How long would fading lines take to disappear?

[Jade1212]

Took a test at the weekend and got a positive with a strongish line, confirmed with really strong lines on subsequent tests and I got a 1-2 weeks reading with a Clear Blue Digi. According to the date of my LMP I would have been 5+1 that day so I'll be 6w tomorrow but the lines have been fairly faint for the past few days (not getting fainter though) and the Digi still says 1-2 weeks. I'm more hydrated than I was at the weekend so don't know if that affects it, but if the lines ARE fading because of a problem, how long would I expect to wait before getting negative tests? I'm hoping there's a day by which it'll be safe and I can rule out the faint lines as an issue!

I'm also not having many symptoms, just occasional cramping for the past week and a half (I tested because the cramping made me think a period was due which never arrived!) and tiredness but even that's better today than it has been. I found that food tasted a bit 'off' yesterday and on Tuesday but, again, it's fine today.

Probably worrying too much but we've not had great luck so far and I'm terrified of things going wrong!! Any advice would be much appreciated

[Artioo2]

I know this is easy to say and not so easy to do, but you really need to stop testing. A pregnancy test is designed to tell you whether you're pregnant or not, they're not meant to be used daily to monitor your pregnancy. Lots of things could be affecting the darkness of the line - time of day, hydration, fluctuations in hcg levels, variations in test strips.

And symptoms are also not a reliable indicator of everything being ok or not. Some women get them later than you are, some find they come and go, and some don't get any at all and have healthy pregnancies.

All you can do is reassure yourself that right now you're pregnant and try and take it day by day. The testing is just going to fuel your anxiety.

[Jade1212]

Thanks, that sounds like good advice! When I originally Googled my first 'faintish' line before getting a stronger one, I read that lines get darker as pregnancy progresses so I thought it was worth monitoring, but good to know it's not quite as simple as that!

I had a MC years ago which was quite painful, but I also had a CP last year which just snuck up on us through one negative test following our one positive, and then an eventual (normal) period.

With so few symptoms, I feel like I won't know if something goes wrong so the tests are supposed to be reassuring but, you're right, they're not doing that!

[BeardMinge]

Google 'hook effect', and stop testing!

[Jade1212]

That's really reassuring, beard! Thanks!