Most pregnant women cannot wait for their first ultrasound. Up until that point the obstetrician has estimated the due date based on information provided by the pregnant woman about her last menstrual cycle, but can a home test tell a pregnant woman how far along she is? According to one pregnancy test company – yes, but the answer may not be what most women are looking for.
One, Two, Three Plus
The test is called a conception indicator. It works just like a regular pregnancy test in that the woman urinated on the exposed stick and waits the required time for the pregnancy test to read pregnant or not pregnant. The test is digital and it is available from ClearBlue. After a few minutes, the test will reveal one of four responses:
- Not Pregnant
- Pregnant 1 -2
- Pregnant 2-3
- Pregnant 3+
According to the directions that come with the conception indicator, the 3+ will be estimated as a 5+ week pregnancy by the obstetrician, as measured by the date of the last menstrual cycle. But, what about pregnancies that are further along? The conception indicator is not going to help you find out a due date or measure how far along the pregnancy is past the third week. Three is the top number shown, so this product is only for the very early detection of pregnancy.
How does a conception indicator work?
The amount of hCG in your urine triggers a specific result. That means if a woman is one week pregnant with twins, it could measure as 3+ weeks on the conception indicator.
The ClearBlue test and others like it are not as accurate as the pregnant woman would like. Normal hCG levels vary a lot during early pregnancy, and going just by hCG levels is inaccurate in determing the exact week of the pregnancy.
There are many factors that can affect hCG levels and if hCG levels are out of whack the results of the conception indicator will also be out of whack. If you think you are pregnant, a home test is the best option for early indication, but it is not necessary to waste the money on an expensive digital test that claims to show how far along the pregnancy is.