A delay in the menstrual cycle causes a variety of feelings in women - some have joy, some have anxiety, some even have fear. Has there been a pregnancy? This question worries every woman in this case. Now there are many express methods for determining pregnancy - strip tests, inkjet tests and ultrasound. But today we will talk about one of the popular methods for determining pregnancy - using iodine.
Can this method be trusted?
There is no definite answer to this question; some women say that with the help of iodine they were able to determine pregnancy no worse modern methods, others say that it is completely ineffective. There is no scientific basis for the effectiveness of this method. However, iodine is probably found in every home and the test does not take much time, so why not try it?
Features of the test
To take a pregnancy test using iodine, you will need:
- morning urine collected on an empty stomach. Be sure to perform genital tract hygiene before collecting urine. For hygiene, use products that do not contain dyes or fragrances. It is advisable to use a cotton towel.
- container for collecting urine. It must be clean. It is advisable to use a new one. A plastic cup, any glass container and special containers for collecting samples will do.
- medical pipette. Also preferably new, unused
- white sheet of paper
- iodine. Pay attention to the expiration date.
- The iodine test is only valid if the expected pregnancy does not exceed ten weeks.
Process
There are two ways to determine a pregnancy test using iodine. To be sure, you can do both.
Method No. 1
This method will require some caution on your part. So, drop iodine from a pipette into urine collected on an empty stomach in a clean jar. Hold the pipette at a distance of approximately 5–7 centimeters from the surface of the urine. Drops of iodine from the pipette should fall as smoothly as possible. If iodine completely dissolves in urine, there is no pregnancy. Well, if iodine remains on the surface in the form of a drop or a brown circle, congratulations, you are pregnant.
Determining pregnancy using iodine, method No. 1
If a drop of iodine sank, but then floated up again, then this result can also be considered positive. Sometimes it happens that drops in the same liquid behave differently. One, for example, showed that pregnancy had occurred, the second - dissolved in urine. In this case, it is better to repeat the test the next day.
Method No. 2
For this method, in addition to a glass of urine and a pipette with iodine, we will need clean white paper. Cut a small strip of paper to make it easier to hold in your hands. The paper will be used according to the litmus test principle. Place white paper in a glass of urine. Then drop a few drops of iodine onto the paper. If the paper changes color to lilac or purple, then you are pregnant, if the paper turns brown or Blue colour- pregnancy did not occur.
Determining pregnancy using iodine method No. 2
Video of determining pregnancy using iodine
In this video you can see what a positive pregnancy test looks like, performed using method No. 1. A drop of iodine lingers on the surface, forming a brown spot.
The problem of early diagnosis of pregnancy is relevant for all women of childbearing age who are sexually active. In addition to the methods recognized by official medicine, there are many folk ways to find out whether conception has occurred or not. One of them is a pregnancy test with soda.
But can he be trusted? Let's look at how this test works, as well as the features of its implementation and reliability.
According to this folk method, pregnancy can be determined by combining the urine of a woman who is supposedly expecting a baby with regular baking soda. If the result is positive, the substance should precipitate, and if the result is negative, it should dissolve to form foam.
How can you explain the different reaction of soda? It is known that substances released during human life – excess water, uric acid, salts, ammonia, etc. – are removed from the body through urine.
Adherents of experiments with soda believe that expectant mother the composition of urine, and in particular its acidity (pH level), changes. At the usual healthy person this indicator ranges from 4.5 to 8 units. If the pH level increases, the urine will become more alkaline; if it decreases, the urine will become more acidic.
Precipitation of soda is observed when the urine is alkaline. Therefore, according to this theory, a pregnant woman's pH level should be elevated, which is detected during the test.
Method of implementation
Determining pregnancy using soda does not require much effort. You need to proceed as follows:
- Wash and dry with a towel.
- Take a clean container of a suitable size (glass, test jar).
- Collect a portion of urine (about 100 ml) into the selected container.
- Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the urine.
- Evaluate the result. The settling of soda to the bottom indicates the presence of pregnancy, the appearance of foam and hissing indicates its absence.
It is very important that the portion of urine is morning. The test should be performed immediately after waking up and on an empty stomach. If these conditions are met, the result will be the most reliable. If you perform the soda test at other times of the day, it almost always shows a positive result, since the pH concentration in the urine increases during the day.
Is this test reliable?
The test described above is very simple to carry out, and it does not require any costs, since soda is available in almost every home. But the question arises: can this diagnostic method be trusted? To understand this, let's consider what factors affect the acidity of urine.
As already mentioned, with normal for humans acid-base balance, urine pH levels range from 4.5-8, with an average of about 6 units. The acidity of this biological fluid depends on many reasons.
Diet affects urine pH levels. When eaten large quantity Plant foods (vegetables and fruits) increase it. The same effect is caused by:
- disorders of the digestive tract (diarrhea, vomiting);
- infectious diseases of the urinary tract;
- renal failure;
- alkaline therapy (treatment with drugs that affect the acid-base balance).
A decrease in pH levels can be provoked by: too strict diets leading to physical exhaustion, the predominance of protein foods in the diet, and consumption of large amounts of cranberries. Similar changes are caused by colds and other diseases accompanied by an increase in body temperature, diabetes, diabetes, and kidney tuberculosis.
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons that affect the acidity of urine, and accordingly its reaction with soda, but pregnancy as such is not one of them. Why did this diagnostic method show the correct result for some expectant mothers?
There is a logical explanation for this. A woman expecting a child has a decreased immune system, which can provoke an exacerbation of chronic inflammatory diseases and a change in the pH level of biological fluids. In addition, dietary changes and many other factors that led to this coincidence cannot be ruled out.
Although a connection may be present, it must be understood that changes in urine acidity are not a reliable sign of conception. A woman’s new position can be confirmed by a positive result that reveals hormonal changes in the body of the expectant mother, as well as an examination by a gynecologist.
If there is reason to suspect pregnancy, you should visit a doctor in any case. This will help to promptly identify dangerous pathologies, for example, ectopic fetal development.
The soda test cannot be considered a reliable diagnostic method. Of course, if you don’t have a pregnancy test at hand, but want to check your assumption, you can conduct such an experiment. But you need to treat it as entertainment and not take the results seriously.
Useful video: folk methods for determining pregnancy
A pregnancy test is an easy way to determine pregnancy today. With its help, you can find out about the onset of pregnancy even before the delay begins, because today tests are offered with varying degrees sensitivity. To obtain a reliable result, you need to understand all the intricacies of home rapid pregnancy diagnostics.
What is a pregnancy test?
A few weeks after conception, the body begins to secrete a hormone - human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG. This occurs after the embryo attaches to the uterus. With each subsequent day, the content of hCG in the blood and urine increases, reaching a maximum value by 8-9 weeks.
Sensitivity to this hormone is the basis for determining pregnancy using a test. Its onset is signaled by two strips impregnated with a special substance. One of them turns bright red after contact with any liquid, and the second only when immersed in urine, which contains a certain level of hCG.
Probability of correct result
The accuracy of the information obtained when using a pregnancy test is 97.5%. At the same time, the result is affected by compliance with the instructions for its use and following certain rules.
When can I do a pregnancy test?
As a rule, manufacturers of pregnancy tests recommend that they be carried out no earlier than the first day of the delay. This is due to the fact that hCG is not yet detectable in urine. With regular menstrual cycle the mature egg is released in its middle. If the cycle is 30 days, then this will be day 15. Fertilization occurs only over the next two days. The egg that has merged with the sperm moves to the place of attachment in the uterus for another 5 days.
Therefore, hCG will begin to be released approximately on the 22nd day of the cycle, and at first in small quantities. At this time, only a blood test can determine its presence. It will appear in urine a little later. With an irregular cycle, a woman herself can determine the day of ovulation using special tests and measurements. To this day, another 12 are added, and then you can take a blood test for the level of hCG, and it will begin to be detected in the urine approximately 15 days after the expected ovulation.
Types of pregnancy tests
In pharmacies you can find a wide range of pregnancy tests, differing in price and stated level of sensitivity. Each manufacturer promises the most accurate result, so you should understand how they differ from each other:
Strip test or a paper strip known to many, on which there is a layer with antibodies to hCG. They react with the hormone contained in the urine, which leads to the appearance of a second stripe. Such tests are the most popular and are distinguished by their low cost. But they make mistakes more often than other types, are not very convenient to use, and also show pregnancy only after a delay. To diagnose pregnancy using a strip test, you need to take a clean container and collect a small amount of urine into it. The tip of the dough is lowered there to the designated level and held for 10 seconds. The result becomes noticeable within 3 to 10 minutes. In this case, the higher the concentration of hCG in the urine, the faster the second strip will appear.
Jet pregnancy test It is convenient because it does not require collecting urine in a container. It should only be placed under a stream of urine, which is convenient when used outside the home. The tip with the filter is under the stream for 10 seconds, and the result will become noticeable within 1-10 minutes. Such tests are expensive, but they are accurate and easy to use.
Tablet test It is a box with two windows. According to the principle of operation, it is similar to the strip test, but is considered more reliable and, accordingly, higher in price. It comes with a pipette and a container for collecting urine. A little urine is dripped from a pipette into one window, and the result is displayed in the second. You can evaluate it within 10 minutes.
Electronic or digital test for pregnancy is by far the most modern. The tip of the test with a filter is placed in the urine and you need to wait until it is soaked. The result is assessed after 3 minutes. In this case, the window will show “+” or the inscription “pregnansy”. Electronic tests are considered the most sensitive, and they are also the most expensive. Manufacturers even create reusable models.
Pregnancy test before delay
Today you can find ultra-sensitive tests in pharmacies. They show pregnancy even before the delay occurs. They indicate a sensitivity level of 25 mUI, indicating the corresponding hCG content in the urine at which the second strip appears. Such tests can be done 4 days before the delay. If more than low level sensitivity, it is not advisable to carry it out before the delay.
How to take a pregnancy test?
Before using a pregnancy test, you must carefully study the instructions, as they differ depending on the type. For the result to be reliable, you must adhere to the following rules:
- The tests usually do not indicate the time of the test, but gynecologists recommend doing it in the morning after waking up: night urine contains the highest concentration of the hCG hormone, and in the early stages only at this time of day the result can be noticeable.
- The information content can be affected by the use of diuretics, as well as a large volume of fluid consumed.
- If, after a delay, the test does not show pregnancy, and menstruation still does not occur, it should be repeated after a few days. This is especially true for women with irregular cycles.
- The cheaper the test, the lower the cost of the reagent used in it, therefore, the higher the likelihood of error.
- The most common test strips are those that are dipped into a container of urine. It is important here that the test is placed only up to the specified level, maintained no more than the recommended time, and the result is assessed after the time allotted in the instructions. This will help reduce the likelihood of an incorrect result.
- The test result is described in the instructions for it. One strip is colored in any case, since it is a control, and the second only when pregnancy occurs, that is, for a positive result, 2 bright red stripes must appear.
Why is there a weak second line on the test?
If there is a second line on the test, but it is faint, this may indicate a low concentration of hCG in the urine. The reasons may be:
- threat of interruption;
- short gestational age;
- ectopic or non-developing pregnancy.
This result is considered positive, but it is best to do a control test after a few days.
Sometimes a faint second line may indicate a false positive result.
False positive pregnancy test - how to understand?
It happens that a woman strictly follows the instructions, but the test shows an incorrect result. Reasons for a false positive test:
- Ovarian dysfunction.
- Taking medications with hCG prescribed for infertility.
- Use for two months after an abortion or miscarriage.
- Hydatidiform mole and chorionic carcinoma, which are hormone-producing tumors.
- Expiration date of the test.
Can the test not show pregnancy?
Reasons why home express diagnostics do not show a second line during pregnancy:
- too short a period;
- threat of interruption;
- ectopic or non-developing pregnancy;
- endocrine dysfunction;
- failure to follow the instructions for using the test;
- kidney diseases;
- stale urine or urine collected during the day;
- a large amount of fluid drunk, leading to a low concentration of hCG.
Is it possible to take a pregnancy test in the evening?
You can take a pregnancy test at any time of the day, but the reliability of the result still depends on this: as mentioned above, the highest concentration of hCG in the body of a pregnant woman is observed in the morning after waking up. Therefore, when performing diagnostics in the evening, you can get a false negative result.
This is especially often observed up to two weeks after conception, when the hCG level has not yet reached the value required for diagnosis. But at the same time, in the urine accumulated overnight, its concentration is such that the test determines its presence. In the future, as the level of the hormone increases, it will be detected by the test at any time of the day.
Can the test detect an ectopic pregnancy?
In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg often implants in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. But at the same time, the hCG hormone is produced. The peculiarity in this case is that it grows very slowly or its level does not increase at all over time.
The test will show a positive result after a delay, but the second strip will most likely appear faintly. Only a gynecologist can diagnose an ectopic pregnancy.
Most often, an erroneous pregnancy test result is obtained by women who neglected the rules for using this type of test. Therefore, in order to minimize the likelihood of getting an incorrect result, you must follow all the instructions for using the purchased pregnancy test.
Remember that when performing a test a few days before a missed period, you should use only the first morning urine, since it is more concentrated, and the second strip may already appear slightly.
From the first day of your delay, you can use any fresh urine to conduct an express pregnancy test.
Please note that on the eve of the test you should not drink a lot of fluids or diuretics.
Instructions for pregnancy test strip
1) carefully open the package with the test and remove the test strip from it;
2) collect urine in a clean container, preferably the first urine in the morning;
3) holding the test strip by the colored end, immerse it vertically in a container with freshly collected urine to the │← MAX mark for 10 seconds.
Do not immerse the test strip further than this mark.
Test strip – Instructions in pictures
4) after this time, remove the test strip from the liquid and place it on a horizontal, dry surface;
5) after 3-5 minutes (but no later than 10 minutes) evaluate the result. During this time, a control strip must appear, and if there is pregnancy, a second, test strip must also appear.
The appearance of even a weak second stripe within the first 3-5 minutes is considered a sign early date pregnancy.
Changes in the result after 10 minutes should not be taken into account, even if the second strip disappears or, on the contrary, appears.
Instructions for using the test cassette
1) remove the test cassette and pipette from the individual package;
2) collect urine in a container, which is usually included in the kit;
3) draw liquid (collected urine) into a pipette from a container;
4) drop 4 drops of urine from a pipette into the oval window of the test cassette;
5) place the test cassette on a horizontal surface;
6) after 3-5 minutes the result will appear in the second (larger) window.
The result remains reliable only for the first 10 minutes.
Guide to using the jet pregnancy test
1) remove the test module from the package;
2) remove the protective cap from the cassette test;
3) place the open end of the dough under the running stream of urine, trying to hold the test slightly vertically, with the receiving part of the dough facing down;
Also, if it is more convenient for you, then instead of step 3 you can collect the urine in a clean, dry container and vertically lower the receiving absorbent part into the urine for 15-20 seconds.
4) put back the protective cap;
5) place the test on a horizontal surface;
6) after 3-5 minutes (but no later than 10 minutes), looking at the window, evaluate the result. Depending on the brand of dough, either a strip (one or two) or a “+” or “–” sign will appear in the window.
If no line appears in the window, this means that the test was performed incorrectly or that insufficient urine was applied to the absorbent receiving part of the test. Do all the steps in the instructions again, only with a new pregnancy test.
Attention! During and after testing, do not turn the device upside down!
Instructions for the electronic pregnancy test
According to the principle of conducting an electronic pregnancy test, it is similar to an inkjet test:
1) remove the digital test from the box;
2) remove the protective cap;
3) for 5 seconds, place the open edge of the dough under the running stream of urine, holding the test slightly vertically, with the receiving part of the dough down, and trying not to wet the rest of the dough;
4) as soon as the hourglass symbol appears on the screen, this means that the test was carried out correctly and the result is being processed;
5) after 3 minutes, the “+” or “–” sign will appear on the display (in some tests “Pregnant” / “Pregnant” or “Not pregnant”), and if pregnancy is confirmed, there will be a “+” sign the estimated gestational age is displayed (1-2 weeks, 2-3 weeks, 3+).
After 24 hours, the screen will no longer display the result. Some manufacturers produce reusable electronic pregnancy tests with removable cartridges.
Instructions for using the reservoir test system
1) remove the test system from the package;
The test strip built into the reservoir body will absorb only the required amount of liquid, even if there is more of it in the reservoir than required.
If the test result is positive, you must contact the antenatal clinic as soon as possible to register.
If the result is negative and there is no menstruation on time, you need to contact a gynecologist to find out the reasons for the absence of monthly menstrual flow.
