What pee is best for pregnancy test

For a start, confirm your suspicion by buying an over-the-counter urine pregnancy test kit. There are many brands of pregnancy test kits available in the market, which are quite reliable. These are available at our local pharmacies. Alternatively, you could go to your doctor for a test.​ 

What pee is best for pregnancy test

What is a Pregnancy Test Kit? 

During pregnancy, a hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is produced, which circulates in the blood and is also present in the urine. 

The pregnancy test kit detects the presence of hCG in your urine. It is a qualitative test. Some pregnancy test kits are more sensitive than the others but most will be​ ​​​able to detect hCG between the fourth to fifth week of your pregnancy. This means that for those with regular cycles, the test should be positive once you have missed your period by a few days. 

Although almost all over-the counter pregnancy test kits detect pregnancy by measuring hCG in the urine, you have to read the instructions for the test kit because instructions for usage are different for different test kits. 

An indicator will show if you are pregnant. For example, some kits will show two bold lines if positive (Figure 6.2) and one bold line if negative (Figure 6.3). These indicators are different for various kits.​

What pee is best for pregnancy test

​How Accurate are the Pregnancy Test Kits? 

Pregnancy tests are rarely wrong. It is more than 99% accurate. Thus, if your test is negative, it means that you are not pregnant; However, if you are very early in your pregnancy and the test is done too early, there could be insufficient amount of hCG in the urine for the test to detect. 

So, if a test comes back negative but you strongly suspect that you are pregnant, repeat the test in a few days’ time. 

There are rare examples when the hCG level is raised transiently and then drops to zero. This is known as “biochemical pregnancy” and could be the cause of a false positive result of the test kit. This initial rise of hCG levels would soon drop in “biochemical pregnancy” and result in a negative test result. Vaginal bleeding occurs soon after, which would coincide with “delayed menses”. Also rarely, there could be occasional ovarian tumors which secrete hCG and the false positive result could be wrongly interpreted as a pregnancy.​ 

​​​Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I have to test with first morning urine? 

Although you can test any time of the day, your first morning urine specimen is usually the most concentrated of the day and would have the most pregnancy hormones in it. 

2. When should I take the test if I suspect that I am pregnant? 

You can test your urine as early as six days past ovulation but the first day of your missed period is recommended for greatest accuracy. 

3. Do I need a blood test for hCG to confirm my pregnancy? 

Blood tests for hCG are more accurate in detecting HCG and they can also measure the actual levels of the hormone. These tests may be useful to differentiate a miscarriage when the blood hCG will drop with time or a healthy pregnancy when the blood hCG level will double every two days. Occasionally, we need to follow-up the hCG levels to help us diagnose an early ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy that is ​outside the womb), which could be potentially life-threatening or confirm a miscarriage.

Acknowledgement

Source: Dr TAN Thiam Chye, Dr TAN Kim Teng, Dr TAN Heng Hao, Dr TEE Chee Seng John, The New Art and Science of Pregnancy and Childbirth, World Scientific 2008.

Visit Parent Hub, for more useful tips and guides for a healthy pregnancy.

Download the HealthHub app on Google Play or Apple Store to access more health and wellness advice at your fingertips.

From when to take a pregnancy test to how to take a pregnancy test, it can all feel a little overwhelming and confusing. While at-home tests are over 99% accurate and easy to read, they can still be a confusing experience that you don’t want to mess up. Here are the most important things to know before you take a pregnancy test. 

While the pregnancy test is accurate three days before your period is due, you should still wait a couple days to take it.

When should you take a pregnancy test? While it’s tempting to know as early as possible, levels of hCG (the pregnancy hormone) double every few days and your results will be more accurate the longer you wait. Chemical pregnancies are common among women and can cause misleading results. To avoid this, you should wait until after your period is due and then test again a few days later. If you have irregular periods, here’s further info on when to take a pregnancy test.

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Take the pregnancy test first thing in the morning before you drink any fluids.

Coffee’s going to have to wait a second! Levels of hCG will be strongest with first morning urine — more concentrated urine guarantees a more accurate test. Your test will still be valid if it’s the afternoon or you’ve already had water, but first morning urine will result in a stronger results line. The stronger the line, the more accurate the test results.

Wait a few days after your first pregnancy test to take your second.

If you take away anything from this post, it should be that taking a test too early can be misleading. The longer you wait, the more accurate the results. To avoid false negatives or faint results lines, always hang onto that second test to take a few days later. 

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If you’re trying to conceive, it might take some time and that’s normal.

On average, it takes six months to conceive. Don’t let "not pregnant" results bring you down too much. If you’ve been trying for six months, you can schedule a doctor’s appointment to discuss your options. Until then, start by tracking ovulation (we recommend period tracking apps, like Flo). Remember to have fun — it’s sex, after all!

Carefully follow the pregnancy test instructions.

This one might sound obvious, but we can’t stress the importance! There are details that go into taking the test, like the amount of time you should pee on the test, the number of minutes to wait for results, and how to read the results. It’s a simple process, yes, but carefully following instructions will remove any user error.

Remember to breathe.

No matter what result you’re hoping for, waiting for your pregnancy test results to show up can be stressful. Have an action plan for next steps for both scenarios beforehand. Being prepared by having a doctor you trust and a friend or partner to talk through options with can provide peace of mind in itself.

Can I use any pee for pregnancy test?

Pregnancy tests used to recommend using your first pee of the morning, when more hCG is present. But now they're sensitive enough to work at any point in the day, although it does help if you're taking the test early. Similarly, drinking too much liquid beforehand could dilute your urine and affect the results.

Is first or second morning urine better?

Levels of hCG will be strongest with first morning urine — more concentrated urine guarantees a more accurate test. Your test will still be valid if it's the afternoon or you've already had water, but first morning urine will result in a stronger results line. The stronger the line, the more accurate the test results.

When is your pee most accurate for a pregnancy test?

Some pregnancy tests can spot hCG before you miss a period. But the results will be more accurate if you wait until the first day of a missed period. Results may also be more accurate if you do the test first thing in the morning, when your urine is more concentrated.