Before you take a home pregnancy test, experts recommend waiting at least until the day you expect your period to start. That’s because by then, if you’re pregnant, levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG will be high enough to measure in your urine. For best results, take a home pregnancy test first thing in the morning when you wake up, before you drink water or another beverage.

How early can you take a pregnancy test?

For the most accurate results, wait until the day you miss your period.

Some pregnancy tests promise accurate results a week after conception. And while it’s technically okay to take a test then, it may be too soon for the tests to determine whether you’re pregnant or not.

All pregnancy tests measure the same hormone – human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). But when these tests can detect the hormone depends on a number of variables.

Soon after conception, the developing embryo attaches to the wall of your uterus (known as implantation). Before implantation even occurs, the cells that will eventually become the placenta begin to produce and secrete hCG.

As HCG levels rise, it enters the bloodstream, and at higher levels will be excreted in urine. But this takes time, since the fertilized egg must travel into the uterus and implant into your uterine lining. Then, more time is needed still for hCG to become detectable in your blood and urine.

Home pregnancy tests measure the amount of hCG in your urine. So while you could have hCG in your pee a week or so after conception, it may not be concentrated enough to give you a positive result.

The hCG hormone typically doubles every two or three days during the first few weeks of pregnancy (though a slower rise can still be normal). The more hCG in your body, the more likely it is that an at-home pregnancy test will pick it up. If you’re pregnant, waiting just a few days can give your body time to make enough hCG to give a positive result.

But you don’t want to wait too long to test, either. The sooner you know you’re pregnant, the sooner you can decide how to proceed. If you’re continuing your pregnancy, call your provider (or choose a doctor or midwife) to set up your prenatal care.

The best time of day to take a pregnancy test

Wondering whether to take a pregnancy test in the morning or night? Urine is always more concentrated when you first wake up, so most experts recommend taking the test then. Don’t drink water or any other beverage before going to the bathroom. Fluids can dilute the amount of hCG in your urine.

If you need to wait until later in the day to take the pregnancy test, here’s how to make it as accurate as a morning reading.

• Hold off going to the bathroom for at least four hours. That will guarantee more concentrated amounts of urine (and hCG).
• Try not to drink too much water or other beverages. That will dilute the hCG in your urine.

Are some pregnancy tests more accurate than others?

Yes, some tests are more sensitive than others. It’s a good idea to check the box to see how they measure hCG, and when they can first detect a positive pregnancy. 

Also, a blood test is more accurate than an at-home pregnancy test, While both tests measure the hCG in your body, the two types of tests differ in how (and when) they discover it.

A pregnancy blood test, usually given by your healthcare provider in their office or at a hospital, measures the amount of hCG in your bloodstream. They’re more sensitive than at-home urine tests, so they can pick up much smaller amounts of the hormone. That means they’re more likely to detect your pregnancy earlier. Blood hCG can be detected as early as six to eight days after ovulation (which is around 6 to 8 days before your period depending on how long your cycles are).

But blood tests aren’t given very often. They’re more expensive, and only a doctor or provider can order them. Your provider may order one if they want to compare hCG levels and whether they’re rising and declining appropriately.

Should you take another pregnancy test?

If you get a negative result, you may want to test again later. You may have tested too early, or maybe you ovulated later than you thought and aren’t far enough along for the test to catch your rising hCG level. It’s also possible you didn’t follow the instructions correctly (hey, it happens) or drank a lot of water and diluted the hCG in your urine.

Since there are so many reasons for a possible false negative result, wait a few days and take another test. Make sure it’s several days after your expected period. Then:

• If you get another negative result and still haven’t gotten your period, call your provider. They may want to set up a visit to see what the reason is.
• If you get a positive result, call your provider. They may want to schedule a visit and give you a blood test or ultrasound to confirm the location and viability of the pregnancy.
• If you get mixed results – a couple of negatives followed by a positive or vice versa – call your provider. They may want to check with an ultrasound to see what might be going on.

In summary, to take a pregnancy test, wait until the first day of your expected period. If the result isn’t what you’re expecting, wait a few days more. And if you have any questions or worries, call your provider.

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Getting a faint line on a pregnancy test may mean you tested too early. Or there may be something else going on, like a pregnancy loss or another medical issue. If you’re trying to conceive or avoid a pregnancy, a faint line can be nerve-wracking. Faint lines aren’t always easy to distinguish, as they may be discolored or colorless. If you do get a faint line, wait to test again in a few days or call your provider to get a blood test.

IN THIS ARTICLE

• What does a faint line on a pregnancy test look like? 
• What does a faint line on a pregnancy test mean? 
• What to do if you see a faint line on a pregnancy test 
• What can cause a false positive pregnancy test? 

The two-week wait (the time between ovulation and a missed period) can be frustrating when you’re trying to determine if you’re pregnant or not. That time may seem to drag on, leading you to test before you miss a period. This, among other reasons, can lead to a faint line on a pregnancy test, causing even more confusion – am I pregnant? And how long do I have to wait to test again? Here’s how to navigate what to do if you get a faint line on a pregnancy test.

What does a faint line on a pregnancy test look like?

A faint line on a pregnancy test is difficult to read because it’s barely visible. A line that’s supposed to be red may appear light pink, for example, and a line that is supposed to look blue if positive will be very light blue.

Before you determine whether or not you have a faint line, it can be helpful to understand what a positive test result looks like. A positive pregnancy test result will look different depending on the kind of test you use.

Results from a home pregnancy test may look like:

• A plus or minus sign
• One line or two lines (with two lines indicating pregnancy)
• A pink line
• A blue line
• The words “pregnant” or “not pregnant”
• The words “yes” or “no”

Read the package instructions carefully. They’ll tell you exactly how to do the test and how to read the results. Most tests have a control line where you can check to see that you did the test correctly. If that control line is blank, then the test didn’t work, and you’ll want to do another one.

In an effort to read very early test results, or test results that are unclear, some women turn to pregnancy test tweaking. This involves taking a photo of your home pregnancy test and editing it to see if you can detect the line that indicates pregnancy. There’s no proof that this is reliable and experts don’t necessarily recommend it, but some women are giving it a try.

What does a faint line on a pregnancy test mean?

A faint line on a pregnancy test probably means that it’s very early in your pregnancy. Even a faint positive pregnancy test indicates that you have some of the pregnancy hormone human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in your system.

Your body starts producing hCG right after implantation. If you have a typical 28-day menstrual cycle, hCG may be detectable in your urine 12 to 15 days after ovulation if you’re pregnant. The levels of hCG are very low at first and then they rise quickly, usually doubling every three days in early pregnancy. That’s why you might have a faintly positive result at first and one that’s crystal clear a few days later.

Here’s why you might see a faint line on your pregnancy test results:

• Testing too early
• Using an expired test
• Not checking the results in time. The directions will tell you to check the results within a certain amount of time (usually a few minutes). That’s because the results are accurate when the urine is still wet. Once it dries, urine may leave a faint line where it evaporated – an “evap line.” Unlike positive result lines, which are usually dark or bright, an evap line will be colorless.
• Very diluted urine. To minimize the possibility of this happening, take your test first thing in the morning, when your urine is most concentrated.
• Using a less sensitive brand to do an early test – some are more sensitive than others at detecting low levels of hCG.

Of course, if it’s really too early, you may not even see a faint line. Instead you might get a negative result because your hCG levels aren’t high enough to be detected. The earlier you test, the higher the chances that you’ll get a false negative test even if you’re pregnant. It’s recommended to wait until at least your missed period (ideally a few days after that) , to start testing to prevent this confusion.

What to do if you see a faint line on a pregnancy test

If you see a faint line, the best thing to do is wait a few more days and take another home pregnancy test. By then your levels of hCG will rise enough to give you a clearly visible result.

Another option is to ask your healthcare provider to confirm that you’re pregnant with a blood test, which can usually detect pregnancy a few days earlier than a home pregnancy test. (The hormone hCG can be detected in the blood about 6 to 8 days after you ovulate, typically a few days to a week sooner than in urine.)

If you saw a faint positive result and retested in a few days with a negative result (or you got your period after testing positive), you may have experienced a chemical pregnancy or early miscarriage. A chemical pregnancy means the egg was fertilized but didn’t completely implant. So your body may have produced a little hCG but then stopped when the embryo stopped developing.

What can cause a false positive pregnancy test?

It’s pretty rare, as pregnancy tests are accurate 97 to 99 percent of the time, but there are reasons you might have hCG in your body and not be pregnant, giving you a false positive result on your pregnancy test:

• An early pregnancy loss. This might be from a chemical pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy. A chemical pregnancy happens if the fertilized egg doesn’t implant. An ectopic pregnancy happens if the fertilized egg implants someplace other than the uterus (usually in a fallopian tube). You might have this if you have one or more faint lines on a pregnancy test, followed by a negative pregnancy test. If you continue to get a faint line, talk with your doctor to figure out what’s going on.
• Fertility drugs and some other medications. Medications that are used in fertility treatment may contain traces of hCG that remain in your system for a week or more. Most medications, including birth control medication, won’t affect the accuracy of your pregnancy test.
• A recent birth, miscarriage, or abortion. It can take weeks for hCG to completely leave your system after a pregnancy.
• Perimenopause or menopause. Higher levels of luteinizing hormone from perimenopause or menopause could possibly result in a positive pregnancy test.
• Certain medical conditions. Rarely an ovarian cyst and some cancers can cause a false positive pregnancy test result.

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Home pregnancy tests work by detecting the presence of a hormone called hCG in your urine. Some at-home pregnancy tests claim they’re sensitive enough to give a positive result as early as five days before your next period. But you’re more likely to get an accurate result (and avoid a false negative) if you wait until the first day of your missed period.

IN THIS ARTICLE

• How do home pregnancy tests work? 
• How to use an at-home pregnancy test 
• When can I take an at-home pregnancy test? 
• How accurate are home pregnancy tests? 
• What to do if you get a positive home pregnancy test 
• Will you need a blood test to confirm your pregnancy? 

How do home pregnancy tests work?

All home pregnancy tests measure the amount of a specific hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. When the embryo starts to implant in the lining of your uterus, as early as six days after conception, cells that will later develop into the placenta begin to produce hCG.

As the placenta grows, the amount of hCG in your body doubles every two days or so during the first few weeks. When hCG levels are high enough, the hormone enters the bloodstream. That’s when it starts to show up in the blood and urine. If the home pregnancy test detects enough hCG in your urine, it gives you a positive result.

Some tests are more sensitive than others. But in general, it’s easier for any home pregnancy test to pick up hCG in the urine when you’re 4 weeks pregnant (when there’s more hCG) versus 6 days after fertilization (when there’s a trace amount of hCG at best).

The best way to tell if a test is sensitive enough to pick up the smaller amounts is to read the fine print. Some urine pregnancy tests can detect lower levels of hCG. If you’re wanting to test early, before you miss a period, check the package insert to learn more about how much hCG needs to be present in your urine to detect a pregnancy.

How to use an at-home pregnancy test

For best results when using a home pregnancy test:

• Make sure the test is up to date. Check the expiration date on the package, especially if you’ve had it for a while. If you’ve been storing the test in the bathroom, the humidity may have ruined it. Better to throw it away and get a new one.
• Test first thing in the morning. Your urine is most concentrated when you first get up. If you’re pregnant, hCG levels will be higher too. That makes it easier for the at-home test to spot it.
• Read the directions carefully. Different brands have different instructions. With some home tests you urinate in a cup and then use the dropper to place a small sample in the testing well. With others, you can pee directly onto the strip or stick. And some let you do either.
• Wait 5 minutes to check. You get the most accurate results if you wait up to 5 minutes, though this can vary by brand. Read the package instructions to learn exactly how long you’ll need to wait to confirm a negative or positive result.

Different tests reveal the results in different ways too. Some show pink or blue lines on the test strip, while others have a red plus or minus sign in a window. Digital tests give results in words (“You’re pregnant”). Most have a control indicator (often a second line or symbol) that tells you whether the test is valid.

If the control indicator doesn’t show up properly, the test is probably faulty. If this happens, call the manufacturer and see if they’ll send you a new one. Also call the company if you have questions about how to use the test.

If the test shows a negative or a faintly positive result, wait another few days and try again if you still haven’t gotten your period. Maybe you ovulated later in your cycle than you thought and took the test too early to get a positive result.

One negative result doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not pregnant. Every woman produces different amounts of hCG and it’s not even the same for each pregnancy. If you suspect that you’re pregnant (say, you’re having early pregnancy symptoms) and still have a negative test, take another home pregnancy test in a week if you still haven’t gotten your period.

If you still haven’t gotten either your period or a positive result two weeks or so after you would expect it, reach out to your provider.

When can I take an at-home pregnancy test?

At-home pregnancy tests are getting better and better. But you’re still more likely to get the most accurate results if you wait to take a pregnancy test until the morning of your expected period. Waiting a few more days after that may provide an even more accurate result.

Some home pregnancy tests claim they’re sensitive enough to give you a positive result as early as five days before your next period. And some women will have produced enough hCG to get a positive result at that point. But, once again, every pregnancy is different.

If you’re eager (or anxious) to know if you’re pregnant, go ahead and do the test 10 or 12 days after you think you’ve conceived. If you get a negative result, no problem. Wait a week and test again if you still haven’t gotten your period.

How accurate are home pregnancy tests?

At-home pregnancy tests are 99 percent accurate. But you can still get what are called false negatives or false positives.

A false negative is when you’re pregnant but the test results show up negative. Sometimes you get a faint line on the home pregnancy test, so the result is unclear. These things usually happen if you take the test too soon, before your hCG levels are high enough. If you get a faint line on a pregnancy test, wait a few days and test again.

A false positive pregnancy test means that you get a positive result but aren’t pregnant. This doesn’t happen very often, except for in the following circumstances:

• You’ve had a miscarriage or terminated a pregnancy in the past eight weeks, or have a molar pregnancy.
• You’ve taken a fertility drug with hCG (used to induce ovulation in fertility treatments).
• You have a rare medical condition, such as an hCG-secreting tumor.
• You’re using an expired or faulty test.
• You’re going through perimenopause or menopause.

If you have a positive result and then get your period soon after, you may have had what’s called a chemical pregnancy. This means the embryo implanted in your uterus and developed just enough to start producing detectable levels of hCG, but then it stopped developing. This is most commonly caused by a genetic abnormality of the embryo.

An ectopic pregnancy can also result in a positive pregnancy test, even though these pregnancies often show slower rises in hCG.

No matter what result you get from a pregnancy test, call your healthcare provider right away if you:

• Feel dizzy or faint
• Have abdominal pain (especially a sharp or stabbing pain in your abdomen or on one side of your pelvis
• Have abnormal bleeding

These could be signs of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

What to do if you get a positive home pregnancy test

Some women take more than one home pregnancy test (or several) just to be sure – but that’s not really necessary. Once you’ve gotten a positive pregnancy test, call your healthcare provider to set up a prenatal visit or to discuss your options if you’re not sure about continuing the pregnancy.

If you don’t already have a family doctor, ob-gyn, or midwife who can provide prenatal care, do some research to see who’s covered by your insurance, and ask for recommendations.

Doctors typically schedule the first prenatal visit when you’re about 8 weeks pregnant. But some providers will see you sooner, especially if you have a medical condition or have had problems with a pregnancy in the past. It’s especially important to see your provider sooner if you’re having nausea and vomiting, vaginal bleeding, or abdominal pain.

Will you need a blood test to confirm your pregnancy?

Not necessarily. To make sure you’re pregnant, most healthcare providers use a urine pregnancy test, just like your at-home pregnancy test . But your provider may use a blood test instead. Just note: It may take anywhere from an hour to a day or more to get the results.

There are two types of pregnancy blood tests:

• A qualitative hCG blood test just shows whether there is hCG in your blood. The results return as “positive” or “negative.” You usually get the results in about the same time you would with a urine test.
• A quantitative blood test (beta hCG test or serum test) measures the exact amount of hCG in your blood. The results return as a number. This test is very accurate. It can detect hCG as early as six to eight days after ovulation, or about a week before your period is due. It takes longer to get results from a quantitative blood test, though.

Again, your provider may not give you a blood test. Oftentimes, a positive home pregnancy test is enough to get started with the prenatal care you need.

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