How to Choose a Home Pregnancy Test Brand

How do you decide which brand of home pregnancy test to buy? Are all home pregnancy tests created equal? All tests are not created equal, though most modern home pregnancy tests are quite accurate on or after the first day of a missed period. But if you're like many hoping-to-be-expectant moms, you'll want to know if you are pregnant as soon as possible - maybe even before you miss a period. To find out what factors you should consider in choosing a home pregnancy test brand, read on.

Instructions

1. Consider the sensitivity level of the test. For example, the First Response Early Pregnancy test is quite sensitive, detecting the pregnancy hormone consistently at levels of 15 to 25 mIU. Clearblue Easy is another popular brand that detects HCG levels of 25 mIU. Many women pregnant women attain these HCG levels by 3 to 4 days before a missed period. However some store brands, most notably Walgreens and Target, also detect HCG levels as low as 25 mIU.

2. Consider the cost of the test. Why pay $14 or more for a single First Response Early Pregnancy Test, when you could just as easily get an early result with a Walgreens home pregnancy test for half the price?

3. If you don't know the sensitivity of a home pregnancy test, decide whether frugality is most important to you, or whether you're willing to pay for an early result. You could always stick with the popular - and expensive - brands of early home pregnancy test, or you could be patient and wait a few days longer to test. By the time your period is a day or two late, just about any home pregnancy test should yield an accurate result. If you're actively trying to conceive and testing monthly, you could end up spending a lot of money if you rush to buy the most sensitive test each time the expected date of your period approaches.

Tips & Warnings

• If your test is positive, congratulations! You are almost certainly pregnant. But you will want to confirm with your doctor.

• If your test is negative, but you still haven't started your period a week later, you may want to re-test. While a positive test is almost always correct, a negative might just mean there wasn't enough pregnancy hormone for the test to detect.

• This article should not be contrued as medical advice.

Resources

• First Response Early Pregnancy Test (3 Tests)
• Clearblue Easy Digital Pregnancy Test (6 Tests)
• Clearblue Easy Ovulation Tests