HCG and IVF - Is a Home Based Pregnancy Test OK?
HCG and IVF - Is a Home Based Pregnancy Test OK
?
Although technology is making them accurate earlier and earlier during normal pregnancies, they can still give false negatives for most women until they're several weeks pregnant. If you're undergoing fertility treatment, pregnancy tests can also give you a false positive, which is incredibly unusual for women who are not using any fertility medications at all. A pregnancy test looks for HCG. IVF can affect the levels of HCG in the blood dramatically, so it's important not to rely on a home pregnancy test if you've just gone through a cycle of IVF.
How a Home Pregnancy Test Works
When a woman becomes pregnant, it can be a few days before the egg actually moves from the fallopian tubes to the uterus to implant. It's not until implantation, though, that the body begins to product HCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, which is what happens during a normal pregnancy. Depending on what point in her cycle a woman ovulates, HCG can be detected in the blood and urine before a missed period, although this is unlikely for women who happen to ovulate just a few days before they normally start their periods.
Home pregnancy tests have special chemical compounds involved that allow them to test for HCG. As soon as the egg implants, HCG starts to form, but it isn't detectable by a home pregnancy test for a few days. This is why you can sometimes take a pregnancy test one day and get a negative result but get a positive result just a couple of days later. For those who aren't undergoing infertility treatment, a home pregnancy test can be a fairly accurate indicator of pregnancy, and the newest technology in these tests makes them accurate within just a few days of implantation.
Why You Shouldn't Use One
However, women who are using IVF to get pregnant shouldn't rely on the information a home pregnancy test provides. There are a couple of different reasons for this.
First off, HCG is often injected into a woman's body before her eggs are harvested because it causes the body to ovulate when the doctor needs to harvest the eggs. A high dose of HCG in some women can stay in the body for two weeks, which means that a couple of days after an egg transfer, you could test positive for pregnancy even if the egg hasn't implanted.
Secondly, even if HCG injections aren't a factor, a doctor's blood test will be a much more accurate indicator of whether or not you're actually pregnant and are liable to have a viable pregnancy. Although there is no such thing as a key HCG level that indicates a pregnancy that won't miscarry, there are certain ranges that doctors look for in order to give you the best indication of how your first trimester will turn out. A pregnancy test can only tell you whether or not there is HCG in your blood, and it won't tell you the levels of HCG like a blood test will.
Basically, using a home pregnancy test against your doctor's advice is simply setting yourself up for disappointment. When dealing with a long struggle with infertility, it's probably best that you know the truth as soon as possible instead of crushing yourself or building up false hope with a home pregnancy test. So, if you're undergoing a cycle of IVF, and especially if you've been given an injection of HCG, you're better off waiting a couple of extra days to get the results from your doctor's blood test. If you can't keep your eyes and hands off those tempting little plastic sticks, toss them out or give them to a friend. You'll only be helping yourself.
Diana Farrell is the author of the trademarkedFull Embrace series of books on overcoming infertility. She holds a Masters Degree in Psychology through the University of San Francisco, as well as advanced training in a number of alternative therapies. Through her own journey overcoming infertility she uncovered a wealth of valuable information that can significantly increase a couple's chances of pregnancy through IVF. She now enjoys sharing that information with others to help them fufill their dream of parenthood. If you would like to know more about theHCG, IVFrelationship, visithttp://www.IVFSuccessProgram.com for further information about that and lots of other tips to help you have a successful IVF.
5 Benefits Of Choosing Outdoor Rattan Furniture Leucoderma Problems and Home Remedies for Vitiligo Low Sex Drive Causes and Homemade Cure for Boost Your Libido Home Mortgage Refinance for bad credit is possible The Benefits Of A Home Security Alarm Enjoy a Night Out at the Casino in Your Own Home Calgary Homes for Sale deserves the best SW Calgary Real Estate Proper Destination for Homes Increase Height Tips and Home Remedies for Height Increase Headache Causes and Some Great Home Treatment for Headache Home Camera Systems: Do They Actually Work Or Are They failures? Mumbai Real Estate News Breeding Finches Can Be Accomplished At Home