Blood Test to Confirm Pregnancy - How Does it Work?

 

If you decide to become a parent, it is a very important and difficult decision and should be considered carefully. The best way to know if you are pregnant is with a pregnancy blood test. This test is done in the early stages of pregnancy to ensure a happy and healthy journey for the parents.

What is a Pregnancy Blood Test?

A pregnancy blood test is used to determine if a woman is pregnant. This is the first step in your parenting journey.

A pregnancy blood test is done for many reasons.

• A urine test can be done at home, but a pregnancy blood test must be done by a specialist at a clinic or diagnostic center.
• A blood pregnancy test is done to confirm that she is pregnant.
• It is used to check the level of hCG or pregnancy hormone in the body, which only increases during pregnancy.
• To perform this test, a blood sample is taken from the woman and then tested for the presence of HCG.
• Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, can be detected 9 to 10 days after conception.

Why Take a Blood Test to Confirm Pregnancy?

A home pregnancy test is simple and is a urine-based test, which is not always accurate because the exact time of the next period is unclear. Therefore, a blood test to confirm pregnancy can quickly determine whether a woman is pregnant.

Types of Blood Tests to Confirm Pregnancy

Two types of blood tests are used to confirm pregnancy. Depending on when these two functions are taken. Pregnancy blood test results can be negative or positive.

There are two Types of Blood Tests for Pregnancy.

• Qualitative hCG blood test: This is done to determine if the body is producing the pregnancy hormone.
• Quantitative hCG blood test: This test is done 48 hours after the previous test to determine the specific level of hCG in your body.

Qualitative Blood Serum Tests.

There is a procedure called venipuncture to take a blood sample from a vein for certain blood tests. It is a unique test to determine the level of HCG in the blood.

Quantitative Blood Serum Tests.

This type of test uses venipuncture to detect pregnancy and draws blood twice between 48 and 72 hours to check pregnancy hCG levels. This test detects pregnancy hormone levels in the blood and is more accurate than previous tests because if a false negative result is obtained the first time, there is time to wait before the next test.

How to Take the Test?

After the blood sample is collected, your gynecologist or laboratory technician will interpret the pregnancy blood test results. The test is first performed by a technician or nurse who usually draws blood from a vein in the arm. Blood is collected with a syringe or vial. The test is usually done at an independent diagnostic laboratory and then sent to your doctor, or you may have to go and get a report. The test usually detects and determines the level of hCG, or pregnancy hormone, in the blood.

How to Interpret Test Results?

Quantitative hCG test results can explain the increase in hCG levels in the first trimester of pregnancy and its subsequent decrease.

Here is some description of the test:-

• Multiple embryos are twins or more
• If you have symptoms of ovarian cancer.
• Non-cancerous tumors of the uterus.
• Uterine infection or malignant tumor.

If hCG levels are lower than normal, it may also indicate:

• Possible fetal death
• Incomplete or complete abortion
• Ectopic pregnancy.

How Accurate are Blood Test Results During Pregnancy?

A pregnancy blood test is 98% to 99% accurate if taken 7 days after ovulation and a week before your period. However, there is also the possibility of false negative results and false positive results.

False Negative Results

This actually means that she is pregnant, but the test results show that she is not. Usually, if the test is done too early, it will give a negative result because it is difficult to detect hCG levels in the blood. If you think that this result is not correct and you think that you are pregnant, then it is better to repeat the test after 48-72 hours.

False Positive Results

It means that you are not really pregnant and the test shows that you are. This effect may occur if you regularly take certain medications or have certain medical conditions that cause high hCG levels.

Medicines That May Affect the Accuracy of the Results.

There are several medications that can affect the accuracy of blood tests performed during pregnancy. Some of them are listed below.

• Hypnotics: These hypnotics can affect hCG levels.
• Promethazine: Used to treat allergy, cold, cough, or nausea symptoms, this drug may increase or decrease hCG levels.
• Anticonvulsant drugs.
• What medications are taken to treat Parkinson's disease?
• Any medication that contains hCG, such as Pregnyl, APL, Profaci, Corex, Noverel, or Ovidrel.
• Phenothiazine drugs such as chlorpromazine or thorazine.

How Early can a Blood Test Detect Pregnancy?

If you wonder if a blood test can detect pregnancy right after conception or if you and your partner are trying to get pregnant and you think you might be pregnant, a blood test can be done to detect pregnancy as soon as your pregnancy is late. can . duration. . . .

• HCG, which begins to be produced after placental implantation, can be detected in the blood within 10 days of delayed menstruation. This is when you know when to take a blood pregnancy test.
• HCG levels rise rapidly during the first two months of pregnancy. Rapid hormonal changes through blood tests 10 to 12 days after conception make pregnancy easy to detect.
• If you have a blood test to detect pregnancy, you will have to wait two to one day to get the report from the diagnostic center.
• To determine hCG in early pregnancy, blood tests are done individually at least every 48 hours. Hormones double every 48 hours, so you know when you're pregnant.

Risks of using a Blood Pregnancy Test

Today the risks associated with taking a blood pregnancy test are greatly reduced as it is performed in a fairly controlled manner. Some of the risks involved are:

• The biggest risk of blood testing during pregnancy is false positive results, which can occur due to various maternal medications.
• Small bruises or pain when washing the needle.
• dizziness
• fainting (rare)
• Infection (in rare cases)
• A hematoma occurs when blood flows under the skin.

Can pregnancy blood tests go wrong?

If your blood is tested early in pregnancy, you are probably pregnant and can sometimes give false results.

• Because pregnancy hormones take time to rise in the blood, blood tests when scheduled based on the date of conception are usually 98 to 99% accurate.
• But medications and many other factors can affect the accuracy of the test. If you still haven't had your period, it's best to test again after 10 days.
• The test may show false positives in women who regularly take fertility drugs, where it detects hCG levels that are present due to treatment.

Can you test this at home?

A pregnancy blood test must be done at your gynecologist's office or diagnostic center and cannot be taken at home. You may be wondering how long it takes to get pregnancy blood test results. This varies between different diagnostic centers and you may need to pre-register for the test.

If you suspect you may be pregnant, it is important to take a pregnancy test first, or a urine test first and then a blood test to confirm pregnancy. It is also important to mentally prepare for the journey of parenthood as it is a lifelong responsibility.