When to take a pregnancy test for a reliable result

When to take a pregnancy test is often the first question after a late period, and the wait can feel very long. Testing too early is a common reason for a confusing result, so a little patience often saves worry, and money.

Below you'll find the right day to test, how to use a home test step by step, what a faint line or a negative means, your first steps after a positive, and the urgent signs that can't wait for any test.

When to take a pregnancy test: how soon is too soon?

A home pregnancy test looks for a pregnancy hormone in urine. The body starts making it once a pregnancy settles in the womb, and the amount builds up day by day. In the first days there may be too little for a test to pick up, which is why an early test can be negative even when you are pregnant.

So the simple rule is to test from the day your period is missed, and if it's negative, to test again a week later, when the result is more reliable. Some tests say they work a few days earlier; they can, but a negative before your period is due doesn't tell you much. Signs such as tender breasts can't tell you sooner either: see early signs of pregnancy.

How to take a home pregnancy test, step by step

Home pregnancy tests are sold in most pharmacies in Bangladesh, as simple strips, small cassettes or sticks you hold in the urine stream. Used correctly after a missed period, a simple strip often works as well as a costly test.

1. 1Check that the pack is sealed and within its expiry date.
2. 2Read the leaflet first: each test has its own steps and its own reading time.
3. 3Use the first urine of the morning, especially in the first days after a missed period, and avoid drinking a lot of water just before.
4. 4Collect urine in a clean, dry cup, or hold the stick in the stream, for exactly as long as the leaflet says.
5. 5Lay the test flat and wait for the stated time. A control line shows that the test has worked.
6. 6Read the result at the stated time. A line that appears hours later doesn't count.
7. 7Note the date and the result, so you can tell the doctor.

Faint line on a pregnancy test: what does it mean?

A second line that appears within the reading time, however faint, usually means the test has found the pregnancy hormone. It's often faint because it's early and the hormone is still low. Test again in a few days with morning urine; the line often looks clearer.

A faint, colourless line that shows up only after the reading time is different: it can appear as the test dries, and it doesn't count. If you're unsure, test again rather than studying the old one. Either way, a positive means booking a first checkup, and any bleeding or spotting from the vagina means going to hospital now.

Negative pregnancy test but no period: what next?

A negative test with a late period is common, and it usually has one of two explanations: you tested too early, or your period is late for another reason.

• Testing too early, or using diluted urine later in the day, can give a false negative. Test again in a week with morning urine.
• Periods can be late because of stress, illness, travel, a big change in weight or exercise, breastfeeding, or a hormone or thyroid problem.
• If a second test a week later is still negative and your period still hasn't come, see a doctor. They can look for the reason, and may do a blood or urine test.
• If you have belly pain or bleeding at any point, don't wait for another test: use the urgent signs above.

Positive pregnancy test? Your first steps

1. 1Work out your due date and how many weeks you are with our due date calculator.
2. 2Book a first checkup. Bangladesh advises at least 4 checkups, at about 16, 24–28, 32 and 36 weeks, and many doctors advise 8. Your doctor sets your schedule; see prenatal checkups.
3. 3Ask a doctor before taking any medicine or remedy, and ask at your checkup about the tablets pregnant women are given in Bangladesh.
4. 4Read our first trimester guide for what the next weeks usually bring.
5. 5Learn the warning signs, and save 999 and your nearest hospital's number in both your phones.

Taking a pregnancy test in a Bangladeshi home: privacy and pressure

For many women in Bangladesh, the hardest part of a pregnancy test isn't the test. It's buying a kit at the neighbourhood pharmacy where everyone knows you, finding privacy in a shared bathroom, and the questions afterwards.

• The husband can buy the test from any pharmacy on his way home. It's an ordinary purchase, and pharmacies sell them every day.
• Test first thing in the morning, before the house gets busy, and keep the result between the two of you until you've decided who to tell.
• If your mother-in-law asks every month, a short, kind line is enough, and the husband can ask his family to give you space.
• Month after month of negatives can hurt, and it isn't anyone's fault. After 1 year of trying, or 6 months at 35 or older, see a doctor together.

When to take a pregnancy test: a 7-day plan while you wait

1. 1Day 1: Write down the first day of your last period and the day your next one is due.
2. 2Day 2: Buy one test, check the expiry date, and read the leaflet in advance.
3. 3Day 3: Agree as a couple on when you'll test and who, if anyone, you'll tell.
4. 4Day 4: Until you know, ask a doctor before taking any medicine or remedy, and avoid smoke and alcohol.
5. 5Day 5: If your period is now late, test with morning urine and note the result.
6. 6Day 6: If it's positive, work out your due date and book a checkup; if it's negative and there's still no period, set a reminder to test again in a week.
7. 7Day 7: Look back at the week together: how you both felt, and what you'll do next.

When to see a doctor, or go to hospital

A test answers one question; it doesn't replace a doctor. These signs mean getting help, whatever the test says. The full list is in pregnancy warning signs.

When to take a pregnancy test is easier to decide with your dates written down. ParentMind is for the years after your baby arrives: it helps you note what happens each day, see patterns and get guidance. See how ParentMind works.