Pregnancy Tests: Advice from Moms

Let’s face it: Women’s anatomy down there isn’t well suited to aiming pee on a stick. I discovered this, as millions of other women have, the first time I took a pregnancy test and pee got everywhere. That’s when I realized things would be a lot easier if I just went in a paper cup and left the stick in there—which was, as it turns out, something the kit suggested. Lesson #1: Read the instructions first! Granted, taking a pregnancy test isn’t exactly rocket science, but there are some tricks of the trade.

Have Some Patience…

“When you buy a pregnancy kit, immediately give it to your spouse to hide. Make him promise not to hand it over until at least a week after you were supposed to start your period. If you test too soon, I’ve learned, you can get a negative result even if you are actually pregnant.”—Nichole Beaudry, In These Small Moments

…Although Sometimes, You Don’t Have To Wait Very Long

“With all three of my kids, the sticks turned positive within 30 seconds, no waiting for several minutes. I’m pretty sure I said ‘Oh my God’ a hundred times in a row when I found out with Ben, my first child. I couldn’t believe it!”—Elaine Alguire, The Miss Elaine-ous Life

Fancy Isn’t Necessarily Better

“I didn’t think I was pregnant, so I bought a dollar store pregnancy test. It was positive. I took another—positive. Then I bought a two-pack of name-brand pregnancy tests and they were positive, too. Basically, a positive is a positive, even from the dollar store! Of course, you’ll still want to go to the doctor for a blood test. I definitely felt more at ease once I got the ‘official’ confirmation.”—Amanda Austin, It’s Blogworthy

The Early Bird Catches the…Most Accurate Result

“With my first child, my first pregnancy test came out negative—even though I was pregnant. When we were trying to have a second child, my ob/gyn reminded me that levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG are highest in the morning, so you’re more likely to get the right result if you take a urine test as soon as you wake up. Who knew?”—Sarah-Tuttle Singer, The Crazy Baby Mama

Don’t Be Surprised If You Have a Mixed Reaction

“Holy crap, what have I done?!I think that’s a totally normal response, even for this mother who desperately wanted to have children. It’s a huge life-altering moment, peeing on that stick. Embrace the joy and the panic.”—Ashlei Austgen, Shades of Blue and Green

Preserve the Evidence

“My old pregnancy test, with the plastic cap on the end of it, is glued to my daughter’s scrapbook page inside the front cover. People see it and say, ‘Is that what I think it is? Why?!’ Whenever I flip through the book and glance at the test, though, I immediately remember how happy and excited I was the day I found out I was pregnant with her.”—Natalie Clements, My Crazy Busy Life