You may be trying to get pregnant and you suddenly notice that you feel different than usual. You wake up nauseous or you feel more tired than usual. Maybe you think you ate something wrong or that you have a flu on your hands, but you might actually be pregnant! In this blog we take you through the world of the pregnancy test. We'll also tell you when and how best to take one.
Pregnancy checklist
Do you still notice that you feel different than usual? And that you feel sick, weak and nauseous? Then we have drawn up a checklist so that you can check for yourself whether you might be pregnant. Have you ticked more than four? Then we recommend that you take a pregnancy test in the next few days.
- Sensitive breasts
- Nausea
- A short fuse
- You're in an emotional rollercoaster
- Tired quickly
- Change in appetite
- A heavy feeling in the abdomen
- You feel weird, just a little different than usual
(Clearblue, 2020)
What does a pregnancy test measure?
A pregnancy test measures the amount of hCG in your urine - hCG is also known as the pregnancy hormone. This hormone is activated when you become pregnant. The hCG stops ovulation, which is why your period stays off during pregnancy. In addition, the hormone makes your belly become a safe environment for your unborn baby (Nutricia for You, 2021).
When do you perform a pregnancy test?
You can already take a pregnancy test from the moment you are just one day overdue. Overtime is the day when your scheduled menstruation fails to occur. From the moment the fertilized egg is in the uterus nests, the pregnancy test indicates positive in almost all cases. Nevertheless, it is wise to wait a few more days, because then the test is extra reliable. We recommend that you take the pregnancy test with your morning urine. In the morning the hCG value in the body is at its highest (Kraamzorg de Waarden, 2020).
How do you perform a pregnancy test?
Every test is different and has to be performed in a different way. So take the pregnancy test out of the package at your leisure and read the instructions carefully. Some tests require you to pee over the stick, others require you to collect the urine and hold the stick in the container for a few seconds, while others require you to use a pipette. In many cases you have to lay the test flat and then it's just a matter of waiting for the result. Normally, the result can be seen within a few minutes. Note: Do not wait longer than the indicated time. Do you do this? Then the result is not reliable (Nutricia for you, 2021).
Hopefully you will see a positive pregnancy test soon and you will just be pregnant. The moment of truth depends on the lines or text on the test, how exciting! We are keeping our fingers crossed for you and in case of a positive test we will party with you from a distance.
Sources:
Clearblue. (2020, April 15). Am I pregnant? Quiz. https://nl.clearblue.com/ben-ik-zwanger/quiz
Maternity Care the Values. (2020, April 28). The pregnancy test: which one, when and how? Accessed February 9, 2022, from https://www.kraamzorgdewaarden.nl/blog/zwangerschapstesten
Nutricia for you. (2021, October 4). Pregnancy Test: certainty about your pregnancy. Accessed February 9, 2022, from https://www.nutriciavoorjou.nl/zwanger-worden/wanneer-vruchtbaar/zwangerschapstest/