Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

Original poster

ClearBlue - faulty test?

23 replies

takethatlady · 18/08/2010 11:07

Hi there,

I am having a complete meltdown at the moment. I took a couple of Tesco's tests on Friday and they both had faint lines. Then on Saturday I did a couple more, a Boots test, and a Clearblue digital with conception indicator, which said 'Pregnant 1-2 weeks'. All the others had lines. Went to the doctor's on Monday, told my family and DH's family (all excited), have appointment with midwife next week. My last period was 26th June but I was having long cycles so I'm anywhere between 4-7 weeks.

Then my boobs stopped hurting so I took my temperature this morning and it seemed to have returned to almost normal levels for me pre-ovulation. So I went and bought another Clearblue digital and it said 'Not pregnant'. I took another Tesco test and it was positive, but still very faint. I'm thinking that might be residual hormones and that I am going to miscarry.

But I've had no spotting at all and no bleeding. I had backache and lots of creamy CM yesterday. I've now read conflicting things about the Clearblue's on MN and elsewhere.

Has anybody else had this experience? I guess I've had a chemical pregnancy/early miscarriage but I'm just not sure.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

takethatlady · 18/08/2010 11:08

Whoops - there's a dodgy apostrophe in the second-to-last para. Put it down to stress.

OP posts:

cmutter · 18/08/2010 11:16

Hi TakeThatLady,

You must be going mad with worry at the moment, am I, aren't I. Might be best to make a GP appt and ask for a blood/urine test to be sent off. Clearblue is very accurate and it may be that you have taken the test incorrectly or that it was a faulty test. If you have miscarried you will definately need to be seen by your GP if you haven't had a period. I wish you well!

QueenOfProcrastination · 18/08/2010 11:31

As far as I understand it, you can get a false negative (ie says not pregnant but actually you are) but you can not get a false positive as the hormone it tests for (HCG)is only present if pregnant.

Get an appointment today with either GP / nurse (if they can test and give results there and then) or Family Planning Unit or Early Pregnancy Unit at local hospital.

If the Tesco test that you took after the ClearBlue is positive, it sounds like the ClearBlue was faulty. Hope this is the case and your little bundle is hanging on in there.

Original poster

takethatlady · 18/08/2010 11:31

Thank you cmutter. I'm going to go and take another digital and see what it says. If not pregnant I'll call the doctor.

I definitely was pregnant. 8 tests over four days (Friday-Monday) all confirmed it and I'm still showing positive on the Tesco test. But I'm starting to accept it's more than likely it was a chemical pregnancy/early miscarriage. It seems very unlikely that the digital would be so unreliable as to register not pregnant when my HcG levels should have quadrupled since it told me I was pregnant.

OP posts:

Original poster

takethatlady · 18/08/2010 11:34

Sorry QueenofProcrastination, cross-posted there. I feel like I should have your name today!

I hope it is as you say and that it was a faulty test but I can't find anything out about whether that's possible not. I think it's more likely my hormone levels are dropping because the embryo has stopped developing, and that they're now too low to be detected by Clearblue but still high enough to be detected by the Tesco test. I'm pretty sure the Tesco tests are more sensitive.

Everybody seems to be telling me to go to the doctor so after the next test, if it doesn't tell me what I want to hear, I'll ring up.

Thanks so much for replying - it's nice just to talk it through.

OP posts:

greenbeanie · 18/08/2010 11:35

i used Tescos tests and found them accurate from very early on, I don't think the digital ones by their very nature can be as sensitive as they need a fairly clear line for them to respond to. When I used the Tescos test I got a BFP at 11DPO so I would go with your result being positive, particularly as you have no other symptoms. Good luck

beckie90 · 18/08/2010 11:45

i used clearblue last pregnancy, i found it a waste of money. it told me pregnant but said 1-2 days, the day after my hcg level came back from bloods and was measuring so high that i was actually over 5 weeks had a scan to determine 2 days after and i was 6 weeks not and had concieved 6 weeks ago not 1-2 weeks like the test said.
im pregnant again and stupidlt did a clearblue it said 1-2 weeks again and i thought well odd because i had been nauseas weeing alot, going dizy had metalic taste in mouth for over 3 weeks, so only when i have my scan will i know if it was wrong again.
try using a dif kind of test

beckie90 · 18/08/2010 11:47

and good luck, hope all goes well

emptyshell · 18/08/2010 12:17

I'm not going to lie to you and sugar coat things because I think it's good to get both sides of things - it's very similar to what happened to me a few months back, almost word for word.

On the Wednesday took a Tesco test, didn't leave it the full development time before stropping off thinking "not our month as usual" and chucked it to one side - then for some reason I went back to it about 1/4 of an hour later and there was a second line there - shrugged it off as an evap and mentally clipped myself round the earhole for being so stupid. Couldn't quite shake the feeling something was up though - so did another one later that evening which came back with a real squinter.

Following morning - Tesco test two lines - so did what most women who can't quite believe it do - went out and bought a digital which came back Pregnant 1-2. Another Tesco one on the Friday came back fainter lined - shrugged it off as not FMU.

By Saturday I was just convinced things weren't quite right - boobs weren't sore despite prodding them lots, so Sunday morning I took another test with FMU - Tescos was negative, so I did the other digital one which came back as not pregnant. The bleeding started that Sunday afternoon.

You might have a faulty test or you might have a similar situation to mine - I've put the days in to give you some idea of the timescales with it all in terms of how hormone levels should have increased since I do still remember them so vividly. I think I just knew there was something wrong, just like I just knew to fish that first test out and have another look at it - lots to be said for instinct... I'm pregnant again and knew it in my heart pretty early - and this time I started looking at baby stuff straight away, last time I never let myself - think I knew from the start it wasn't really all OK to be honest.

japhrimel · 18/08/2010 12:28

It could be that your urine wasn't so concentrated, but it could also be that you're having an early miscarriage.

Your GP can do hcg blood tests 48 hours apart. Or you can wait and see. Very early miscrriages usually happen naturally.

Original poster

takethatlady · 18/08/2010 12:31

Thank you emptyshell, greenbeanie and becky.

You're absolutely right - it's good to hear both sides of the case. I feel very sad but I also know that if it isn't a viable pregnancy then it's not sad at all but the right and proper thing to happen. I feel annoyed with myself that we told family so early - not because they'll be unsupportive, but the total opposite. Right now there are people out there so excited that they're going to be grannies, grandpas and aunties and uncles and we're going to have to call them all later and break the news to them too.

There's still a bit of hope - especially as the Tesco test was still positive today. But we'll see. As I write this I'm feeling cramps a little bit.

I will let you all know what happens.

OP posts:

Original poster

takethatlady · 18/08/2010 12:33

Cross-posted with japhrimel.

It was FMU and it was four days later than the first Clearblue digi positive - which was SMU - so I doubt it was the concentration of the urine.

Fingers crossed. Good luck to those of you who are pregnant or ttc :)

OP posts:

japhrimel · 18/08/2010 12:39

Best wishes. It can be a very sad time even if you know that it's the right thing to happen with a pregnancy that isn't viable. I've had 2 early miscarraiges, one before 5 weeks and 1 at around 6 weeks and they were both pretty horrible, even though the earlier one was easier physically.

beckie90 · 18/08/2010 12:41

hope it all goes ok, cramps are normal if everythings ok 2, i get them all time. just hope it works out that it was just a faulty test. why dont you go the the early pregnancy unit at your hospital. when i bled when i was preg they checked me out really good, they can normally tell whats happening by looking at your cervix. and then they arrange blood tests and stuff for you, its really helpful. :)

Original poster

takethatlady · 18/08/2010 13:15

Thank you everyone. Well, I did another test and it also said not pregnant. While I was doing it I realised I have started to bleed . So I guess that's it.

Thank you for all your answers - it helped a lot.

OP posts:

LetsHaveAnotherOne · 18/08/2010 13:34

So sorry for your loss.

beckie90 · 18/08/2010 13:45

so sorry to hear that :(

QueenOfProcrastination · 18/08/2010 16:02

So sorry

Original poster

takethatlady · 18/08/2010 16:29

Thank you ladies. I was really upset earlier but feeling much calmer now. At least we know we can get pregnant and how we'll feel when it does happen for real. Feel sorry for the little bean that it couldn't have lived but it's much better that it happened now than later on in the pregnancy.

I'm sorry to those of you that have been through this - especially you emptyshell - spookily similar. But CONGRATULATIONS on being pregnant again! That's lovely news and it cheers me up no end Good luck with it all.

OP posts:

emptyshell · 18/08/2010 16:54

Sorry it looks like it didn't work out for you :( Take it easy

flickor · 18/08/2010 17:11

I had a very similar situation where I was late and went to the doctors and then started to bleed. It was very sad and like you I was very excited.

Two months later I was pregnant and now on my 30th week.

The pregnancy tests can drive you crazy. I bought the clear blue indicator and it failed because I peed on it too much !!!. I then went to tesco - bought two cheapest pregnancy testing kits however I peed into a glass this time and then tested the urine.

Original poster

takethatlady · 19/08/2010 09:25

Thanks ladies. Yesterday was a really rubbish day but I'm feeling better today. Thank you so much for your quick answers yesterday - it really helped.

OP posts:

beckie90 · 19/08/2010 13:39

good luck for the future :) hope your feeling better

Flip