(BT) A mini survey for those currently using pregnancy tests

Well clearly not for me but am fascinated as to why you want to know Footlong!

I'm not actively trying yet but figured I'd try and answer anyway

Which brand do you use? Currently have First Response that will be used for normal testing purposes. Like a loser, want a clear blue digital one for photo purposes if we do fall! Ha!

Do you feel you understand the guidelines for use, the accuracy of the test results and when they are most appropriate for use? Yes.

When in your cycle do you use them? I don't yet so have no idea!

Do you feel there are advantages to knowing about a pregnancy as early as possible? What are those advantages? Yes - stopping alcohol

Do you feel there are disadvantages to knowing about a pregnancy as early as possible? What are those disadvantages? Yes - stopping alcohol

Which brand do you use? Internet cheapie sticks from eBay. If I ever had a hint of a line I would get out the Clear Blue Digital (which will not be used for any other purpose that I strongly suspect a positive as they are so dear!)

Do you feel you understand the guidelines for use, the accuracy of the test results and when they are most appropriate for use? Yes

When in your cycle do you use them? Due to lack of cycle, I only use them when I have felt funny (which I can convince myself I do rather often!), or before taking medication to bring on a withdrawal bleed every 12-16 weeks.

Do you feel there are advantages to knowing about a pregnancy as early as possible? What are those advantages? Purely psycological advantages of knowing whether or not to expect your period. Almost relaxing if it is negative and getting on with things rather than keep hoping. Drinking copious amount of alcohol and knowing it's ok I'm not pregnant! If you aren't already taking folic acid, to start taking it ASAP (although I read it is necessary very early on and even taking it after a positive test can be too late sometimes).

Do you feel there are disadvantages to knowing about a pregnancy as early as possible? What are those disadvantages? The main disadvantage is the worry of early pregnancy, bleeding and cramping which can be entirley harmless, but become a worry as you know you're prgnant. The term chemical pregnancy is where you get a postive test, however, the embryo is non-viable and so you get your period when it is due, or very shortly afterwards. Many of these would not cause heartbreak had the woman not tested early.

Which brand do you use? Superdrug Early Tests (10miu sensitive)

Do you feel you understand the guidelines for use, the accuracy of the test results and when they are most appropriate for use? Yes

When in your cycle do you use them? Anything from 8DPO, depending how I feel

Do you feel there are advantages to knowing about a pregnancy as early as possible? Yes What are those advantages? It saves my sanity to know, either way. I either know to expect my period it is was a negative result, or would be able to celebrate earlier if it were positive.

Do you feel there are disadvantages to knowing about a pregnancy as early as possible? No What are those disadvantages? N/A

I know that some people feel that early testing can pick up a chemical pregnancy, but given how regular my cycles are, and having spoken to someone who has suffered a chemical pregnancy, I believe that I would know if it happened to me anyway, regardless of testing.

Obviously not using them now but when I did...

Which brand do you use?

Internet cheapies (One Step). When I got a faint positive, or if I (wrongly) felt pregnant I went for a First Response to double check

Do you feel you understand the guidelines for use, the accuracy of the test results and when they are most appropriate for use?

Yes generally, but some vary slightly when it comes to dipping time and reading time so I would still read the instructions to check

When in your cycle do you use them?

I would use them a week post ovulation onwards, knowing that it was too early. I wouldn't fork out for a more expensive test until my period was a day or two later than expected

Do you feel there are advantages to knowing about a pregnancy as early as possible? What are those advantages?

Yes as there are several lifestyle changes needed to increase the chances of a successful and healthy pregnancy

Do you feel there are disadvantages to knowing about a pregnancy as early as possible? What are those disadvantages?

Yes. It increases the chances of knowing about a chemical pregnancy, whereas if you hadn't have known, it would just be 'a late period', therefore messing with your head a bit.

Wow sounds complicated and there was me thinking you just had to wee on a stick!

Since the thread re: miscarriages/being open about it, I've been thinking and having a read around the published literature. It seems to me that:
1. the claims of pregnancy tests are very ambiguously-(if not falsely) worded, leading to people using home tests too early/at times when the accuracy claims aren't applicable/using tests that pretty much lie about their sensitivity.
2. that due to inaccurate ultra-early tests (or even accurate ones), many women will knowingly go through a miscarriage whereas, pre-ultra-early testing, it would have been missed (as a slightly late, maybe heavy period). Although false-positives are rare, it also means many women will think they have had a miscarriage when they were never pregnant.
3. given the very high proportion of pregnancies that end in miscarriage (studies range from 5 to 9/10), it seems that ultra-early testing has the potential to be very psychologically damaging.

I appreciate the issue of lifestyle changes that might be enacted upon finding out that you are pregnant. My experience of friends actively planning pregnancy is that lifestyle changes (no alcohol, folic acid supplements) are in place before conception. I suspect this is also sound advice for those not actively trying but not actively preventing (I'm sure there's an abbreviation for that!). However, that doesn't account for unplanned pregnancy so perhaps there are advantages in such cases, although I assume if you're not planning, you won't know until after a missed period, which is when the tests start living up to their accuracy and usefulness.

Just thinking, you know. Perhaps we're better off not knowing, doing it the old fashioned way? Missed period, wait another week or two, do the test then, less mental issues dealing with known early miscarriages.

Very interesting. It takes me back to the Dark Ages when I had my three...you missed a period, waited a fortnight, then took a wee sample to your Dr. Three days later you phoned the Dr up and the receptionist told you if you were pregnant or not!

But you didn't find out until you were at least 6-7 weeeks pregnant (or in my cae 10, as I failed to get positives that many times - tests less sensitive then too) and, as you say, by that time, the unviable had probably been weeded out with less heartbreak.

I'm not sure things are necessarily any better now.

I'm a self confessed pregnancy dunce but I must admit, this is what I thought people still did! Goes to show my answer of yes to question two was wrong.

As someone who is not actively trying but not actively preventing (NATNAP) I'm afraid I can't give up alcohol until I'm pregnant. I am going to start taking Folic Acid this month, though.

I think you've got an interesting point Footlong and it is something I've wondered myself previously. When the time comes for us to start TTC I'd like to think we'd keep quite relaxed about it, I cannot imagine the heartbreak people go through finding out early and miscarrying or alternatively testing each month and seeing a negative.

I realise as I neither have children nor am I TTC I am woefully unqualified to comment, but I do think you've got an interesting point

Interesting stuff Footlong. I read somewhere that 1 in 3 women will unknowingly have a miscarrage but assume it is a heavy period.

When we do TTC I will probably use cheapy ones but bring out the expensive ones to be sure. I have no idea yet as to how they work or my cycles or anything.

Is this a thing? Or your own personal shorthand for it?

I made it up

Excellent. Am definintely going to be using this when we do this! It is now a thing.

The rate of false-negatives (where you are pregnant but the test fails to identify it correctly) is way higher than false-positives. I have a paper in front of me that tested 18 brands and found them only able to reliably detect (to 95% confidence, so still 1/20 error rate) 16 % of pregnancies on the first day of a missed period. So a negative pregnancy test doesn't mean you're not pregnant.

Kharv I think NTNP (not trying, not preventing) is an abbreviation used on other forums. Personally I like NATNAP though!

I completely do not understand testing early. For one, why would you want to see a negative? But as you pointed out, the chance of picking up a potential early pregnancy which doesn't actually lead to a proper pregnancy is to risky for me.

I have irregular periods so there is no way of knowing when i'm due on. I do try and use the average of my last 3 months as a general guide, but even then it's still a bit out.

I used a First Response test (which can detect up to 6 days early). I worked out my "due on" date which fell on a Monday, then worked out that if I tested on the Saturday after using the FR it would take me up to the longest cycle I've ever had so unless it was going to be an even longer cycle, I should get a response. It was positive!

If you (not aimed at anyone at all) were trying to conceive, wouldn't you give up alcohol first?

You'd think, wouldn't you? But no. It could take years to conceive. I'm not giving up one of my greatest loves in life until I have to.

Call me irresponsible.

Dear Irresponsible,

Well I think you are just being greedy, expecting both alcohol and s3x.

Love from Mrs Jealous.

Can I just have the alcohol?

Oh go on then.

Such a shame that alcohol alone does not a baby make.

I used Internet cheapies for testing and OPk. However, for OPk they are a bit rubbish, however I wouldn't invest in a cbfm unless I'd been trying a while first. Once I got a bfp on an ic I then used one of those Dating expensive tests.

to be honest, from my experience, there is no point testing early ( even though I tested every day for a week before, all it does it make you more disappointed. My bfp's both showed after I was 2/3 days late)

And in English please? (Can't understand most of your acronyms)

Come again? That's just babble to me.

I used to use cheapy tests from the Internet or Home Bargains, unless I 'knew' I felt pregnant (I obviously wasn't) when I would buy anything. It would have cost me an absolute fortune if I had used 'proper' tests every time over 2 years.

Easy to use although some say use mid stream urine and some say a pot so I always just used to use MSU as it was easier. Either way, the pee is going on the stick.

I used to use them all the time due to irregular cycles. On the cycle I fell pregnant I tested every day from about 5 DPO despite knowing it was way too early. I had negatives on the cheap tests all the way through, a positive on a clearblue the day before I was due.

Yes there are advantages, for me. I would obviously have been absolutely gutted had I had a chemical pregnancy or a miscarriage however I would rather know that it had happened.

With regards to alcohol I never cut it out completely when TTC although I'm not a big drinker anyway, I wouldn't have not drunk though.

OPK - Ovulation predictor kit

CBFM - Clearblure fertility monitor

BFP - Big Fat Positive (pregnancy test)

IC - Internet cheapie

OPK - ovulation prediction kit. Same as a pregnancy test but detects ovulation rather than pregnancy.

IC - Internet cheapy. Cheap test.

Internet cheapies - sticks you wee on that you bulk buy from eBay or amazon. Effectively the same as Poundland ones, but cheaper

opk - ovulation predictor kkit

bfp -big fat positive preg test

The main problem with the cheapo ones is you can get obsessed with peeing on them.

seriously obsessed, like several in a day.

ttc makes you go loco