Checking for pregnancy at home

Many women are excited about becoming pregnant, but often are also understandably nervous. Home testing allows you to find out whether or not you are pregnant in the comfort and privacy of your own home. A home pregnancy test is a safe and accurate way to find out if you are pregnant.

The earliest sign of a pregnancy is a missed menstrual period. If your period has been regular every month, and you are sexually active, then a missed period may mean that you are pregnant. Other signs of pregnancy include:

• Sore breasts.
• Early morning sickness.
• Abdominal discomfort or cramps.
• Getting tired easily.
• Food cravings or aversions. 
• Mood swings
• Feeling full easily during a meal.

Doing a home pregnancy test can help reduce your worries about whether or not you are pregnant. When you are pregnant, your pee contains a hormone called hCG. Home pregnancy test sticks are designed to detect this hormone with 99% accuracy. The tests come with different names and brands, but they all follow the same principles to detect the hormone. After you unpack the test stick do either of the following: 

• If the instructions say you should pee directly on the absorbent end of the test stick, do so for about 5 to 10 seconds. Some strips may change their colour, while others stay the same colour. Once you have peed on it, place the test stick on a flat surface and wait for the result.
• If you have collected the pee in a clean cup, place the absorbent end straight down into the pee and hold it there for 5 to 10 seconds. Then remove the stick from the cup and place it on a flat surface while you await the result.

The way in which the result of the test is displayed varies from brand to brand, so it is vital to read the instructions that come with the test. The results may show as follows: 

• A blue or pink line.
• A plus or minus sign.
• The words 'pregnant' or 'not pregnant'.
• The duration of the pregnancy (in weeks). 

The intensity of the line does not matter, even when faint the test has detected the hormone. If your pregnancy test comes out positive (i.e. the pregnancy hormone has been detected in your pee) then book an appointment with your healthcare provider for confirmation of the test is confirmed and to begin the prenatal clinic. 

You may be anxious or excited about becoming pregnant. A home pregnancy test is a simple and reliable (99% accuracy) way of finding out in the comfort of your own surroundings and at a moment of your own choosing.