What are your experiences of false positives?

[bristollady]

Hi everyone,

I'm back again after a little while off the site. I had what I now think was a chemical pregnancy back in Nov. I was positive and then, just like that, I wasn't and I was bleeding loads. Went to hospital, they confirmed I was no longer pregnant. It was devastating.

I had a period in December and now I'm late again so I took a test and it was definitely positive this morning. This time, however, I'm a bit wary. Despite a lot of sources saying that positives are rarely false, I am wondering if maybe I tested too early?

Has anyone else got experiences of false positives? I've decided not to get my hopes up this time and just wait it out for a few weeks and see what happens. I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has had a false positive though? Maybe, just maybe, there's a little bit of hope there.

I thought you couldn't get a false positive?

That's what I thought! On the NHS website it says that. But last time I was positive (on loads of different tests!) and got my hopes all up and then I was back to square one again. So I don't want to get too happy until I know for sure. Argh this stuff is so confusing!

As if we haven't got enough going on!

I know, right?! And it's not like it was a faint one either, it was a great big red line that you couldn't miss.

I don't think you can have a false positive. I had a positive test in June and got my period the same day. It was obviously a pregnancy that didn't implant properly.

I'm now pregnant again (7 weeks). Fingers crossed things stick this time.

Btw I think a positive then getting you're period is more likely if you test early, as in fairly often you will be pregnant but it won't stick, however, you'll never know if you didn't test early iyswim

I don't think you can get a false positive (unless you have injected HCG for trigger during IVF).

I don't think you had a false positive before either - you were pregnant, but it wasn't viable and you had an early miscarriage/blighted ovum. It doesn't mean the test was wrong at the point when it gave you a positive.

Doesn't really help you now of course, in that - yes, you are pregnant right now (congrats!) - but this is no guarantee that this pregnancy will go full term. (Chances are high that it will be fine of course, but a pregnancy test can't predict the future, it can only confirm your current state).

Take one again in a week and see if it's getting darker - that would be a good sign.

Congratulations!

Ah yes, that's what my friend said. I think I am testing too early. Might have to wait a couple of weeks and see if this one sticks.

Thanks Smidge001. I think you're right. Looks like I'll just have to wait this one out. I am sooo impatient!

You can't have a false positive. I understand your caution after your chemical though. Good luck

as others have said, you cannot have a false positive, as the test is designed to ONLY react with the pregnancy hormone HCg, so therefore it must be present in order for any 'pregnant' line/sign to appear.

I wish you lots of love and luck for a safe and stress free pregnancy bristollady

Thanks both of you. Really really hoping everything goes to plan this time. 🙏

Still no period! Yay. Really hopeful this time. I'm waiting another few days before I take another test just to make sure. The waiting is killing me!

Guys! It's 9 days since my period was due and I've just taken another pregnancy test and it was positive! Add to that mild nausea, constant peeing and ballooning boobs. So happy right now. Just praying that everything stays on track. Yay! Crosses fingers

Congratulations! Fingers crossed this one sticks!

I was researching this earlier this week. You can't get a false positive (some rare medicines aside). However, some tests are more sensitive than others and let you test up to 6 days before you miss your period.

It is hard to find exact figures but it seems that 50-75% of pregancies naturally miscarry between implantation and the day of your missed period. This reduces to something like 15% the next week and around 5% by week 6. So if you 'd rather not catch these early chemical pregancies, then maybe you are testing to early.

Personally I like to test early. I won't get my hopes up but at least a chemical pregnancy shows that I can get pregnant. I can see why some would rather not know though.

You don't really get false positives, you get evap lines and you get positives which end in chemical pregnancy or very early miscarriage. So congratulations.