It’s easily available off the shelf and there are many companies that offer the home pregnancy test kits. You can find them at grocery shops, at your local pharmacist or chemist and at all general stores and supermarkets such as Wal-Mart. You can also buy the home pregnancy test kits online. They are cheaper as they have less packaging. But they are as effective as other home tests. In fact, your gynae will also give you a home pregnancy test kit to determine your pregnancy. It’s completely safe and can be used anywhere.
Home pregnancy test kits are usually great at detecting on the first day after you have missed your periods. There are some other tests which are more sensitive and can tell you before your missed period too. But these tests may not always be as reliable as the home pregnancy tests.
How does the home pregnancy test kit work. They work on a very simple thing. When a woman is pregnant, the body releases human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone. The tests measure the quantity of the hormone in the urine. The body starts releasing this hormone after 10-14 days after the woman has conceived.
Therefore it’s best to take the test right after you have missed a period. The home kits would have a holder and a receptor. You would collect the urine in the holder and put a few drops on the receptor. If there are two lines, congratulations, this means that you are pregnant. If there is only a single line, this means that you aren’t pregnant. Some of the tests also show a positive sign and a negative sign. Be sure to follow the instructions clearly to understand, what the symbol indicates.
If you want to take a pregnancy test at a later date, then you need to store it as per instructions. In case it’s stored at a temperature which is higher or lower than advised by the company, the test result may not be correct.
Very few things can affect the pregnancy tests. These tests are accurate and work well under all conditions. Some of the conditions that don’t affect the hCG hormone are the fertility drugs, antibiotics, allergy medications etc. These will in no way affect the outcome of the result.
What should you do when you get the news? Well, the first thing is that you should visit a midwife or a gynecologist. They will calculate when the baby is due according to the first day of your last period. Prescribe some tonics and vitamins such as folic acid and tell you about the changes to expect. You would also get an ultrasound done every trimester and feel your tummy swell up even as you start feeling the baby grow inside you.
