How to use a Pregnancy Test Kit

Usage of Pregnancy Test is very easy, If you suspect that you are pregnant, use a home pregnancy test kit to confirm that you are pregnant. 

These kits can be purchased at most major pharmacies/drugstores/retail stores etc. 

To use the Pregnancy Kits follow the following steps after thoroughly reading the directions that come with the test:

Step 1: Buy a home pregnancy test kit from pharmacy or retail store.

Step 2: Clean your hands with soap and hot water.

Step 3: Open the foil wrapper and remove the test stick

Step 4: Sit on the toilet.

Step 5: Now place the test stick in your urine stream with the "result side" facing up.

Step 6: Urinate onto the test stick for at least 5-10 seconds.

Step 7: Now place the stick on a dry and flat surface with the "result side" facing up.

Step 8: You need to wait for the amount of time specified on the instruction sheet until results appear.

Tubal (Ectopic) Pregnancy

A tubal pregnancy occurs when the embryo attaches outside of the uterus. The fetus may be in the falopian tubes or on the ovary, but generally, it is in the tubes. Tubal pregnancies occur in 1 out of 100 pregnancies and is generally diagnosed by the 6th week of pregnancy.

Things that increase your risks for a ectopic (tubal) pregnancy:

• PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease)
• Previous Ectopic pregnancy
• IUD in place when conception occurred
• Previous ruptured appendix
• Surgery on fallopian tubes (for example, tube reversal or having tubes tied)

Signs of a tubal pregnancy:

• Cramping on one-side only (later may radiate around waist)
• HCG levels may be normal at first and then decline
• Shoulder pain
• Bleeding or spotting (light bleeding or brown spotting)
• Nauseated
• Dizziness

Signs of tubal rupture:

• Sharp pain on one-side
• Spotting or bleeding (may be heavy)
• Signs of shock (clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, fainting)

Treatment:

The doctor will either give methotrexate or surgically remove the embryo from the fallopian tubes or ovary. An embryo can not survive a tubal pregnancy.

Pregnancy Tests

Pregnancy tests can be categorized into 3 categories: urine test in doctor's office, at home pregnancy tests and blood tests. The urine test and the blood test in a doctor's office can detect approximately 7-10 days after conception. The home pregnancy tests usually detect about 14 days after conception (around time of period).

When Do I test for pregnancy?

Home pregnancy tests will usually detect pregnancy between the first day of your missed period to about a week after a missed period. However, some home pregnancy tests may be able to detect pregnancy 10 days after conception. If you do a test earlier than your period, be sure to retest if you get a negative result and have any signs of pregnancy. (The tests that may detect as early as 10 days are highlighted in pink in the chart below)

If you want to find out earlier than 14 days after conception and an early home pregnancy test resulted in a negative response, see your doctor about a blood or in office urine test. A blood test can detect pregnancy approximately 7 days after conception.

Some tests will tell you they can detect on the first day of a missed period and some will say a week after a missed period. Read on the box to find out more information.

Buying Pregnancy Tests and which is best:

There are many pregnancy tests available for the convenience and privacy of testing at home. The sensitivity of a pregnancy test depends on how much HCG can be detected. The lower the mIU/ML level of the pregnancy test, the earlier it can detect pregnancy.

Below is a chart listing pregnancy tests (most sensitive to least sensitive):

*The earliest detecting pregnancy tests are highlighted yellow and may give a positive result as early as 10 days after conception.

Pregnancy Test:	HCG Level detected (mIU/ML):
Aimstick	20
Confirm 1-step	25
Health Check	25
Lifesign One Step	25
One Step Be Sure	25
EPT	40
Clearblue Easy	50
Selfcare	50
Store Brands (like Rite-Aid)	50
Answer	100
Conceive	100
First Response	100
Precise	100
Q-test	100
Fact-Plus	150-250
Advance	250

What if you still feel pregnant even though the test says negative?

If you have taken, a pregnancy test and you feel pregnant although the test-said negative, you may need to wait a few more days and retest.

Note: Ectopic (tubal pregnancies) may give a negative result with home pregnancy tests. If you feel you are pregnant or have any signs of a tubal pregnancy, see your doctor.

Is there a chance I'm not pregnant even if the test says positive?

Usually home pregnancy tests are accurate if they read positive. It is when they read negative that they may not be correct. There are more false negatives than there are false positives. This is why it is recommended to retest if you get a negative result and feel you may be pregnant.

A home pregnancy test may also read a false positive if you wait to read the results after the time stated on the box. Some pregnancy tests recommend a maximum of a 7-minute wait time. If you wait longer than this with some pregnancy tests, you may see a negative result change to a false positive result.

Abortion

If you are pregnant, you have the choice to have the baby, place the baby up for adoption, or have an abortion. If you are considering abortion, please speak with a medical professional before making your final decision. If you do not want a child at this time, you may consider adoption, the morning after pill, abortion pill or a surgical abortion. An IUD may be used to terminate a pregnancy, but it will not be discussed on this page.

What is the Morning After Pill?

The morning after pill is a series of birth control pills taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse. The doctor may have you take 2 or 3 pills in the morning (of the highest dosage) and two or three at night (of the highest dosage). Taking the series of birth control pills may or may not prevent pregnancy. There is a 75% percent success rate with the morning after pill.

When you take a higher dosage of birth control pills, it tricks the body into thinking it's time to shed the uterine lining. If an egg is fertilized, once it reaches the uterus, it will no longer be the optimal environment for implantation. Therefore, the egg will be discharged out of the body. Sometimes, this does not work and the fertilized egg still implants into the uterine wall. If at this time you did not want to continue this pregnancy, you would have to consider the abortion pill or a surgical abortion.

What will happen after I take the Morning After Pill?

After you take the series of birth control pills to end the pregnancy, you may experience nausea, vomiting, headaches, breast tenderness and irregular bleeding. You should get your period a little earlier or later than you normally would. If you do not get your period within 4 weeks after taking the morning after pill, consult a doctor.

The Non-surgical Method of Abortion (Abortion Pill):

If you are 7 weeks pregnant or less, you may want to consider a medical abortion, that does not require the surgical methods of an abortion. This method uses methotrexate to terminate a pregnancy up to the 7^th week. It has a 90 to 95% success rate for terminating a pregnancy. Methotrexate may take anywhere from 6 to 28 days to end the pregnancy. If this method does not work, you will need to have a surgical abortion performed. 

Some women will not experience any side effects after taking methotrexate. If side effects are experienced, they may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and mild sores in the mouth.

How is the medical abortion performed?

Methotrexate will be given as an injection and then approximately a week after the injection, misoprostol will be given as a suppository or vaginal inserts. Usually, cramping will be experienced within 12 hours after the suppository or vaginal insert. The medical abortion generally takes 24 to 36 hours to terminate the pregnancy.

Note: Please contact your doctor for more information about a medical abortion.

What if I want or need a surgical abortion?

If you have carefully considered all of your options, you will need to contact someone in your surrounding area for a surgical abortion. The type of abortion procedure you will have will depend on how far along you are in your pregnancy. Most doctors will not perform a surgical abortion until after the 6^th week of pregnancy. The average cost of a surgical abortion during the first trimester is approx. between $250 and $450. Some states may accept Medicaid and some states require parental notification for women under the age of 18.

Below is a chart that tells which type of abortion you may have depending on the stage of pregnancy you are in:

Stage of Pregnancy	Abortion Procedure
Early First Trimester (1-3 months)	Suction Curettage (Vacuum Aspiration): Cervix is dilated and a tube is inserted into the uterus. The embryo is removed by suction.
Late First Trimester (1-3 months)	Dilation and Curettage (D & C): Same thing that is done after a miscarriage. Cervix is dilated and an instrument with a sharp hook on the end, scraps the uterine wall and then the embryo and uterine lining is suctioned out.
Second Trimester (4-6 months)	Dilation and Evacuation (D & E): Cervix is dilated widely and forceps are used to remove the fetus in pieces.
Third Trimester (7-9 months)	Saline or prostaglandin abortions A needle is inserted through the abdomen into the amniotic fluid. A mixture of a saline (salt) solution is injected around the fetus. The fetus is delivered dead. Hysterotomies: This is similar to a cesarean (c-section). An incision is made into the abdomen and then the fetus is removed. Partial Birth Abortions

Note: Please contact your doctor for more information about a medical abortion.

 

Maternal Serum Alpha Fetoprotein (MSAFP)

This procedure is usually done around the 16^th to 18^th week of pregnancy. You will be given a blood test that detects low levels of MSAFP and information telling you what the results could mean. Before having the test done, it is best to realize false positives are common.

The test can indicate the following things:

• Spina Bifida (opening in the spinal column)
  
• Anencephaly (missing part of the brain)
  
• Down Syndrome
  
• Other Chromosomal Abnormalities

What if the test indicates low levels of MSAFP?

Usually the doctor will tell you that false positives are common and you can have some other tests to backup the MSAFP. They may do an ultrasound, amniocentesis (increases chance for miscarriage) or other testing procedures.

Ultrasound

An ultrasound is a device that can allow you to see how your baby is developing. The nurse will hold a hand held device that is connected to the ultrasound machine and move this around on your abdomen. A jelly type substance is put on before to allow the hand held device to move around without dragging the skin. Prior to having the ultrasound you will have to drink a large amount of water. This pushes the bladder up and therefore pushes the uterus up so it is more visible.

What can an ultrasound tell you?

• Approximate developmental age of fetus
• How the baby is developing
• Some fetal abnormalities (missing limbs, etc,.)
• May reveal the gender (around 16 weeks)

This procedure is generally done once or twice during pregnancy.

What is the difference between an ultrasound and a sonogram?

An ultrasound is the machine that allows you to watch your baby in a "real-time" mode. You can see how the baby is moving during the ultrasound.

A sonogram is the picture taken during the ultrasound. The sonogram is a "still-shot" of the fetus.

Amniocentesis (Amnio)

Amniocentesis is the procedure used to get the amniotic fluid around the baby and test it for any complications. It is done by the insertion of a needle into the abdomen around the 16^th-18^th week. Then the needle draws out some amniotic fluid. This procedure is usually recommended for women over 35 because of their increased chance in having a Down-Syndrome baby. This procedure does increase the risk of having a miscarriage.

What can an Amnio reveal?

An amnio can tell you the gender, all known chromosomal disorders and more than 200 single gene disorders.  

Warning Signs of a problem after having an amnio:

• Any bleeding
• Cramping
• Contractions or pain in abdominal area

Glucose Tolerance Test

This test is usually given around the 20^th week of pregnancy and can determine how your body handles sugar. Your blood is taken before drinking a sweet, syrupy mixture and then again after drinking (about an hour) the syrupy mixture. A high score can mean that you have gestational diabetes or may be a sign that you have a high chance of getting gestational diabetes.

Signs of Pregnancy

Do you feel like you may be pregnant? If so, you may need to purchase a home pregnancy test or see your doctor.

Signs of Pregnancy:

• Missed Period (usually, but not always--may be lighter than normal or may not last as long as usual)
• Nausea (with or without vomiting)
• Tender or swollen breasts
• Frequent urination (usually about 6 weeks after pregnancy)
• bloating
• Increased vaginal dishcarge
• increased sense of smell

CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling)

This procedure is done around the 8^th to 12^th week and gives the same information as the amniocentesis, but at an earlier time. Higher chance for miscarriage than the amniocentesis.

How is the procedure done?

The doctor removes some of the tissue that attaches the pregnancy sac to the uterine wall. Then they will test this material for the possibility of problems.

Stress Test

A stress test or contraction stress test is usually performed after a non-stress test does not give enough information or needs to be confirmed with another test.

How the test is performed

A fetal monitoring belt will be placed around your abdomen and contractions will either be administered through a very small amount of pitocin or through nipple stimulation. Once contractions are registering on the fetal monitoring system, the nurse or doctor will evaluate how the baby is responding to the contractions. They will look at the heart rate and movements of the baby. If the baby is not responding well (like drop in heart beat with contractions), this could signal fetal distress.