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Original poster

Is testing early a bad idea?

18 replies

gingeranium · 13/12/2017 11:53

First month ttc, so new to all of this. Really thought I could be cool and calm about it all to begin with, but my mind has other ideas.

AF is due on Christmas Eve, but I’m wondering if it’s worth testing before then, or whether to just try and wait until at least the 24th. What would you do?

OP posts:
Weebo · 13/12/2017 12:18

I really should be all sensible and tell you to wait but it would make me a total hypocrite.

When DH and I were TTC I bought 100 of those dipstick tests from Amazon and was always sneaking off to pee on them.

It really depends on how you will feel if it comes back negative. Is it going to ruin your day/week or will you be fine and test again later?

Merrz · 13/12/2017 12:26

Gingeranium If you have the willpower definitely hold off testing until at least the morning af is due. For the 1st few cycles i was testing like 4/5 days before but even if you get a BFN at that stage at the back of your mind you keep the hope and think maybe it's just too early so at least by the day af is due hopefully whatever the result it should be pretty reliable rather than leaving you wondering.

Oysterbabe · 13/12/2017 12:34

Definitely wait and test when AF is due, it's a good habit to get into early doors. When you test early you end up driving yourself nuts squinting at evap lines, breaking them apart and holding them to the light while standing on one leg. If it's negative you'll always think maybe it's just too early, the hope stays alive and that makes the disappointment that bit worse when your period shows. Test when your period is due, or better still the day after. If you are pregnant there will be a line, no messing around.

Original poster
gingeranium · 13/12/2017 13:10

I will definitely still be hopeful if it’s negative on an early test, you’re right. I hadn’t thought of it like that. I was thinking finding out a bit earlier than Christmas Eve would be better so I can have a loner to get my head around a negative before Christmas Day, but it won’t ‘feel’ like a negative until at least Christmas Eve anyway.

I shall resist!

As a side note, I’ve bought the First Response tests. Are these generally a good brand? (Just so I don’t come back on Christmas Eve asking if it’s possibly faulty Wink)

OP posts:
Weebo · 13/12/2017 13:16

First Response tests are usually brilliant.

Sending you lots of luck!

FutureFairyCrayon · 13/12/2017 13:20

I have only recently managed to break my poas addiction, so I am a bit of a hypocrite, but I would try hard to resist early testing if I was you.

When you are ttc you are so desperate to see the faintest hint of a line, but the minute you confirm that a miniscule ball of cells inside you is dividing and multiplying, you start to worry about it working out ok. Finding out four or five days before your period is even due gives you almost an entire extra week to obsess and worry. The first trimester drags like you would not believe, and finding out at 3+2 instead of 4 or more weeks makes the wait until your first scan even more agonising.

Last time I found out at 9dpo (really wasn't expecting to be, just had one ic left in the house and was addicted to poas). I'd had a mmc six weeks earlier, so my anxiety was already through the roof, but those extra days were hell (and involved lots more expensive frers and CBs to check, double check and triple check).

When I had my DD a few years ago I actually hadn't even realised that my period was late until my partner mentioned it, then I did at test at 16dpo - much less stressful!

Original poster
gingeranium · 13/12/2017 13:30

Thanks weebo - it’s so silly getting my hopes up in month one, but I can’t seem to stop myself.

Future that’s a very good point. I think DP is going to be a worrier too, so a few less days of him hobbling behind me just incase I fall over all day will probably save my sanity Wink

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Wendykennedy · 13/12/2017 20:19

Hi all, I’m in he same boat. Cycle 1 of ttc. I couldn’t resist testing yesterday even though only DPO 5 and BFN unsurprisingly. And as some of you more experienced people have mentioned I’m now awaiting in hope that it was just because I tested too early 😞

Original poster
gingeranium · 13/12/2017 21:43

Good luck Wendy - hope you get the news you want when you re-test

OP posts:
zooz · 13/12/2017 23:24

It's really tempting, especially when you hear stories of BFPs days before. But I think it's best to wait. When I was pregnant, I tested the day before AF was due and got a BFN. Tested the next day and I got a BFP. So it just shows the difference a day can make and waiting until AF is due.

Original poster
gingeranium · 14/12/2017 07:02

Wow, that’s really surprising zoo! I will sit on my hands until Christmas Eve...

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KalaLaka · 14/12/2017 07:07

Chemical pregnancies are very common, so it's worth holding off to save the heartache of knowing you were pregnant but that it didn't last.

Difficult timing, though, on Christmas Eve!!

Original poster
gingeranium · 14/12/2017 10:56

The last couple of days I’ve been getting random twinges of pain down below, so I’m beginning to think we’ve not been successful this month anyway!

OP posts:
KalaLaka · 14/12/2017 14:34

You get twinges when pregnant too, that's the annoying thing! The symptoms are all very similar!

Original poster
gingeranium · 22/12/2017 07:53

This week has been an emotional rollercoaster. After posting about twinges, they continued to come every now and again until Tuesday (but didn’t get worse, and were barely noticeable half the time). Then on Tuesday evening I had what seemed like implantation spotting - very muddy brown and then a very pale pink on wiping, but a tiny amount.

All week until the Tuesday I just ‘felt’ different. Can’t explain why. But then Wednesday morning that feeling completely disappeared, and I almost thought to myself ‘whatever was happening, has stopped, I won’t be pregnant this month’ and then lo and behold, yesterday morning I had a more red bleed in the morning when wiping, which I assumed was my period.

Except I had no more bleeding for the rest of the day, and have had the same small red bleed this morning.

They don’t make this easy, do they?

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Bubblegum89 · 22/12/2017 08:20

First month of ttc is rubbish in the sense that you’re excited as everything is new. You don’t get pregnancy symptoms until you’re around 4 weeks pregnant so discount anything you have in the tww. Also, if you’re coming off birth control your periods might be a little all over the place for a while. They can be early, late, not show up at all, be super heavy, super light, brown, red, patchy (as in starting and stopping) try and relax a little. I’m guilty of overthinking everything when I first started ttc but it does you more harm than good. After 13 months, I don’t even check for when my period is due anymore lol you might be pregnant and you might not, overanalysing things won’t change the outcome and will only stress you out. Wait until you’ve missed a period to test, it’s much better for your sanity. Good luck

Original poster
gingeranium · 22/12/2017 08:41

I came off birth control two years ago! It’s so hard having things happening with my body that are so different to normal, and trying to ignore them.

OP posts:
Tstar27 · 26/12/2017 19:27

I have the same thing happening to me- brown discharge and pink when I wipe. I think I've started my period- but it's not due until Thursday and that's very strange bcos I very rarely start early.
So I will keep monitoring

Did you take a test?

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