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When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Conception

Would plain water EVER lead to an evaporation line on a preg test?

18 replies

Antiquarian · 02/10/2009 10:31

I am a bit embarrassed to be posting this and need someone to tell me not to be so silly.

I have a load of internet cheapy tests and the last couple of days have been getting the faintest, faintest line you can imagine, just inside the time limit (well, ten minutes so stretching it slightly). I'm pretty sure they're evaporation lines, but when I dip a test in plain tap water nothing comes up at all (apart from the control line of course). I am sure there is a reason for this and I am NOT pregnant, especially because the lines have been the same faintness for the last three days (I'm now 12dpo).

Can anyone explain the tap water thing and at the same time tell me to accept they're negative? No need to be polite or beat around the bush here!

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Twinsmommy · 02/10/2009 11:44

OK - well, not to beat around the bush at all - but I don't think anything anyone's answer will give you proper peace of mind if, as you admit, the tests you have are cheapy internet ones. Therefore, why not just go and get yourself a proper test and put your mind at rest once and for all?

TBH - I have no clue what you are talking about re the tap water evaporation line?! so cannot comment on that!

Not much help, I know, but if I were you, I'd be getting myself a more reliable test.

Ledodgy · 02/10/2009 11:46

Is the faint line the same colour as the test line?

Evap lines are usually grey or no colour iyswim.

DaisymooSteiner · 02/10/2009 11:47

Not sure about the evaporation line thing, but why not get your dp/friend who is def not pregnant to do a wee sample and see if you get the same result?

Antiquarian · 02/10/2009 11:57

Hello thanks for your responses!

You're right Twinsmommy, when you want something so much you can believe anything! What I mean is that I only get the 'evaporation line' with urine, not with tap water, and I'm wondering if there is something in wee that isn't in tap water that would cause this other than HCG! Make sense? Not sure!

I definitely need to get a 'real' test, but I left my purse at a friend's house last weekend and am curently cash and cardless.

Ledodgy, well ... I don't know, it's so faint it's hard to tell! I can see it without squinting. I suppose if I didn't want to be pregnant I would be pretty convinced it was an evap line. That's one answer isn't it?

Daisymoo, I like that suggestion! However, the only person I could ask today is my mother-in-law and she already thinks I'm nuts!

Anyway, I'm 12dpo now, I don't have a single pregnancy symptom and the line is incredibly faint, so I think the obvious conclusion must be that I'm not pregnant. Thanks for sparing the time to reply to somebody who is clearly becoming a bit deranged by this TTC business!

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Arsed · 02/10/2009 12:02

In my considerable experience of the cheapy internet tests there is always a line if you look hard enough.

fingers crossed you get a real line soon

Antiquarian · 02/10/2009 12:12

Thanks Arsed, I think you are right. Stupid internet cheapies.

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ChoChoSan · 02/10/2009 12:13

I have only ever got the faintest of lines on the cheapy tests when I have been pregnant...other wise I have had nothing.

In my experience, if there is anything there at all then you might very well be pregnant. Fingers crossed for you!

ChoChoSan · 02/10/2009 12:16

Having just re-read arsed's reply, which is the exact opposite of my experience, I see my post would be of little help!! There's nothing for it - you need to retest (any experience of shoplifting?

Antiquarian · 02/10/2009 12:18

Oh.

ChoChoSan - did the lines go darker day by day, and did they appear within say five minutes? I think that I musn't get false hope as my lines have appeared towards the end of ten minutes and although I don't exactly have to squint to see it, it's not exactly shouting at me! Having said that it was second morning wee after two large cups of tea (sorry if TMI)!

I've ordered a couple of first response anyway from amazon, so that will be the defnitive test tomorrow.

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Arsed · 02/10/2009 12:30

testing again is always good

You can never POAS to much imo.

DC2 is 9mo now and i actually miss it !

rosieposey · 02/10/2009 12:37

Hmmm if you are getting lines then then dont discount the fact that you might be pregnant - i poas and it took ages to come up (first response) but it was there albeit faint. I have only seen one evap line on a pregnancy test not quite a few in succession - the fact that you didnt get any line at all when you tested with water may well be a good sign. - Good luck with the 1st response and dont forget to give it a good 5 mins

Antiquarian · 02/10/2009 13:14

Thanks again everybody. I will do the first response when they arrive and TRY to stop obsessing until then.

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rainbowdays · 03/10/2009 23:07

Just in case you are still obsessing, just a bit curious as to how you got a control line to appear with tap water, when I dipped my internet cheapy tests in tap water I got a blank test!!!!

Anyway having had many many chances (with 8 pregnancies to date!) I have found that I can see a line if I really look hard for it, but if I hold it up to a bright light and look 'through' it, that it is only when the dye is coloured that I still see a line, ie when I am in early squint at line stage of pregnancy, I will see a line if I hold it up to the light and look though it, but will see nothing if it is an evap line.

The internet cheapies that I use do not get very dark very quickly, but I do tend to be able to see an increase in darkening day to day very slightly but more I notice that the time at which the line becomes visable gets less. eg 1st day evap line appears after 30 mins, next day after 20 mins, then a couple of days later it is faint but just about within the 10 mins time limit and from then on becomes faster and more obvious earlier. When the tests are not getting darker then I tend to now assume it will end as chemical pregnancy or early miscarriage, but that is just me.

I hope that you get a good strong positive on the first response when it arrives. Let us know!

Antiquarian · 04/10/2009 08:16

Hi Rainbowdays, thanks for that, it's interesting. That sounds exactly like my experience with holding up to the light, etc. Well, it's definitely a line, no mistaking it today, 14 days dpo. However, I am pretty convinced it's going to turn out to be a chemical pregnancy. I can't say why, the line today is a tiny bit darker than yesterday, and it appeared in about the same time (easily within the time limit). However, I don't feel even slightly pregnant, not a single symptom, which I'd kind of expect by now? I had an early miscarriage last month, somehow feel sure that it's going to be the same this time. I am holding off on the first response, as I think I might need them another month!

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rainbowdays · 04/10/2009 08:33

Antiquarian - Congratulations on your pregnancy, remember that you don't have to be have symptoms to be pregnant and the strength of the line getting darker is no way to judge if it is going to be ok, so I truely wish you a happy and healthy nine month pregnancy. Having said that I know that I 'just knew' last time that it was not going to be a successful pregnancy, I told that to the people at the EPU too before I had any bleeding or cramping, and they were very much, 'well this is a different pregnancy, all pregnancies are different and you can't tell from symptoms or htp's.' So I hope that you are not having another early m/c and that you get reassurance soon. But want you to know that I can empathise with you in this early days anxiety.

rosieposey · 04/10/2009 11:28

Antiquarian congrats I know you aren't too optimistic but it is true that every pregnancy is different and the line on the test really is no indication as to the outcome of this one. Try and stay positive ok and let us know how you get on - good luck.

Antiquarian · 05/10/2009 08:54

Hi Rainbowdays and Rosieposey. Thanks so much for posting. I cracked and did a First Response yesterday evening, it was a strong line, and came up quickly. But I don't know, can't shake the feeling that something's wrong because I am sure I had mild food aversions by now with previous pregnancy. I've always said that I'll know that I'm pregnant when I can't bear the thought of houmous (turned my stomach even thinking about it last time). At the moment, houmous seems fine! Anyway, I am determined not to get my hopes up so I'm not too disappointed if and when something happens. Thanks again.

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ChoChoSan · 05/10/2009 12:02

Congratulations Antiquarian!

No worries about lack of symptoms...your body has only had 5 minutes to register that you are pregnant - give yourself a chance! Good luck!

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