To think they shouldn't promote pregnancy testing before period is due, or the day after your missed period?

[ImaLannister]

Will try make this as short as possible as essays can be annoying...
Ok so, been trying for a baby since January this year (2016) got pregnant in February after coming off the pill not long before, had early scan as I noticed a bit of bleeding, got told the baby's heartbeat stopped at 8 weeks 3 days. I had a missed miscarriage but miscarried naturally 2 weeks after.
I was due on on Monday 24th October, didn't come on, took a clear blue test that day that said pregnant 1-2 weeks, took a cheapo Asda test the next morning, that said positive also. So I was very early on but excited that I was pregnant again (as you do) Anyway, I woke up Friday 26th with terrible cramping, went to the toilet and to my shock horror saw that I was bleeding.
Panicked, phoned Doctors they told me to go to A&E. I went to A&E told them I was pregnant & bleeding so I wanted to confirm if I was having another miscarriage. They did a pee pregnancy test & blood pregnancy test and I was told they were both negative. Confused?? Yeah so was I. Gynaecologist saw me, he basically said what's happened is I have basically had a really really early miscarriage but it isn't classed as that because I was so early on, so you pass it like a normal period. Science of it is that the egg didn't manage to embed itself to the uterus properly, so you pass it as a late period. So, I was pregnant but wasn't also? If you know what I mean?
It's very common he said, and people who don't test wouldn't even know they was pregnant as you would just think you was having a late period.
So, my argument here is why tell people to test so early, if in the mean time that can happen? It's setting women up for heartbreak and disappointment. I was talking to my friend who's a nurse and she said I shouldn't test so early on and should test around a month after a missed period. But it's the norm to test before a period with advanced kits or the day after ur missed period. I don't want to wait a month to test? No one does, right? 
So, has this happened to anyone before coz I'm wondering if I'm having problems with child bearing.
Thanks :-)

Another one here who used progesterone in early pregnancy to help prevent miscarriage.
So sorry to hear about your miscarriages OP. I have been there and it's awful. It's difficult not to become obsessed when you are ttc.

I had a miscarriage after testing positive, is taken the test about five days after a missed period. Knowing I was having a mc was massively traumatizing and only the arrival of my baby two Yeats Ayer made me feel any better. There have been ma y times when I wished I'd not tested so early. But it's hard not to when you can...

I haven't read the whole thread yet but wanted to add that this happened to me and I didn't know it could happen either. I was actually on Clomid at the time and hyper aware of my cycle so tested as soon as my period was late. I got a feint positive but I thought positive was positive. Sure enough period cake a couple of days later and only then did I find out about this. It was cruel. However I went on to have my clomid baby and then 2 more without help. Doesn't help at the time but really there is hope. Good luck

I thought advice was always to wait at least a week after a "missed" period before testing because false negatives can happen if the hormone that turns the second line blue/pink etc is very weak early on?

It also relies on you having a very regular period that is always a certain number of days long. I have PCOS and have had irregular periods from day one. They could be anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks apart, so for women like me it can be impossible to tell whether its a "missed" period, or just one of those months you seem to skip or go way over.

I sympathise massively for your losses, and wish you the best of luck in conceiving a pregnancy that results in a healthy baby.

My GP advised me when I was pregnant with my first not to think of myself as pregnant till at least a week after missed period as there's a really high rate of earlier 'chemical pregnancies' not establishing ... advice which I have taken with subsequent pregnancies and found really helpful. I don't think hcps wound count a chemical pregnancy as a miscarriage (before 4 weeks) . I don't think it would be a sign there are reasons why you won't have successful future pregnancies. I don't think these early tests actually are a good idea if you are pregnant there will be plenty of other signs and symptoms to suggest not to drink alcohol etc false negatives are common as well so you could take an early test to see if you can take medication and it could be wrong anyway so not reliable for that reason.

I'm sorry for your losses .
I didn't test until a couple of weeks after my missed period with either of mine, mainly because after so long trying I couldn't bear to see negative tests anymore. Early testing definitely has its uses though, for all sorts of reasons.

Sadly, when a pregnancy fails, it can be at anytime. Some of us had miscarriages at 8 weeks, at 13 weeks (so just after the first scan!), and so on. Early miscarriages are common, but late loss are not exceptional. You are never sure of anything until the baby is here.

If you (rightly so) find it too distressing, by all means wait a month for your first test. For some of us, it is really important to know as early as possible. If nothing else, you know not to take pain killers! There are really no difference in cramping between period pain and growing pain. There are also no difference (again, for some of us) in period pain and miscarriage cramps. We are all different, but I think the early tests are a blessing.

I'm sorry for your loss💐

I do think that these tests are very useful for people that need to know whether they're pregnant because the may nkg want to keep it. Knowing earlier gives them more time to consider their options, I guess...

plenty of other signs and symptoms to suggest not to drink alcohol etc

But surely if you've decided you're pregnant by 'signs' then your late period is going to be equally upsetting? The TTC boards are full of women who convince themselves that they feel pregnant even before a test is possible. I'm trying to have a baby at the moment and I find it impossible not to speculate, silly as I know it is. Last month I was two weeks late, and actually I'm pleased I'd had a couple of negative tests in the meantime, as otherwise that late period blow would have been even more upsetting.

I'm really sorry about your losses, OK, and hope you have a happy and healthy pregnancy soon.

Regarding signs you are pregnant, had absolutely no symptoms of pregnancy in both my pregnancies, so for some it is helpful to know you are so you can modify your drinking behaviour

Op really sorry for your loss but my view is that it's empowering for women to know and understand what their bodies are doing especially regarding pregnancy.

It's a choice to test early and no one needs to.

I agree with you OP, the ability to test so early leads to a lot more disappointment and the sale of far more tests. When i had my DCs the first home testing kits came out and worked if you were two weeks late, the same as a test at the GP. I had never heard of a chemical pregnancy before MN, although I knew that fertilisation did not necessarily lead to pregnancy. I can totally understand why if it's possible to know you would want to know, but I don't think it confers a huge advantage. There is still plenty of time to explore all options at six weeks and surely you would want to adopt a healthy lifestyle anyway if ttc, as you could be pregnant at any time.

I'm sorry for your loss, I had an early miscarriage following me having my baby after 6 weeks, the cramps were awful. Looking up it is very common many women don't even realise they were pregnant in the first place and think it's a late period.

As previous posters have said I had 3 miscarriages and many chemical pregnancies. After investigation I tested on the advice of doctors every day 10 days post period. When I got a positive I used progesterone suppositories, aspirin and extremely high dose (prescription) folic acid and this resulted in a successful pregnancy first time.
Try and get it logged as this will result in the pregnancy loss clinic.
I hope you have good news soon it was a very hard time in my life and I really feel for you.

But it is the companies who encourage testing early so you buy their early testing kits and they make more money....

Early testing is vital for people who suffer from low progesterone, which repeated chemicals pregnancies are a symptom of. I had to take progesterone to have my dd.

Sorry for your loss OP and wishing you lots of luck.

I'm sorry for your loss OP. These tests are a commercial product. Don't use them if you don't want to! I was very grateful for being able to test early. In my unsuccessful IVF cycles tests at the point my period would have been due let me stop the drugs that were supporting a possible pregnancy and holding off a bleed. For other people, they allow them to get the support they need to help prevent miscarriage.

I needed to know ASAP to adjust medication and see specialists, so the pregnancy had a chance of continuing. I've never tested based on periods though, it's all based on when my IVF clinic tells me to test, and ice sometimes tested 1-2 days before that (the wait after IVF embryo transfer can be unbearable!)

Just read all comments. A lot of help & advice here. So thank you all for that. I for sure won't be so eager to test early anymore, as there is only so much you can take. It's draining. But in the mean time I would adapt my lifestyle incase I was successful, not drinking won't kill me after all. I'm going to make appt at doctors n tell them all this, n see what they offer to do. Could be progesterone like previously mentioned. Best to find out sooner rather than later. I've told my DP if I get checked out then he should too, as he could have defect sperms that's causing the issue. Sorry for everyone's losses on here also. I understand the need to find out early if it's an unwanted pregnancy, that's understandable but that's a whole different situation, feelings are opposite to what a trying woman's may be.

And, I also didn't know that you could have a chemical pregnancy (surprising at my ripe old age of 35) I thought once you got a positive that you was defo pregnant but possible chance of miscarrying within the first trimester at some stage. If I'd have known then I wouldn't have tested early in the first place.
But it's hard because it's only thru testing early that we notice things aren't as they seem or that we are having problems having viable pregnancies etc.

, OP.

I see what you're getting at, and it bothers me as well.

In my opinion, the issue is less to do with testing too early and more to do with the huge gap in public knowledge about how conception and pregnancy work. Almost no-one seems to find out that chemical pregnancy is even a thing until after they've got a much wanted positive and been walking around on air for a week... It's practically as if we're trying to make early miscarriages as upsetting and shocking for women as possible.

I'm sorry for your miscarriages

I do kind of agree with you. I tested very early with my first, I was aware of chemical pregnancy then I drove myself mad thinking I shouldn't have tested.

Although people have made some good points about reasons for needing to find out early.

It's extremely difficult to wait if you think you might be pregnant and I guess it sells pregnancy tests.

I just wanna add that I know anything can happen to baby, even after first trimester, but chances of miscarriage happening after first trimester is over is greatly reduced. Basically your not out of any hot water until baby is born.
Yes, I agree, it's lack of knowledge. I'm embarrassed that I I didn't know that you can get non viable pregnancies tbh but no one ever told me about it and it's not a well known or talked about situation like a miscarriage to a variable pregnancy is. NHS or appropriate body need to make people more aware, I only found out about it by typing it in in google! Or better still, add it to recommendations on a pregnancy testing kit, letting women know they would get a more accurate test with a viable pregnancy a week after missed period etc. But they aren't going to do that are they.

Firstly sorry for your losses.

I had a chemical pregnancy the cycle before I conceived my daughter (now 2.5).

I agree that early testing (before your period is due) is pointless and should be discouraged.

I hate reading threads on here where posters ask if they should POAS when they've still got a week until their period is due. I feel like a killjoy telling them they won't get an accurate result!

Interestingly, my daughter and current pregnancy (16 weeks) were conceived with fertility treatment at our NHS IVF clinic. My instructions from them were to test no earlier than 16 days after taking an ovulation trigger injection but that I should test by 18 days after and notify them of the result.

I hope I get this right and someone more knowledgeable might clarify...

But I think there is some confusion about a chemical pregnancy. A chemical pregnancy is an early miscarriage. It is referred to as chemical because there would not be anything visible by ultrasound. I do not believe there is detailed knowledge to differentiate the reason why the pregnancy fails at that stage from those which fail say a week or two later.

I'm not sure whether such early losses count as miscarriage for the purposes of recurrent miscarriage which typically requires 3 for nhs investigations.

I think if I was TTC and I was routinely losing pregnancies at 4-5 weeks I would want to know.

I completely understand choosing not to test early. But I don't think there is reason to say testing early should be discouraged because women can't cope with what happens, or get themselves too excited etc. I think for many knowledge of the reproductive process and our individual situations is good.

I agree that information so women are better informed to make their own decision is the answer and that there should be more awareness of pregnancy loss.