conception and pregnancy tests

[tatzaana]

How soon after conception would a pregnancy test be able to pick up on the hormones?
We "did it" on thursday and i'm just too impatient to wait for two weeks to find out. But i don't want to keep wasting pregnancy tests.

[Moonbear]

You will be wasting pregnancy tests if you take the test before the instructions say it will detect pregnancy. I can't give one definite answer, because each test is a little different in its sensitivity.

Also, keep in mind that if you get a negative result and still think you might be pregnant (i.e., missing a menstrual period, or it is very light...some women will still have "spotting" during the first few months of pregnancy and can mistake it for a period, especially if they are used to light periods due to previous use of hormonal contraceptives, such as "the pill" or Depo shots), check with your doctor; some women have very low levels of hCG, which is the hormone the tests measure (well, a metabolite of it excreted in urine anyway) during pregnancy, and the tests will come up with a false negative. These can also be pregnancies that are more at risk of miscarriage, so definitely a reason to get a negative result verified if you have any other symptoms of pregnancy.

If you are in the process of trying to get pregnant, and certainly if there is already a chance of it, make sure you are taking prenatal vitamins. Those should be begun as soon as you decide you're trying to get pregnant since the folic acid in them helps prevent spina bifida, which is a serious birth defect that occurs due to a problem in development during only the first 2 weeks to month of pregnancy, often before most women know they are pregnant. (But only take the dose of the vitamins recommended by your doctor...this is a case where you need enough, but too much can also be harmful to the embryo/fetus, particularly vitamin C, so don't overdo it.)

As an aside, if you are planning to become pregnant and have a baby, it may be a very good time to start practicing patience...a little one will certainly test it! :wink:

[Caroline999]

How soon after conception would a pregnancy test be able to pick up on the hormones?
We "did it" on thursday and i'm just too impatient to wait for two weeks to find out. But i don't want to keep wasting pregnancy tests.
Glad to read such a nice piece of information.
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