For women who are trying to get pregnant, one of the most asked questions is: “How will I know if I am pregnant?”
While many women will try to guess whether they are pregnant by looking for symptoms such as nausea, tender breasts or bloating, in most normal pregnancies these symptoms will not appear until about six weeks gestation. The only sure way to know that you are pregnant is to test, either at a doctor’s office or at home. Since many women want to test as soon as possible (and, it seems, as often as possible), at home pregnancy tests such as First Response pregnancy test have become increasingly popular.
When I was trying to get pregnant with my first baby, I could hardly wait to test. In fact, I did so well before my period was even due. I was on the way back from an out of town business meeting, and I had to stop to use the restroom at a Meijer store just off the road. While I was there, I picked up a First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test because the box said the test could detect pregnancy even before my first missed period. I stopped in the restroom on the way out, peed on the test stick, and two lines appeared within seconds. The test was so easy to use that I found out I was pregnant right there in the Meijer store, a week before my period was due!
First Response Early Result Pregnancy Tests work by detecting the pregnancy hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin hormone, referred to as hCG) in a pregnant woman’s urine. The amount of hCG increases as pregnancy progresses, but even in the early weeks of pregnancy women hav enough hCG to be detected by the First Response pregnancy test. In fact, First Response claims that their test is so sensitive that First Response can detect hCG as early as four days before an expected period. Because First Response Early Result Pregnancy Tests only detect hCG, they will not be affected by oral contraceptives or other drugs (except fertility drugs which contain hCG).
According to First Response, women can begin testing as early as four days before an expected period, and can test any time of the day. However, First Response recommends using first morning urine, which typically contains the highest level of pregnancy hormone. According to studies, the First Response pregnancy test is correct about 99 percent of the time, but the accuracy of the test depends upon having detectable amounts of hCG in the urine being tested and upon accurately calculating the expected date of a woman’s period. Some women may not receive a positive result on any home pregnancy test until well after their expected period if the embryo implants in the uterus late in the woman’s cycle, since hCG is not produced by the body until after implantation occurs.
The First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test is easy to read, and the instructions are simple. Remove the cap, place the absorbent strip in the urine stream for five seconds, or dip the absorbent strip in urine for five seconds. With the absorbent strip still pointing down, replace the cap and lay the test on a flat surface. You will be able to tell that the test is working when you see a pink line moving across the surface of the test.
The results of the First Response pregnancy test should appear within three minutes, and may even appear earlier. After waiting three minutes, read the test. If there is only one line, the test is negative and you are not pregnant. If there are two lines, even if one line is very faint, you are pregnant! First Response cautions that the test should not be read after ten minutes. After ten minutes, evaporation can cause the appearance of a faint positive even if the test is negative.
While Consumer Reports has rated First Response Early Result Pregnancy Tests as “Excellent,” citing the pregnancy test’s ease of use and high sensitivity, some consumers complain that the results are more confusing that the test’s digital counterpart, which clearly states “Pregnant” or “Not Pregnant.” Some testers also complain that a faint positive or an error/evaporation line might be confused with a negative, prompting the need to retest.
My experience with First Response Early Result Pregnancy Tests have been positive. The test is reliable, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive. First Response Early Result Pregnancy Tests are widely available in drug stores, grocery stores, and big box stores. They cost about $15.00 for a box of two tests on Amazon.com or about $12.00 on drugstore.com. Depending upon where you shop, you may even be able to buy boxes with three or more tests included to save even more money.
Sources:
CBS News, “The Best Pregnancy Tests,” http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/27/earlyshow/health/main538075.shtml.
First Response, www.firstresponse.com.
Peeonastick.com, “First Response Early Result,” http://www.peeonastick.com/hpt/frer.html.
