Urine tests should display a positive test when 25 mIU/ml hCG is detected, according to a German study on pregnancy tests.

Unfortunately though, it is possible to see a faint line that goes away. It’s also possible to get your period shortly after seeing a faint line. This could point to a very early loss, like chemical pregnancy.

There are also some cases—beyond early pregnancy loss—that could cause a faint line to develop, even if you aren’t really pregnant. These situations include:

  • Hormonal imbalances such as PCOS: Sometimes ovarian cysts may release hormones (including hCG) even if pregnancy isn’t achieved.
  • Fertility medication: Some fertility medications may trigger positive results before you’re actually pregnant. If you’re currently going through fertility treatments, it’s a good idea to take a pregnancy test only when advised by your provider.
  • Recent miscarriage: If your hCG levels have not returned to 0 mIU/ml hCG, it’s possible that a pregnancy test is still detecting residual hCG.
  • Menopause: Early menopause can also trigger higher than normal hCG levels, which could lead to a false positive.
  • Illnesses: Specifically, medications used for Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy can trigger a false positive.
  • hCG diet: The hCG diet is a weight loss diet that incorporates this hormone into the treatment plan. Not surprisingly, if you’re on the hCG diet, you’ll likely get positive pregnancy results since the test is picking up those hormone levels.

The Difference Between a Faint Line and an Evaporation Line

Or, the faint line might not really be a faint line at all. It could be an evaporation line…

An evaporation line is the line that develops as urine evaporates off of the pregnancy test stick. Here’s how to spot the difference between a faint line and an evaporation line:

Thickness

An evaporation line tends to be skinnier than the control line; faint lines tend to be the same thickness as the control line.

Color of line

Most evaporation lines will be gray in color, not pink or blue like the control line. (Although, there have been reports that the blue lined pregnancy tests can show a light blue evaporation line. Ugh!)

Timing of the test

You should also consider the timing of the test. Evaporation lines appear as urine evaporates, which means it takes a several minutes for this to happen.

  • If you take a test and immediately see a faint line, it’s likely a positive test albeit just faint.
  • If you take the test and check back on the results after the allotted testing time frame, it’s probably an evaporation line.

Many mamas have taken tests, received a negative result, threw the test out, and then later noticed the line. This can cause some confusion, but generally those are late-appearing lines are evaporation lines. Always check your test within the specified time frame to help reduce the chance that you see an evaporation line.

What About Digital Pregnancy Tests?

Digital tests are much easier to read. Digital tests visibly display the words “Pregnant” or “Not Pregnant”—there are no lines to decode.

The downside? Digital tests can be very expensive, especially if you like to test before your missed period (and therefore might use more). Digital tests also need a higher concentration of hCG to yield a positive result, which could lead to a false negative if you test too early.

Think You’ve Got a Positive Pregnancy Test?

Congratulations! Check out this post to learn more about your positive pregnancy test.

Once you’ve received a positive test, it’s time to check in with your midwife or OBGYN. During your first appointment, your provider will take a blood test (which are more sensitive than the urine tests) to confirm your pregnancy, and from there, you can commence with your prenatal care.

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First response pregnancy test faint line after 1 hour

Can a pregnancy test turn positive after an hour?

This usually ranges between a couple of minutes up until 10 minutes later. If you see a positive result beyond this time frame, you may be left second-guessing the results. However, the false-positive reading, in this case, is due to something called an evaporation line.

Why does my pregnancy test have a faint line after 1 hour?

Some women take a home pregnancy test early in their pregnancies. They often take them before or shortly after their first missed period. Although hCG is present in their urine, they have a lower level of the hormone, resulting in a positive pregnancy test with a faint line.

What does an evaporation line look like First Response?

An evaporation line on a pregnancy test is a faint line (or rather, mark) caused by a test reaction that occurs when the urine evaporates, or when the test gets wet. Sometimes this line appears in the test window, making it look like a faint positive result. Evaporation lines are colorless streaks, not actual lines.

How soon do evaporation lines appear?

Evaporation (Evap) Lines The result appears after this three-to-five minute window. However, if you wait too long after the reaction time to interpret the result, the urine in the pregnancy test can dry up, resulting in an evaporation line. Evaporation lines are considered false-positive results.