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Home Pregnancy Tests

© Lori Ramsey

When actively trying to conceive, the time comes to think about taking a home pregnancy test (hpt). When to test is often the most asked question. And that answer depends on what brand of test you choose. I have done some lengthy study on these and feel that many can be used before the first day of the missed period.

Implantation of the fertilized egg usually takes place at around 7-10 days post ovulation. Though it can occur as early as 4 days and as late as 12 days. When you chart your cycle you will find out how long your luteal phase is - this will determine when menstruation should begin and thus should tell you when to take a test. However, if you are real attuned to your body, and can identify possible pregnancy symptoms before the menstruation is missed, you could see a positive pregnancy test sooner.

This is true of myself. I just recently found out that I am pregnant with my third child. My menstrual cycle wasn't due until Sunday, March 5. However, I had some classic pregnancy symptoms on February 28 at 10 days post ovulation, so I used an hpt on February 29 at 11 days post ovulation and it was positive. It was positive again the next day, when I confirmed it with another hpt. The first day of my missed period would be on Sunday March 5, but I found out much earlier!

There are many different brands of hpt's that detect as little as 25 mIU/hCG (human chorionic gonadatrophin, the hormone produced when implantation occurs.) Below is a chart that shows averages of hCG starting with week 3 to week 40.

Week from the Last Menstral Period (LMP)	Amount of HCG in mIU/ml
3	5 - 50
4	3 - 426
5	19 - 7,340
6	1,080 - 56,500
7 - 8	7,650 - 229,000
9 - 12	25,700 - 288,000
13 - 16	13,300 - 254,000
17 - 24	4,060 - 165,400
25 - 40	3,640 - 117,000

For a more detailed look at this chart go to: http://www.inciid.org/betas.html A woman can test as early as 8 days post ovulation and receive a positive hpt. On the other hand, it can take up to 17 days to see a positive hpt. And some women, though few, will never see a positive hpt - even though they are indeed pregnant. I have a good friend who never had a positive hpt with all three of her children!

The next decision is to decide which brand of hpt to buy. I personally have tried just about all the brands that I could get a hold of. I have heard rumors that some are not as reliable as others and some may give a false positive. Below is a list of hpt's--though not all that are available--and the amount of hCG they detect.