Early Pregnancy Signs and Testing: When Can You Trust a Test?
Early symptoms (breast tenderness, fatigue, nausea) are suggestive but not diagnostic. Definitive confirmation requires detection of hCG.
- Urine home test: Reliable ~1 week after missed period (≈14 days post-ovulation). Sensitivity 20–25 mIU/mL.
- Blood test (quantitative β-hCG): Detects pregnancy 6–10 days post-fertilization (before missed period). Also monitors viability (doubling every 48 hrs early on).
Implantation occurs 6–10 days after fertilization; hCG rises thereafter. Testing too early yields false negatives. If negative but period absent, repeat in 48–72 hours or get blood test.
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