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False Negative Pregnancy Test

A false negative pregnancy test can lead to a lot of confusion for a couple wishing to have a baby. How does it happen?

The Baby Hopes website provides some excellent answers:

Early Detection Attempt
One reason for a false negative pregnancy test could be that you took the test too early. Pregnancy tests vary in their sensitivity which means how soon they can detect the hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. It is possible that although your ovum might be fertilized, meaning you may be pregnant, but your body has not started secreting enough Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) for the test to measure. Your body needs time for the hormone to rise to a high enough level to be detected in a test.

Erratic Technique
There is a possibility that while using the home pregnancy test strip you either did not dip it well or did not hold it well in your urine stream. This error in technique may give false negative results.

Missed Reaction Time
For accuracy in home pregnancy tests it is essential that you read the test results in the stipulated reaction time. If you let the test sit for too long (after the instructions on the box tell you), the test is invalid. This may cause it to show false negative results.

Early-Pregnancy-Tests.com adds:

In some cases, a woman may drink a great deal of fluids before collecting a urine sample, thereby diluting the amount of hCG present in the urine. If your schedule prevents you from using a first morning urine, avoid drinking a lot of fluids before testing - and try to hold your urine for several hours before collecting a sample.

It's also a fact that hCG develops at different rates among women. Some women can easily discover if they are pregnant well before their missed period. Other women may need to wait a bit longer.

...Also, in our discussions with test manufacturers, there may be rare cases in which the particularly anti-hCG antibodies in the test reagent do not "bind" as well with the particular hCG hormone composition of a pregnant woman. This can result in receiving a slightly delayed positive result.

...In even more rare situations, low (or falling) hCG levels can also theoretically indicate a problem with the pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy.

Some actual experiences are at Mamapedia:

* I was wondering if I could get some feedback from moms who have had false negative pregnancy tests. Is it true that this can happen? I am two days late, would love to be pregnant, keep getting false reads and am very impatient!

* Two DAYS late? How can you know that? How many tests have you taken in those two days?? My advice is to relax. Either you are pregnant or you are not. Worrying and taking tests won't change it. If you're not, try again. Just relax.

* I believe false positives are very rare, but had 3 false negatives EACH with both my son and daughter. Try to relax, and not get too excited (hard to do) and try another test in a week. The other option would be to call your doc and have them schedule a blood test. It's much more accurate and detects lower levels of HcG. If the blood test is positive, congrats! If that one is negative, keep trying!

For more information, read my report Buying the Best Pregnancy Test. And check out the Amazon.com Bestsellers in Pregnancy Tests list - which is updated hourly - to see what customers are currently buying. Also, see Amazon.com for the latest prices, usually heavily discounted.

April 3rd, 2010

See Also

Reviews
Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor
Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor
Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor Test Sticks
Clear Blue Pregnancy Test
Fairhaven Digital Basal Thermometer
First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test
OvaCue Fertility Monitor
Ovulite Home Fertility Predictor
OV-Watch Fertility Predictor
Wondfo - Is This the Best Pregnancy Test?

Articles
Buying the Best Pregnancy Test
Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor - Reviews of a Funny Ad
DNA Testing During Pregnancy
EPT Pregnancy Test Results
Free Pregnancy Test
Homemade Pregnancy Test
Missed Period Negative Pregnancy Test

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