I took a pregnancy test what to do next. How does a pregnancy test work and what to do with a positive result

What are pregnancy tests?

Today you can choose for yourself two main types of pregnancy tests:

• Type 1 pregnancy tests measure the concentration of hCG in the blood. Such tests are available only in special clinics, so you need to contact a doctor or a laboratory to conduct them.
• Type 2 pregnancy tests measure the concentration of hCG in the urine. This pregnancy test is also called a home test. Such pregnancy tests are sold in pharmacies without a doctor's prescription.

In modern pharmacies, you can find many varieties of home pregnancy tests. The cost of a home test is also different (from 40 rubles), it depends on the company, the form of application (jet test, pipette or test that requires urine sampling).

Before you conduct a pregnancy test, be sure to determine its type and carefully read the instructions.

Many home tests work on the same principle. Some of them involve collecting urine in a container and introducing a test into the urine to a certain level (strips). Others require holding the test under a stream of urine. The time after which the result will be determined varies from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. After contacting the home pregnancy test with urine and the time required by the instructions has elapsed, you can determine the result.

In various tests, the results can also be displayed differently, more often these are strips - indicators, there are also special icons - on electronic tests.

• The first strip (control indicator), it indicates that the test is working and suitable for use.
• The second strip (pregnancy indicator), it shows the presence (appearance of a strip), or the absence of pregnancy (absence of a second strip).

The intensity of the color of the pregnancy indicator (second bar) has no meaning in pregnancy tests, unlike ovulation tests. Even if you saw a pale pink stripe, this is evidence of pregnancy.

How accurate is the result of a home pregnancy test?

As practice shows, home pregnancy tests show a very accurate result (up to 98-99%). The reliability of the result will depend on the following factors:

• Pregnancy test expiration date - make sure the test is valid.
• Strict adherence to test instructions.
• Do not rush to distinguish the result - the most optimal determination time is 10 minutes.

It should be borne in mind that the concentration of the hCG hormone increases as pregnancy progresses. Therefore, your test will give the more accurate result the later you do it and vice versa!

What to do next if the pregnancy test is positive?

If a home pregnancy test showed a positive result, be sure to visit a gynecologist, do an ultrasound to 100% confirm the result and exclude diseases, including ectopic pregnancy.

Also, the doctor will advise the main steps to maintain pregnancy, vitamins and necessary drugs (for example, taking folic acid, if you have not started drinking it before planning a pregnancy). Early registration in gynecology will help you easily transfer your interesting position, bear a healthy baby and maintain your own health and beauty.

There is hope! A few BUT...or can the test be negative BUT you are pregnant?

• The test may give a false result even a week after the delay. If your suspicions of pregnancy remain, be sure to visit a gynecologist.
• If you are taking certain medications that contain the hCG hormone, they can also affect the accuracy of the result.
• And, of course, do not smoke, drink and take drugs. They will affect not only the results of the pregnancy test, but also your health and the health of the unborn baby.

In general, this question can be answered in one phrase - if you become pregnant, you need to contact a gynecologist. Despite the fact that this is quite obvious, after the news of their pregnancy, some women fall into an exciting state and some, at first glance, obvious things are simply forgotten. I will try to bring some clarity to this issue.

How will you find out about your pregnancy?

If you have a regular menstrual cycle, then if you have at least a few days of delay, you need to do a test that can be bought at any pharmacy. The test is done in the morning from the first portion of urine (in the early stages, a test made in the afternoon and in the evening may be unreliable, since the liquid drunk during the day dilutes the urine). Even if the second strip is barely visible, the test is positive, in the future this strip will become brighter.

Another more reliable option donate blood for hcg- from the first day of the delay, this analysis will be able to indicate the presence of pregnancy as accurately as possible (there are nuances, but not so often).

If you have an irregular menstrual cycle that is prone to delays, it is impossible to specify the exact time when you should take a pregnancy test, but you can focus on the following points:

• If you have had unprotected intercourse, the test can be done after 20-25 days
• If you have unusual sensations in the body - your chest swelled and became painful (not as it usually happened before menstruation), nausea and dizziness appeared, your appetite changed and in general you began to feel somehow strange and unusual
• If the period does not come longer than ever

Important! You should definitely take a pregnancy test if your periods went “somehow strange” - that is, they were poorer than usual and did not last long or started earlier than usual. This is due to the fact that, despite the pregnancy that has occurred, menstruation (albeit scanty) can pass.

The test is positive - what issue should be resolved next?

As soon as you find out that the pregnancy has taken place, you need to contact a gynecologist and do the first ultrasound. The first question that is solved in any pregnancy is where is the fertilized egg?

A fertilized egg can be in the uterus - this is a normal uterine pregnancy, and a fertilized egg can be outside the uterus - most often in the tube - this is an ectopic pregnancy. The diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy is very dangerous - read more in the relevant topic.

Most often, the fetal egg can be seen after 10-14 days of delayed menstruation, but sometimes the fetal egg is not visible even longer. As a rule, this happens with an irregular menstrual cycle or if ovulation occurs late.

After establishing the fact of uterine pregnancy, you begin to be observed by a doctor. During pregnancy, you will take various tests and studies.
In addition to general tests, during pregnancy you will undergo 2 tests to detect fetal malformations. The first test is performed at 10-12 weeks of pregnancy - it includes an ultrasound and a blood test for certain proteins. The second test, also consists of an ultrasound and a blood test for proteins, and is performed from 16 to 18 weeks of pregnancy.

Between 20-23 weeks - you will have the most detailed ultrasound, in which the doctor can assess the fetus in detail and rule out most disorders. The next ultrasound is performed between 32-34 - in this study, the condition of the fetus is clarified, how it develops, the placenta is evaluated.

If your pregnancy is proceeding normally, in fact, for its entire period, you will pass tests several times and do ultrasound several times.

These are just tests...

During pregnancy, many changes occur in the body, which can be individual. It is very important to be calm about the results of analyzes and studies. Some changes may be temporary and disappear on their own after a while.

Important! If you have any changes in the tests during pregnancy, or abnormalities were found on the ultrasound, do not worry. Just retake the tests in another laboratory and undergo an ultrasound scan from another specialist (it is better to get to the leading well-known doctors). You should always get a second opinion and another test result.

Confusion about pregnancy

Quite often, a woman has a question - why do I have such a gestational age, especially often this occurs after an ultrasound.

So there is a so-called obstetric gestational age and true. The obstetric gestational age is considered from the first day of the last menstruation and, according to this calculation, the pregnancy lasts 280 days or 40 weeks. The fetus may have its own intrauterine life plan and therefore the gestational age can range from 37 to 42 weeks. A lot of factors influence this.

true term Pregnancy is counted from the moment of ovulation (the release of an egg). Since this normally happens 2 weeks after the onset of menstruation, it turns out that the true gestational age is 2 weeks less. But we must remember that ovulation can shift in time (occur either earlier or later), and with an irregular cycle, its onset can vary greatly.

The gestational age during ultrasound is determined based on the size of individual parts of the fetal body. There are several generally accepted tables developed by individual authors, which indicate the average size of the fetus at different stages of pregnancy and give an error interval (sometimes this interval can reach 2 weeks). There are differences between these tables, so modern ultrasound machines have a program that calculates the gestational age by taking averages from different tables.

Remember how you choose clothes in a store - there are sizes that you came up with on the basis of average indicators, but it rarely happens that a dress or blouse in your size fits perfectly on your figure, there will definitely be a discrepancy somewhere. So the average size of the fetus, and their correspondence to the gestational age, may have individual characteristics.

Now let's look at a specific example: you know the date of conception, and after an ultrasound, you are given a gestational age that does not match your calculations - there are several explanations - you confuse the true gestational age with the obstetric one (remember that it is 2 weeks less), you do not the day of conception was correctly estimated (ovulation could occur later or earlier), the fetal measurements were not very accurate.

Usually, in order to determine the gestational age as accurately as possible, all methods are used together and an average is taken. That is, they calculate the period according to the last menstruation, the day of conception and the results of the ultrasound - a certain average is obtained that most closely matches your gestational age.

To avoid confusion, just always count your pregnancy from the first day of your last period. All activities during pregnancy are calculated according to the obstetric term, so it will be easier for you to navigate with the results of both ultrasound and other studies and analyzes.

In conclusion, some important tips at the beginning of pregnancy:

• If you have a delay in menstruation, you must definitely find out the reason for this delay (by doing a pregnancy test). If it turns out positive in the near future, contact a gynecologist. Since there is always a risk of ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage - not paying attention to the delay in menstruation, or postponing your trip to the gynecologist - is very dangerous!
• In the first two months of pregnancy, you must refrain from sexual activity. It is possible to resume sexual activity after the expiration of this period, if the pregnancy proceeds normally and there are no conditions in which the doctor advises to refrain from sexual activity (threat of abortion, etc.)
• There is no need to panic if during the menstrual cycle during which you became pregnant, you led an “intemperate” lifestyle (drank alcohol, took medication, got sick or had other “excesses”). It is important to discuss this with your doctor. Only certain types of drugs have a proven negative effect on the fetus, and only certain diseases at the very beginning of pregnancy can definitely be a reason for terminating a pregnancy. In the vast majority of cases, all the "excesses" and taken cold medicines and antibiotics do not have any effect on the fetus and the course of pregnancy. Of course, none of the doctors will be able to answer with certainty the question of whether this or that medicine taken or the disease (there are reliable exceptions) will affect the further development of the fetus. This issue is always resolved individually, but we must remember that if a woman nevertheless decides to “play it safe” and have an abortion, its consequences can also be unpredictable and there is a possibility that after this pregnancy may not occur for a long time.
• Weight yourself and remember your weight - this will help you keep track of how you gain weight during pregnancy
• At the beginning of pregnancy, you may feel sick, dizzy, dizzy, chest ache, and in general, you may feel very ill. It is believed that there is a psychological component to this. That is, when a woman finds out that she is pregnant, a program of behavior known to her works in her (any woman knows that during pregnancy there should be nausea, feeling unwell, etc.). I have repeatedly seen how a woman's normal state of health changed in one day, as soon as she found out about her pregnancy and vice versa, some psychological counseling completely removed this condition. It's not scientifically proven, but it's just food for thought.
• The information that you have become pregnant should not significantly change your lifestyle - eat what you want (but in moderation of course), lead a normal life, except avoid smokers and places with very bad air and ecology, try not to contact with sick and sneezing people, get more positive emotions. A glass of wine or champagne at dinner (of course, not every day) is not contraindicated.
• If you have been involved in sports, you do not need to quit these activities. In the first 2 months, it may be worthwhile to refrain from active exercises, and then, if there are no contraindications, it is worth continuing classes. For each trimester of pregnancy, special exercises have been developed - specially trained instructors know them - just refer to them. The pool during pregnancy is very indicated (there may be contraindications, but rarely), but you should not actively sunbathe, especially in the solarium. Staying on the beach under an umbrella at a safe time (morning and evening) is only beneficial, as is swimming in the sea.
• Is it possible to fly by plane - a frequent question of pregnant women - the answer is very simple - if the pregnancy is proceeding normally - it is possible, if there is a threat of interruption - it is not worth it, and you should not fly by plane a few weeks before giving birth.

Pregnancy is not a disease, but the natural state of a woman, the most wonderful time in her life. Nature has carefully thought through all the processes that occur during pregnancy, and has developed mechanisms to protect against various failures. A woman's body can compensate for a lot on its own.

Of course, there are various deviations during pregnancy that require correction, and sometimes emergency interventions, but in most cases, the pregnancy proceeds normally.

Situations when it is necessary to consult a doctor:

• Bloody or brownish or brown or slightly reddish vaginal discharge
• Pain in the lower abdomen
• Pain in the lower back, sacrum, coccyx

A quick pregnancy test is a great invention of mankind, no matter how pathetic it may sound. Everything ingenious should be simple.

Today you can go to a pharmacy, buy a test and have preliminary information almost immediately. Tests are available to everyone, they are of different types, manufacturers. The most popular firms today:

• Frau test;
• Novatest;
• Bebicek;
• Evitest;
• Clearblue;
• BB test.

All of them have one thing in common: the analysis can be done at home and get a reliable result at a very early date. A few drops of urine are enough. The mechanism of action is based on the detection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This is a hormone that stimulates the development of the rudiments of the placenta (chorion).

The test is positive, what to do next?

It happens that a woman cannot get pregnant for a long time, undergoes a lot of examinations together with her partner, sometimes - treatment.

Or if there was a tragic experience of miscarriage, fears drive into chronic stress with all the consequences. After all, we are talking about a desirable, long-awaited pregnancy! And then the test is positive!

So that disappointment does not lead to large-scale stress, it is worth calming down. There are three further paths:

1. Leave everything as it is and wait for obvious signs of pregnancy.
2. Conduct a re-analysis after two or three days and then go to the consultation.
3. Contact a doctor, take a blood test for hCG and undergo an ultrasound examination.

The second option looks the most advantageous. The tactics of behavior in the first case can provoke a false pregnancy. The second method allows you not to be distracted by false positive results and not waste time on unnecessary visits to the hospital.

It is the third option that guarantees a 100% conclusion about the presence or absence of pregnancy. Ultrasound will reveal the ectopic location of the fetal egg. Early diagnosis in this case can save not only the ability to give birth in the future, but sometimes life.

If the good news is confirmed, let's hurry up to register for pregnancy and start a new, happy life in anticipation of our personal miracle.

Benefits of Medical Surveillance

To get the expected test result is an incommensurable happiness for a woman. And only the beginning of a difficult but joyful journey. The fact was confirmed, now it needs to be strengthened by its further actions.

The sooner you register for pregnancy, the more likely you are to endure and give birth to a healthy child. Women who have had a difficult experience of unwanted abortion know this. If this is the first long-awaited pregnancy, you should not take it lightly. Modern medicine minimizes such risks.

Being under the control of specialists, you will get the opportunity to do all the necessary examinations, take tests, receive advice from professionals, geneticists, ultrasound diagnosticians.

You and your unborn child will be under comprehensive supervision. And this will relieve many of the problems that arise during pregnancy.

Moreover, in our time there is a choice: you can contact a public clinic or a private specialist you trust. Choose the maternity hospital where you want to give birth to your long-awaited child.

Risks of uncontrolled flow

By refusing to observe, you are exposing yourself and your unborn child to significant risks. The following complications may occur:

• ectopic pregnancy;
• infectious diseases transmitted from mother to fetus;
• skip the moment when placental pathology appears, which can be corrected;
• infect a child during childbirth with poorly sanitized birth canals;
• there are positions of the fetus in the uterus, in which physiological childbirth is impossible in principle;
• miscarriage is possible for reasons related to the pathology of the mother's reproductive system.

The doctor prescribes the necessary examinations, drugs and procedures, monitors the development of the fetus and your condition, correcting it.

False positive result

Sometimes a quick test shows two lines. But after that, menstruation occurs or a second examination refutes the result. A false positive test is misinformation that ruins your plans.

Do not trust the first indication of even the most sensitive testing. A false-positive result is possible if the test is expired, if the conditions for its storage and transportation are incorrect, or if there is a factory defect. Difficult, but you can do the testing itself wrong.

Therefore, it is desirable to carry out control after two days with a test from another company. Read the instructions carefully and follow them correctly. Incorrect adherence to the analysis procedure may lead to an incorrect answer.

A false positive rapid test result can be:

• if you have recently had a medical abortion;
• in case of operated ectopic pregnancy;
• after spontaneous fading of the fetus in the early stages;
• with some endocrinological disorders;
• while taking drugs containing hCG.

If a woman is aware of an abortion or operation, then the miscarriage may pass spontaneously, unnoticed by her, and the test will be false positive.

Such situations are connected with the fact that the body cannot abruptly stop producing hCG after the start of synthesis, and the presence of this hormone in the urine can give such an unreliable answer.

A false positive test can be:

• before the next menstruation, if a woman has an oncological disease;
• with cysts of the stomach and ovaries;
• with hormonal failure in the body of a woman.

Then hormones similar to hCG are produced in excess and a quick test may not distinguish between them.

Regarding menstruation, there are cases when they occurred in the early stages. It is impossible to refute pregnancy by this criterion alone.

Menopause and menopause

This period in a woman's life is associated with many problems. There is a failure of the cycle, irregularity of menstruation, restructuring of the body. It is difficult to determine whether there is a delay in menstruation or not. To endure and give birth at this age is not an easy task, the female body is no longer so strong and healthy.

Contraception does not give a 100% guarantee, pregnancy can occur in adulthood. If a woman is ready to keep it, she will make every effort to do so.

In case of an unwanted pregnancy, a quick analysis will allow you to find out the cause of the delay in time. With age, the risk of having children with pathology increases.

Therefore, if in doubt, it is better to use tests to determine pregnancy in the early stages. A positive test in such a situation is a signal to quickly consult a doctor and decide what to do next.

Abortion at this age will also not add health, in addition, for a woman with children and, possibly, grandchildren, it is psychologically difficult to undergo this procedure.

During menopause and menopause, there are also false positive tests.

This is due to the unstable production of human chorionic gonadotropin in the body. Due to hormonal changes, there may be bursts of hCG synthesis and this may show a sensitive test.

unwanted pregnancy

A positive test in an unwanted pregnancy is a tragedy for a woman. Don't despair right away. The test may be wrong. But if the result is confirmed, what to do?

Do not panic. Weigh the pros and cons. Make decisions wisely and responsibly. This is not only about your life and future, but also about the life of another living being, and only in your will is this decision. Set aside emotions, evaluate the dangers of abortion and the risks of further infertility.

Take into account the blood group. If you have a negative Rh, with each subsequent pregnancy, bearing a fetus will be more problematic.

Think carefully about whether there is such a good reason to cut off a new life. If you are left alone, there is no help, the father of the child refused to solve the problem, studies or too young age - this is difficult, but you can handle it.

Many women decide to give birth in critical situations for themselves and subsequently never regret it. There are really good medical reasons for having an abortion and the raw psychological trauma associated with violence when women cannot do otherwise.

In any case, listen only to yourself, this is your life, no matter how society pressures you. We need to take reproductive health seriously. Use contraception, follow the cycle, respect yourself. Let a positive test be your expected happiness.

Hands are shaking, there is fog in my head, an incomprehensible mixture of emotions inside, and the reason for everything is a positive pregnancy test. Some women rejoice at him like a miracle, others begin to panic, others completely fall into a stupor. But after a few minutes / hours / days, everyone has the same question - what's next?

1. Calm down

It is better not to neglect this advice. Very often, women who really want or, conversely, are afraid to get pregnant “think out” the second strip. In any case, pulling yourself together will be a great solution.

You can not try to be distracted by something else - it will not work. Instead, taking deep, calm breaths or talking to your spouse/girlfriend will help.

2. Recheck the result

As soon as the ability to think clearly returns, it is advisable to start rechecking the result. To do this, it is better to buy 2-3 tests, but of a different brand and type. Ideally - in another pharmacy. Reading their instructions is a must. Tests may show false positive results due to misuse, storage or expired use.

A false positive result also occurs in such cases:

• recent abortion, miscarriage;
• ectopic pregnancy;
• getting on the test of organic particles from the outside;
• treatment with hormonal drugs;
• menopause;
• oncology;
• some types of cysts, uterine fibroids and similar diseases.

You can repeat the procedure after 2-3 days, if in doubt. In the presence of pregnancy, the stripes will become brighter after this period. If the tests still show pregnancy, it's time to move on to the third step.

3. Chat with mom

And not only for moral support and sharing of joy. A conversation with her mother is needed to find out how her pregnancy and childbirth went. This information will later help the doctor to better understand how to manage the pregnancy of the expectant mother. A few questions to ask your parent:

• What weight and height was I born with?
• Were there complications during pregnancy or childbirth?
• Did you suffer from high blood pressure during pregnancy?
• What childhood diseases did I have (rubella, chickenpox, etc.)?

It also makes sense to remember all your chronic or serious diseases in the past, the presence of allergies. Maybe mom can help with that too.

4. Make an appointment with a doctor

A natural and obvious step. However, as practice shows, many women postpone a visit to the doctor or do not consider it necessary to go to the clinic at all. And in vain. The sooner the expectant mother makes an appointment, the more chances the doctor has to prevent the development of pathologies in the fetus or complications during pregnancy.

If the test showed two strips not due to pregnancy or product defects, the doctor will determine the cause and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

What can the doctor do during the first visits?

4.1. Submit for hCG lab test

If the period is still short, even a gynecological examination may not reveal pregnancy. But the test for gonadotropin will do just fine with this. It is much more in the blood than in the urine. If the pharmacy test showed an incorrect result, the laboratory will reveal this.

4.2. Run diagnostics

The doctor may order several blood tests, urine tests, and a thyroid examination. He will certainly recommend a general examination by a general practitioner, an ophthalmologist, an otolaryngologist, and several other specialists.

You will often have to take tests during pregnancy, almost before every visit to the gynecologist. However, it is best not to skip them as they are really important for maintaining a healthy pregnancy. All procedures are aimed not only at monitoring the child's condition, but also at taking care of the mother's well-being.

Low hemoglobin levels, weak immunity, too strong hormonal surges and discomfort in general - for all this, a gynecologist can prescribe vitamins. They will improve a woman's health and even make her more attractive.

4.4. Assign an ultrasound

The first ultrasound will be scheduled no earlier than 2 weeks after the start of the delay. Its main goal is to rule out an ectopic pregnancy. It will also be able to identify problems with the genitals, if any.

Ultrasound to determine the sex of the child, the features of its development will be prescribed much later.

4.5. Coordinate visit schedule

You will have to see the doctor almost more often than your husband. If the pregnancy passes without complications, then the frequency of visits will most likely be equal to one trip per month, but not less often. Closer to the due date, a woman will have to visit the gynecologist even more often.

So that later you do not have to cancel plans and rush to get to the doctor, it is advisable to immediately discuss with the doctor the approximate schedule of visits.

5. Stock up on information

Books, reliable online sources, courses for pregnant women - all this is sure to come in handy. A woman who knows how her body and the child changes during gestation feels more confident. And confidence and calm make childbirth easier.

What is definitely better not to do is listen to adherents of traditional medicine with dubious, and often dangerous advice. These 9 months are not the best period for experiments.

6. Enjoy your pregnancy

Almost every pregnancy is accompanied by discomfort. This is natural and quite tolerable. However, it is better to try to provide yourself with the most comfortable environment.

Communication with nice people, visiting beautiful places, positive emotions have a good effect on the nervous system of the baby and his health in general. Yes, and mom from this only benefits.

And yet there is a “but”. Pregnancy is not the best time for drastic changes. Therefore, if a young mother:

• smokes she can't give up this habit sharp. It is better gradually reduce the number of cigarettes, and then smoothly refuse them;
• living on a broken schedule she will have to try slowly restore it. It makes sense to ask the future dad about it;
, it is recommended to exclude strength and intensive training. You can replace them with simple walks or yoga for pregnant women;
• loves fast food, it is desirable to reduce its quantity. A woman's tastes can change dramatically, which often provokes cravings for junk food. You should not completely deny yourself pleasure, but seriously limiting the amount of such food is a necessity. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the main diet consists of predominantly from healthy foods.
• active personality who does not sit still, she can leave her former way of life. But she will definitely have to monitor her daily schedule and nutrition, eliminate negativity and overwork.

A positive pregnancy test can be both the result of a defective product and an omen of motherhood. Regardless of this, it is better to play it safe and still visit the doctor's office. Such a step will help protect the health - yours and the baby.