Unhelpful craze for early pregnancy testing

[LittleLottieChaos]

I think that there is a hugely unhelpful side to being on here. The early pregnancy testing craze... before discovering this notion of testing before a missed period I had quite happily waited and if my period arrived then I wasn’t pregnant, if it was a week late then I tested. (I have one toddler and sadly has one termination for medical reasons). Now after reading all those threads... even I was considering testing before my period & I did - it was as expected negative, and my period arrived 2 days later.

Does anyone else think that testing early is absolutely a stress and a waste of time? Of course it’s a negative you’re testing far too early. Why torture yourself?

Chuck in bad for the environment and a waste of money, these test making companies are rubbing their little hands together profiteering from suggestible desperate people.

Or am I misreading something? I know ‘each unto their own’ will be the response to this thread, but I would like to say to these lovely women, just stop doing it- you’ll be happier and you likely will conceive, testing repeatedly before a missed period is asking for disappointment.

(Duly note not a single acronym appeared in this post as they are also massively unhelpful)

I'm not sure how one can tell the OP she is 'completely right' when it is a personal choice. Test early, don't test early, test when you want. Helpful for some, not helpful for others. Exciting for some, stressful for others. Not everyone is the same - isn't it wonderful!

Yes it is ridiculous. And it also makes some people effectively go through the emotional process of a ‘miscarriage’ when they test 3 days before their period, get a faint positive, and then period arrives anyway. Women then feel like they have had something taken away whereas if no one was encouraging them to test early then they’d never know and the rates of chemical pregnancies are probably much higher than 1 in 4. You’re right also that companies producing the testing kits are the ones really benefitting here

I'm coming in off the back of a chemical pregnancy last month and felt none of this. Its a bit shit that it didn't progress but I certainly didn't go through any process of feeling like I'd had anything taken away from me. Nobody is encouraging me to test, I do it because I choose to. You can get strip tests in bulk for cheap. I get OPKs and pregnancy tests at the same time. Then you save the digital "for best"

It's almost like there's some a massive generalisations being made in this thread about "women who test early". It all feels a bit head tilt, you OK hun faux sympathy whilst eye rolling and being judgemental for these desperate saddos type vibe.

@Wolfiefan with a typical 28 day, ovulate on day 14 cycle you’re two weeks pregnant on the day of your due period. Hope that helps your confusion :)

@ColdBrightClearMorning yes. So period due. So many people test before they are even due a period. Then panic about each and every “symptom” and twinge. It’s not healthy or normal.

A question for those who are anti early testing, are you also against ovulation predictor tests?

@AlexaPlayWhiteNoise

Yes it is ridiculous. And it also makes some people effectively go through the emotional process of a ‘miscarriage’ when they test 3 days before their period, get a faint positive, and then period arrives anyway. Women then feel like they have had something taken away whereas if no one was encouraging them to test early then they’d never know and the rates of chemical pregnancies are probably much higher than 1 in 4. You’re right also that companies producing the testing kits are the ones really benefitting here

I'm coming in off the back of a chemical pregnancy last month and felt none of this. Its a bit shit that it didn't progress but I certainly didn't go through any process of feeling like I'd had anything taken away from me. Nobody is encouraging me to test, I do it because I choose to. You can get strip tests in bulk for cheap. I get OPKs and pregnancy tests at the same time. Then you save the digital "for best"

It's almost like there's some a massive generalisations being made in this thread about "women who test early". It all feels a bit head tilt, you OK hun faux sympathy whilst eye rolling and being judgemental for these desperate saddos type vibe.

There is.

Those silly idiots testing early, don’t they realise they’re setting themselves up for ‘disappointment’? They’re not as strong minded as I am, I barely even cared either way while TTC and it took me quite by surprise when I suddenly noticed I’d missed four periods and had a bump!

[quote Wolfiefan]@ColdBrightClearMorning yes. So period due. So many people test before they are even due a period. Then panic about each and every “symptom” and twinge. It’s not healthy or normal.[/quote]
You said this though

“YANBU
I keep seeing posts about being four weeks pregnant. And thinking you mean your period is due”

Not sure what point you’re making at all.

When you have paid 25k and spent 10 years trying it tends to make you a bit keen

It's often people who have had losses who do this (me included) no need to judge tho, we all do things differently and until you're in anyone's shoes you can't really comment

You said that when women say they’re four weeks pregnant you think to yourself ‘no, you mean your period is due’

And I’m explaining that you are incorrect. At four weeks pregnant their period would have been due two weeks previously.

Are you struggling to understand?

@ColdBrightClearMorning

You said that when women say they’re four weeks pregnant you think to yourself ‘no, you mean your period is due’

And I’m explaining that you are incorrect. At four weeks pregnant their period would have been due two weeks previously.

Are you struggling to understand?

Actually, medically they date from the date of your last period not your ovulation date. So 4 weeks for most women does mean period is due. It's strange I agree but it's the most accurate way they have to date as most people don't track ovulation.

I didn’t realise how much people test until i started reading threads on here! I took an early pregnancy test before my period was due because for some reason I just knew I was pregnant! Low and behold it was a very positive line, I expected it to be quite faint! I did one more after a missed period and that was it. I don’t get why women then test every single day even after already getting a positive line!

Oh shit you’re right @emeraldcity2000!

It’s been a while and I got really confused as I know it’s really counterintuitive.

My deepest apologies @Wolfiefan, egg on my face for hammering home an incorrect point sorry.

Personally I don't see an issue. If you are ttc and have been for a while, you're likely to be thinking about it a lot during the tww anyway. I'm not sure it adds more pressure.
I agree that a chemical pregnancy and a later miscarriage are very different things though - I've experienced both along the way - and I think most people realise that the process you go through is totally different. I don't know many people who have grieved a chemical pregnancy .

It’s a nightmare @emeraldcity2000, I remember the doctor trying to explain to my husband (a doctor!) and I that although I was physically two weeks pregnant I was considered four weeks pregnant. It’s so strange though I understand why they do it.

Funnily enough I found it very reassuring imagining myself to be four weeks pregnant instead of really ten days post implantation as it felt like the embryo was a bit more established and stronger 😂 I laugh now but I was incredibly terrified and panicked and freaked out for the entire first four or five months.

@ColdBrightClearMorning

Oh shit you’re right *@emeraldcity2000*!

It’s been a while and I got really confused as I know it’s really counterintuitive.

My deepest apologies @Wolfiefan, egg on my face for hammering home an incorrect point sorry.

It's so counterintuitive isn't it.... especially if you happen to have a long cycle like I do.... I remember that I kept telling them I have a spreadsheet, I know when I ovulated, we don't need to do the silly date thing 😂

@emeraldcity2000 I was using OPKs from the very beginning (I had a very determined no egg left behind policy due to my age and fertility issues meaning only one tube was useful) so I knew too! I call it the day my son’s egg hatched and mark it in my own mind 😂 I calculated my own due date knowing the date I ovulated and it was bang on!

This was part of TTC sites when I had my first pregnancy 18 years ago. We had to dial up the internet to do our fussing.

The tests were pretty variable 18 years ago. We tested early anyways.

I don't know why so many poster here get off on invalidating another woman's experience.

Some people with medical issues have to test early. I did as I had to start medication ASAP.
Yes it can be heartbreaking but worth it for a healthy pregnancy.

@AlexaPlayWhiteNoise

A question for those who are anti early testing, are you also against ovulation predictor tests?

Oh I used one of those too to get pregnant this time around - it worked.

More useless plastic landfill that I peed on.

I am 4 months into TTC and last month is the first month I have actually relaxed a little and not made sure we try every couple of days.

I am currently 4 days late, have experienced some light cramps on & off, and only as I am normally really regular and I was feeling really sick, I thought I would do a test a couple of days ago, which unsurprisingly came up negative. But I have just this evening had a little pink discharge and have a little cramping again, so assuming I am going to come on my period.

Can someone please advise when is the best time to test? I have read that it is a week after your missed period. Would anyone agree?

I am with some of you, you set yourself up for disappointment when you do a test early, as you almost convince yourself you are pregnant before you know. I have been in tears this evening, as I was almost certain that I was and now I don't think that is the case :(

I have to take a huge cocktail of drugs during pregnancy to keep my baby alive. Early testing saved this one, the rest I lost. Hth.

So I have a long cycle. When TTC I was ovulating two weeks into cycle and period came over 3 weeks later. When I got the positive result this time (am now 38 weeks) I tested before my period because my boobs were in agony and I was shattered tired. I already knew I was pregnant and the test only confirmed it. For anyone with a regular cycle it’s probably not helpful to test early but I can’t judge.