A recent news article stated that Keke Palmer took ten pregnancy tests to confirm she was pregnant. We think that’s staggering, and it certainly got us thinking. How many pregnancy tests should a woman take after the first positive test? Is one test enough, or is it best to test again to make double or treble sure you are expecting?
How accurate are pregnancy tests?
Most reputable pregnancy test brands offer up to 99% accuracy, depending on how early you test. This means for every 100 tests taken, 99 of them will be accurate. So it is technically possible to get a false positive, but if you get a positive result, the odds are you are indeed pregnant. When you just can’t wait, it is possible to test up to five days early with 95% accuracy with the Hoopsy eco pregnancy test. The closer you test to the date your period is due, the greater the certainty of your result.
How many pregnancy tests should I take?
It can be hard to believe if you’ve taken a pregnancy test and the result has come up positive, especially if you’ve been trying a long time or if you got a positive following a negative a day or two earlier. Most women choose to take 2-3 tests following a positive just to remove any doubt! Whilst we get it, you might be tempted to clear out the pharmacy, there really is no need!
Once you’ve tested positive twice, it’s pretty much a certainty, and your next step should be to book an appointment with your GP to get the ball rolling on your antenatal care.
What if I test negative but have no period?
It’s possible that an egg may have been fertilised, but your body isn’t yet producing enough hCG to register a positive pregnancy test result. If this is the case, your body needs some time for the levels to increase. If aunt flow doesn’t appear, test again after the first day of your missed period to see if the result has changed.
Once you get that first positive pregnancy test, you might feel a range of emotions, and there is nothing wrong with taking another test a day later to be sure. But, testing multiple times is unnecessary, and it’s awful for the environment. Most pregnancy tests are made from plastic, which takes 30-40 years to break down. Also, around 400,000kgs of plastic waste from plastic pregnancy tests ends up in landfills yearly.
A better way
Hoopsy is on a mission to spread the word about the environmental impact of plastic pregnancy tests. We have created the eco pregnancy test made of 99% paper and 99% plastic free. It takes up less space in the landfill and breaks down much faster than traditional plastic tests. Find out more about the Hoopsy eco pregnancy test.
