How accurate is the clearblue conception indicator? Panic! Driving myself nuts.

[MockCroc]

Hello
From the outset, I accept that my current state of panic is entirely my own fault and I am currently cursing technology!
I am currently (I think) 6+1 wks (last MP started 5 July). I found out 2 weeks ago today using a clearblue test that showed initially I was 2-3 weeks and then on re-testing 1-2 weeks. I have been very tired and initially had sore boobs and breahtlessness but I am now feeling better and my boobs aren't sore anymore.

So... yesterday I decided to get paranoid that I was dreaming about the whole thing and did another clearblue test. It showed that yes, I am pregnant, but only 2-3 weeks post conception... still. I did another today, completely ignoring my every patient husband who says I am torturing myself unnecessarily. It still said 2-3 weeks.

I am now panicking because it should have changed to 3+ weeks. I am also panicking that my symptoms seem to have abated. I have scoured the internet and found various discussions starting with a message like this, but most of them either never say what has happened ultimately, or confirm they have ended in miscarriage. I am now really worried I have / am / will mc.

Anyone had any experience of this? I am too embarrassed to bother my GP about this because the surgery have said they don't want to put me in the system until I am at least 8 weeks anyway (no doubt because of the mc risk)...
Arggggggghhh

Stop torturing yourself and go with your LMP as ultimately that is what the doctors and midwives will use when dating you until your scan anyway.

I only did one CB digi, mainly because I wanted to see the word "Pregnant" pop up on the little screen but did lots of dipstick line ones and it took forever for the lines to darken. I did read hundreds of times on here while I was TTC how unreliable they can be which is why I did the dipstick ones first!

As for symptoms, I had very few so spent a great deal of time worrying about it. Turns out I was just lucky! Have read on here many times though that symptoms often disappear just long enough to make you worry about them before coming back with a vengeance, and at six weeks there is plenty of time for them to reappear :)

So, congratulations, and I know how awful this next sentence is, but try and relax and I hope you have an eventful eight months ahead of you!

Or uneventful. One or the other

Did you read the leaflet? The conception calculator will tell you 2-3 weeks but your doctor would make that 3-4 weeks going by LMP. The clearblue test goes on the level of hcg (roughly) in your urine and also depends on what time of day you've done the tests. First wee in the morning will have a higher level of hcg due to the high concentration of the wee. Conception is a minefield because sperm stays alive in your body for up to 7 days and it could take an extra 2 days post ovulation to fertilise the egg!!
HTH xx

Thanks both of you. I am making myself miserable (which I suppose might be a symptom in itself !). I am definitely 6+1 on LMP. What's worrying me is that I am two weeks post the first time I showed as 2-3 and even if I was only just 2 at that time, I should be 3+ by now.

But there is nothing I can do about it (except drive myself up the wall!) so perhaps I should try and think about something else . i really appreciate the solidarity though! It's a lonely business this first 12 weeks when I only have DH to obsess at (poor chap)! x

Ive found the conception calculator to be wrong before, I wouldnt give it a second thought. Congratulations on your pregnancy. :)

I have seen lots of complaints about the clearblue test. It tends to get less accurate the further on you are as too many hormones can make it have strange readings. I know it is horrible waiting, but please don't torture yourself by doing more tests. Let us know how you get on and good luck.

Hi there - I am in the same boat as you MockCroc! So, I went for a dating scan this morning because I have PCOS and don't have periods, so they need to scan to find out how far along I am. BUT they couldnt' see anything and they've taken blood, I'll go back there on Friday to have a comparative blood test and find out if my HCG levels have risen on Saturday.

I know I ovulated on 18 July so I am now 30 dpo if you like. I got my first clear blue positive digi test on 31 July (said 1-2 weeks) and I just did another one in the loo (bearing in mind it's lunchtime now) and it STILL SAYS 1-2 weeks. I am desperately worried, though I'm taking a lot of comfort from what everyone has said on here... but 1-2 weeks?? Also, surely they could see something by now? I would have thought I am 6/7 weeks?? I guess I just have to wait for the blood test results.

It is a lonely and frustrating time MockCroc - it's great that there is solidarity here as you say xx

Hi there, I've read that after about 3 weeks the amount of pg hormone in your urine reduces, which can lead to the inaccurate results from digital tests of which you speak. I took the test which said 3+ weeks but I have no idea how accurate that was as my cycle was mental at the time and I still have no real idea of the dates, and I could've been so far along that the test was no longer accurate. I would say go with your LMP date.

Regarding symptoms I've had very few and am now 33wks. No morning sickness at all, only very slightly sore boobs which went away after a bit. I was/am very very tired but then I always am anyway . So try not to worry as being symptomless does not mean anything sinister, it could just mean you're lucky :)

clear blue is so accurate mate. worked for us totally. good luck

www.clearblue.com/uk/new-clearblue-digital-pregnancy-test-with-conception-indicator-faq.php

Hope this helps .

The second question on accuracy shows that if you are 6 weeks pregnant not to trust the results.

Hi if you are worried you could book yourself an early private scan (this is what we did) - lots of companies around that just do scanning, they do them from 5 weeks, we went at 6. Just to see a blob shape in the uterus was worth it for us. Hope all goes ok for you.

I started a thread almost identical to this one back at the beginning of May (different user name). I convinced myself I was going to have an early miscarriage because clear blue digital still said 1-2 weeks when I was 4 weeks plus 2 (when it should have said 2-3 counting from conception). I will be 19 weeks tomorrow and can feel the baby wriggling around. I really hope this puts your mind at rest.

Please don't obsess about these clear blue digital tests. I know some people seem to think they are super accurate, but they aren't. I reckon they're pretty rubbish actually. Fading symptoms don't really tell you anything either as for most people the sickness etc doesn't properly kick in until 6 1/2 weeks and even then it varies from day to day. The only way to check whether things are going to plan is to get your doctor to check your HCG levels 48 hours apart to ensure they're doubling or to get an early scan.

Best of luck, I know how horrible the first trimester is.

I would not worry about the conception date, just look at whether it tells you if you are pregnant or not. If you are really worried, why do you not just buy another test, but this time one of the ordinary pregant or not pregnant tests.

Sorry, I know I'm rather hijacking the original poster's thread here, but I hope all these reassuring responses have helped you too.

But I want to say thanks to everyone for their replies - really helped to put my mind at rest. Also - I realised I was quite ahead of myself. I thought I'd ovulated on the day I got a positive OPK and got the egg white - but of course it shows positive a few days BEFORE you actually ovulate and the egg white dries up at ovulation itself. That's what I read anyway. I haven't had an AF for 6 months due to PCOS... which is why I had such an early scan.

It's also important to use FMU for accurate as possible conception indicator reading (I didn't).

I should get my blood results back on Saturday - hopefully HCG is doubling nicely!

Thanks for the support in general x

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

I've used Clearblue and the result is two pregnancies :)

Hi everyone
Thank you so much for all the replies. I had stepped away from the whole issue for 24 hours on the advice of DH. It was so nice to read so many helpful messages though and I am feeling much more relaxed about everything. I am going to step away from the Clearblue(!) and think about maybe having an early scan in a couple of weeks if nothing disastrous happens in the meantime.

Lucinda: good luck with everything. I'll have my fingers crossed and let us know how it goes.

Baby2b: thanks so much for the link. I had looked on the website but in my miserable panic hadn't found that section, but it was very reassuring!
And it is nice to see that having few symptoms is something to be grateful for rather than worry about. Here's hoping they don't kick in over the next couple of weeks !
I will let you know how it goes.
But thanks so much for the support :o MC xxx

Hi - just an update. Unfortunately I started to bleed today and the hospital confirmed that I'm miscarrying. My blood tests revealed a failing pregnancy. We're heartbroken and it's a horrible experience but it's good to know we can conceive naturally (we had assumed IVF) so I'm staying positive. I guess I was prepared for this and got my 'shock' when they said they couldn't see anything - I knew I was around 7 weeks by then... and no matter what anyone said it didn't make sense.

Thinking of everyone who is going through similar or in that horrible waiting limbo stage - that's the worst part. I went through hell with that, it's almost better now that I know, so I can make peace with it.

Good luck with everything, everybody and thanks for the kindness shown xx

Sorry to hear that lucindahw. I know there aren't really words to make it better. I hope you are pampering yourself and getting lots of tlc in real life. I found the conception threads really helpful, when going though a similar experience, to talk things through and for when I was ready to try again. Good luck with everything.

Sorry lucindahw, wishing you a good recovery.

Hi lucindahw. Don't know if you'll still be checking this but I'm really sorry to see your loss. It seems clearblue knows what it's talking about: I miscarried over the weekend too. For the last week I've suspected things weren't right because my symptoms had changed from "good" ones (sore boobs and tiredness) to worrying stomach pain. I know what you mean about almost being better once you know it's happened. It's been a horrible time of being poked and prodded by outrageously unsympathetic medical staff (and having to wait for ages in the EPU in the maternity wing of the hospital, with all the pregnant people and new mums wandering around: absolute torture for us both), but I think you have to just focus on the positives and the future.

Anyway, I wish you all the luck in the world to have the happy family you hope for. Apparently there is no reason to wait before trying again and you are meant to be extra fertile for the first few months post mc so I hope you get a BFP soon once you feel like trying again. MC x

Hi mockcroc - I'm SO sorry to hear about what happened to you. I totally know how it feels... it's awful. I hope you're doing ok and being looked after / looking after yourself. Hopefully you haven't been in too much pain either. Indeed - I guess the clearblue tests do work.

As I said in my post above, I was quite prepared for something bad to happen because of my early scan nightmare. Some of my 'cramps' were breathtaking in the early stages, but actually I didn't bleed as much as I'd imagined and it's all about done now. I went back to work on Tuesday as sitting at home alone would have been worse, but it's tough being at work - I don't want anyone to talk to me, I don't want to socialise, nothing. I've become a horrible person! Also there's a pregnant lady who sits next to me. I'm SO happy for her but it's kind of a reminder (it's awful to feel like that, isn't it??)

Totally know what you mean about the EPU. While I'm glad mine happened on a Saturday when I was with DH, we were about 20 mins late for the EPU opening hours and the receptionist (who happened still to be there) barked at me 'No, sorry, we're closed!', but I told her I'd already had a scan and blood tests, and I was expecting them to say I was miscarrying as I was already bleeding... so she huffed and puffed and reluctantly arranged for me to see the midwife. Outrageously unsympathetic, as you say.

Thanks for the well wishes. Wishing you all the best for the future as well, lovely. I'd heard that about being fertile straight after too - that actually happened to my friend who is now 20 weeks! Stay happy and look after yourself, and I hope you feel much better soon xxx

Hi Ladies, I'm so sorry to hear about you both having an MC. It's so awful, stressful and heartbreaking. I thought I would post to tell you that I had the same last year, didn't even wait for one period as knew I'd be extra fertile. I wasn't ready emotionally to be baby dancing but desperately wanted some hope so we did, we got a bfp and we have a beautiful baby daughter now so I really hope you both get this happy ending very soon also.

Thank you so much for posting happy girl, that is a very hopeful message and I'm so happy for you - such a great story. Very inspiring! xxx