What Does It Mean if My Pregnancy Test Turns Positive?

A positive pregnancy test is usually a cause for celebration, but what if you get a negative pregnancy test result and then it turns positive after several hours? While this may seem like a unique situation, it is a common occurrence among women who are trying to conceive. As a woman who is trying to conceive, it is important to understand the potential causes of a negative pregnancy test that later turns positive, so you can be prepared for the possibility. In this blog post, we will discuss the potential causes of a negative pregnancy test that later turns positive, with a particular focus on the Clearblue digital pregnancy test. We will also discuss how to interpret your results, and any follow-up care that you should consider. Whether you have just received a positive result from a Clearblue digital pregnancy test or you are expecting a positive result, this blog post will provide you with the information you need to understand the potential causes of a negative pregnancy test that later turns positive.

How to distinguish a faint positive pregnancy test from an evap

Now that you are aware of the signs of a false pregnancy test, let’s move on. But how do you know it’s really a positive pregnancy test if you see a thin line on a pregnancy test within the allotted time frame?

Don’t test too early. The earlier you test, the lowest your hCG levels will be. If you have a real squinter, test again in a day or two. As hCG rises, a true positive test will darken.

Take a more sensitive test. Different test types and brands have different hCG thresholds in order to display a positive result. (Our guide to the best pregnancy tests includes hCG thresholds by test brand.) Keep in mind that the downside of testing early is that you are more likely to find out if you have a chemical pregnancy. These very early miscarriages are quite common, they usually do not signify any kind of underlying fertility problem, and before the advent of highly sensitive pregnancy tests, women might have had chemical pregnancies without even realizing it.

Don’t over-hydrate. If you have been drinking a lot of water and/or urinating frequently, your urine may be too dilute for an accurate reading. It’s best to avoid drinking fluids for two or three hours to ensure that your urine is not too diluted. First morning urine is usually more concentrated than urine from random hours during the day.

What is an evap line and how is it different from a positive pregnancy test?

A thin line known as an evap line (evaporation line) can be seen after a negative test has dried. The tests are still damp when they are read because they are typically meant to be read three to five minutes after they are taken. The urine in the test dries after this amount of time has passed.

The outcome is shown as the ink moves across the screen. On occasion, a small amount of ink will unintentionally get caught in the indent line as it moves across the screen. This caught ink is drawn to the surface and darkens as the test dries and the urine evaporates.

The results are only accurate in the time frame specified in the instructions, which is why the most crucial rule for getting a true positive pregnancy test is to not read them after the allotted time.

What should a positive test look like?

All positive pregnancy tests would have the same appearance and be simple to interpret in an ideal world. To determine whether or not you are pregnant, each manufacturer, however, employs a different system. Some of the signs of a positive test outcome include the following:

The word “yes” or “pregnant”

A smiley face

A plus sign

Two dark lines, either parallel or in the shape of a plus sign

Source: Mira Fertility Club Facebook Group

If these symbols appear, you can be sure that you are probably pregnant if you tested at the right time and followed the instructions. To confirm the results of the at-home pregnancy test, your doctor can perform an hCG blood test as a follow-up.

When the urine used in pregnancy tests is still damp three to five minutes after they are taken, there is a reaction time. The result appears after this three-to-five minute window. The urine in the pregnancy test, however, can dry up if you wait too long to interpret the results after the reaction time, producing an evaporation line.

Source: Mira Fertility Club Facebook Group

Evaporation lines are considered false-positive results. An evaporation line does not activate the dye in the pregnancy test, so it might appear as a colorless or translucent line, in contrast to a faint positive result, which will produce a light pink or blue line. It may also happen if the test is taken incorrectly or gets wet, in addition to when you wait too long to interpret the test.

The best course of action is to repeat the pregnancy test with a fresh test strip whenever you see a faint line and are unsure whether it indicates that you are pregnant or not.

A faint line on a pregnancy test can occasionally indicate that you are pregnant. Other times, it may indicate a false-positive result. Testing too soon is frequently the cause of a faint line on a pregnancy test.

Source: Mira Fertility Club Facebook Group

In early pregnancy, your hCG levels rise gradually. If your hCG levels are rising but aren’t quite high enough to show that you are pregnant, you may see a faint line. But it could also be a chemical pregnancy, a false-positive test result that happens when you take a pregnancy test too soon before the beginning of your subsequent menstrual cycle.

Wait and retest is the best course of action if you notice a faint line on a pregnancy test. If you test before two weeks have passed since your ovulation date, your hCG levels may not be high enough to produce a clear positive result on the second pregnancy test.

Your hCG levels will continue to rise, so if you are pregnant, a second test in two weeks should reveal a darker, clearer test line. You might get a negative test result the next time you test if the faint line was the result of a chemical pregnancy test.

Occasionally, health conditions like ectopic pregnancy, pituitary gland tumors, or ovarian cysts can cause faint lines on a pregnancy test. Visit your doctor for an hCG blood test to find out if you are pregnant and to rule out any serious medical conditions if you keep seeing faint lines on subsequent pregnancy tests.

When you perform a pregnancy test, the two lines known as the indent lines—the control line and the test line—fill with ink. They bear this name because they have a small indentation to prevent ink from leaking out.

Source: Mira Fertility Club Facebook Group

If you are not pregnant, only the control line will fill; if you are, both indent lines will fill. If neither line fills, the pregnancy test was either performed incorrectly or was flawed, and you should retake it.

A tiny amount of ink occasionally becomes stuck in the second indentation line (the test line) as it moves across the test window. Your urine starts to evaporate as the pregnancy test starts to dry, which causes the small amount of stuck ink to rise to the top of the line. A faint evaporation line or a false-positive result may result from this.

Because of this, it’s crucial to read the pregnancy test’s instructions, especially the part about how long you should wait after taking the test. Make sure to keep the pregnancy test flat while it dries so that the ink does not fill the indent line and give you a false-positive result. Set a timer to prevent accidentally waiting too long before interpreting the results.

Pregnancy tests have some flimsy lines that are the same color as the control line, either pink or blue. Other times, the lines show up clear or colorless. This can occur when the urine on the test dries and begins to evaporate, as we previously mentioned.

Source: Mira Fertility Club Facebook Group

In the test indent, this evaporation line appears as a clear or colorless line. Evaporation lines can deceive you into believing you are pregnant, but it’s crucial to understand that they are false-positive results.

If you are uncertain about an evaporation line, you can always repeat the pregnancy test. Just make sure to carefully follow the instructions and don’t wait too long to interpret your results to avoid getting a second false-positive test.

FAQ

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