Taking a Pregnancy Test at Night – How Accurate Is It?

If you’re trying to get pregnant, the ‘two week wait’ after ovulation can be a time full of anxiety. In those two long weeks, you’ll wonder if you’re experiencing pregnancy symptoms or they are a false alarm, just PMS. You’re likely to want to take a pregnancy test if you suspect that you might be expecting, but may delay it thinking that it is too early! While it’s important that you take a pregnancy test, but what’s even more important is that you take the test at the right time to get the accurate result.

Video : How Accurate Is a Pregnancy Test at Night?

Now if you’re bought a pregnancy kit and are planning to take a test at night, find out if you should do so!

Can You Take a Pregnancy Test at Night?

You can take a pregnancy test at night but don’t expect it to be accurate. The main purpose of taking a pregnancy test is to check for the Hcg or Human chorionic gonadotropin hormone which is a hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy. The hormone is released with urine in the morning and gives a strong reading, which is why the pregnancy readings tend to be accurate in the morning. At night, the lines may be faint and the pregnancy test may give a false result.

But if you wish to confirm that you’re pregnant, you should get a blood test done instead of taking a home pregnancy test as they give more accurate results than a home pregnancy kit does. Normally, a pregnancy test is done two weeks after ovulation and that’s still pretty early. Ideally, women repeat it in one week if they’ve not gotten their period yet but suspect they are pregnant.

Why Is Night Time Not Considered as the Best Time for Taking a Home Pregnancy Test?

Night time is not ideal since your test strips or machine won’t pick up the hCG hormone well. There isn’t a lot of trace of it at night and you may get a negative pregnancy test result at night. As mentioned above, at-home pregnancy tests work by detecting the hCG hormone in the urine. As urine is more concentrated in the morning, the chances of hCG being higher in the urine are more, and thus you’re more likely to get a positive result. But the same may not happen at night when your urine is diluted. The chances of getting a positive pregnancy test result at night are extremely slim. You’ll get a much better and accurate reading in the early morning, so do the test in the morning.

Do Blood Tests for Pregnancy Give Accurate Results at Night?

HCG levels in the blood are low at night which may lead to errors or skewed results. So in the mornings instead of night. You’ll be getting more accurate results for these tests if you’re willing to do them a day after the first day of your missed period.

This is because after the egg gets fertilized and attaches to the uterine lining, the placenta begins to rapidly release the HCG hormone every 2-3 days. You’re most likely to get an accurate reading when taking the tests during this timeline. Sometimes the timing of your period may be a bit off. This is when your healthcare provider might recommend doing another blood and urine test along with an ultrasound scan. Don’t skip those and follow your doctor’s advice because they will help in confirming whether you’re pregnant or not.

Keep in mind that fertility drugs and certain medications may interfere with home pregnancy test results. However, you don’t have to worry about antibiotics or birth control pills since they won’t influence the results.

What Observations Can Be Made If You Take a Pregnancy Urine Test at Night?

What is the best time to do a pregnancy test – morning or night? The answer is ‘morning’. But, if you do take a test at night, here are a few observations you can make:

• If you get a positive result at night, you’re most likely pregnant. If you get a negative result at night, the reading could be inaccurate and you may need to test in the morning again. But then again, the reading could be accurate and you may not be pregnant.
• If you’re taking a test at night, avoid consuming any beverages with caffeine or added ingredients throughout the day. Drink plenty of water and avoid salt. After your last glass of water in the noon, wait at least 6 hours without drinking before doing the test.

These are the basics you have to know when it comes to taking a pregnancy test at night. It’s pretty simple and straightforward. We understand that not everyone may have the time to test in the morning which is why, if you’re testing at night, you may have to take the tests a couple of times.

If you constantly get the same results, you are indeed pregnant. The best advice is to follow up with your healthcare provider and get a blood test to confirm the same.

Also Read:

How To Make Sure You Are Pregnant Without Taking a Test?
Simple (DIY) Pregnancy Tests
Pregnancy Test with Salt