Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pregnancy

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

Original poster

Clear Blue digital - false positive

28 replies

MrsB2020dxb · 10/07/2020 20:57

Hello guys,

Hope you're well.

Has anyone ever had a false positive clear blue digital pregnant test!?

My test says 'pregnant 1-2' but for some reason I'm panicking that it's inaccurate.

X

OP posts:
Teakind · 10/07/2020 21:05

I think it's highly unlikely that it's wrong. The test needs to pick up hcg to work and will only show a positive if it detects hcg.

Congratulations : )

Original poster
MrsB2020dxb · 10/07/2020 21:14

Thank you for replying.

I am my own worst enemy, making myself panic.

Other than absolute exhaustion I haven't had any other symptoms. I just don't "feel" pregnant.

I must sound like an absolute idiot but it's just because I want it so much xx

OP posts:
KES22 · 10/07/2020 21:31

Hi, sorry to jump on your post but I did a Clearblue test this morning which showed a very faint blue line (I can’t attach a picture) but I then die a digital test a couple of hours later and it said negative...anyone any experience of this?
Thanks :)

WheresMyMilk · 10/07/2020 21:40

@MrsB2020dxb very unlikely to be a false positive. Congratulations Flowers

@KES22 a digital test isn’t very sensitive so if it was only a very faint line, your HCG levels might be too low for the threshold of the digital test. Also your urine was probably more dilute a couple of hours after your first test so HCG would be lower. Test again in the morning but don’t read too much into the negative digital. Good luck!

Fandanglethat · 10/07/2020 21:42

Digitals are virtually never wrong when they say positive unless you then go on to have a miscarriage

KES22 · 10/07/2020 21:46

@WheresMyMilk thank you :) , I will test again first thing and 🤞🏼

chubbyhotchoc · 10/07/2020 21:54

No. I've had them pick up chemical pregnancies before though

Hannah9176 · 10/07/2020 23:19

@MrsB2020dxb

Thank you for replying.

I am my own worst enemy, making myself panic.

Other than absolute exhaustion I haven't had any other symptoms. I just don't "feel" pregnant.

I must sound like an absolute idiot but it's just because I want it so much xx

I'm 17 weeks and still don't "feel" pregnant. In fact I think I forget I am sometimes!
Original poster
MrsB2020dxb · 11/07/2020 05:19

Thank you for the replies. Going to the doctors today so will see xx

OP posts:
ivfdreaming · 11/07/2020 06:29

It's virtually impossible to get false positives on any pregnancy test

And actually clearblue digital with weeks indicator are very sensitive

Going to the doctor in the U.K. to confirm pregnancy isn't standard practice and they only give you a non sensitive urine test to take if that really. You have to self refer to the midwife who will contact you around 8 weeks

ALew15 · 11/07/2020 07:31

Anyone had this experience with the CB weeks indicator tests... just used it and a little book came up on it meaning error. I'm so annoyed. I think I held it in my wee for too long. I wanted to compare this weeks to next weeks. I hate wasting money 😫

ivfdreaming · 11/07/2020 08:09

@ALew15

Yes sounds like a defective test - you only really need to hold it in your wee for a few seconds - as soon as the timer comes up just give it a couple more seconds and then remove it

Boots digitals are even worse - literally 5 seconds only and you have to immediately lay it flat or you get an error message

chubbyhotchoc · 11/07/2020 08:43

@ALew15 if you ring them they'll prob send you out at least one free replacement test.

ALew15 · 11/07/2020 08:48

@ivfdreaming I held it for the 20 seconds as it said on the instructions. I did feel like it was quite a long time!

@chubbyhotchoc ooh thanks, I'll find the number and give that a try!

Persipan · 11/07/2020 09:17

I wanted to compare this weeks to next weeks. I hate wasting money

Gently, those 'weeks indicator' tests literally exist to extract money from you because they know you'll want to see the weeks go up and therefore will buy two, three or more tests where you'd otherwise only have bought one. And, although the positive pregnancy part of the result is very accurate, the indication of weeks part has to shoot for a very broad range of HCG levels, because what's normal in early pregnancy can vary so much from person to person. So it's not uncommon for them to cause unnecessary worry. It's more a gimmick than anything else, so I'd always suggest treating them with caution.

Fandanglethat · 11/07/2020 09:28

And actually clearblue digital with weeks indicator are very sensitive

No they aren't! They are 25mIU/ml which is NOT sensitive. Sensitive is 6-10mIU/ml.

Original poster
MrsB2020dxb · 11/07/2020 09:33

@ivfdreaming

It's virtually impossible to get false positives on any pregnancy test

And actually clearblue digital with weeks indicator are very sensitive

Going to the doctor in the U.K. to confirm pregnancy isn't standard practice and they only give you a non sensitive urine test to take if that really. You have to self refer to the midwife who will contact you around 8 weeks

I live in Dubai so it's a little different here. They do bloods to confirm. I'm here now. Wish me luck Shock
OP posts:
stophuggingme · 11/07/2020 09:36

IME I’ve never had a false positive with a digital
Good luck with the docs and keep us posted

Annu786 · 11/07/2020 09:50

Don’t worry about not feeling symptoms I’m nearly 6 weeks and don’t have any symptoms Iv been told it’s perfectly normal

ivfdreaming · 11/07/2020 11:26

@Fandanglethat

And actually clearblue digital with weeks indicator are very sensitive

No they aren't! They are 25mIU/ml which is NOT sensitive. Sensitive is 6-10mIU/ml.

Actually according to the instructions it's 10miu

The American ones are 25miu

ivfdreaming · 11/07/2020 11:27

@Persipan

I wanted to compare this weeks to next weeks. I hate wasting money

Gently, those 'weeks indicator' tests literally exist to extract money from you because they know you'll want to see the weeks go up and therefore will buy two, three or more tests where you'd otherwise only have bought one. And, although the positive pregnancy part of the result is very accurate, the indication of weeks part has to shoot for a very broad range of HCG levels, because what's normal in early pregnancy can vary so much from person to person. So it's not uncommon for them to cause unnecessary worry. It's more a gimmick than anything else, so I'd always suggest treating them with caution.

I've found clearblue digital with weeks tests have actually predicted the non viability of all 5 of miscarriages - by not reaching the next stage when I should based on a rough estimation of doubling from the first test

Foreverblowingbubbles18 · 11/07/2020 11:30

I did get false positives on 2 CB digitals - not the ones that say how many weeks just the ones that have 'pregnant' 'not pregnant'. I think i had a CP that month. It just taught me to never test before AF is due again x

ivfdreaming · 11/07/2020 11:30

This is the instructions leaflet - UK clearblue sensitivity is 10miu which is only a little higher than First response's 6miu and the same as the cheap one step strips from Amazon

Clear Blue digital - false positive
ALew15 · 11/07/2020 12:26

@Persipan

I wanted to compare this weeks to next weeks. I hate wasting money

Gently, those 'weeks indicator' tests literally exist to extract money from you because they know you'll want to see the weeks go up and therefore will buy two, three or more tests where you'd otherwise only have bought one. And, although the positive pregnancy part of the result is very accurate, the indication of weeks part has to shoot for a very broad range of HCG levels, because what's normal in early pregnancy can vary so much from person to person. So it's not uncommon for them to cause unnecessary worry. It's more a gimmick than anything else, so I'd always suggest treating them with caution.

I have had a previous loss and doing the test for me puts my mind at ease. I am happy to spend any amount to do that. Gimmick (in your opinion) or not. I'm sure I'm not alone on this thread that buying one test is not enough.
Persipan · 11/07/2020 13:08

Of course I completely respect that if that's what you'd like to do. I also had losses - including after doing many many positive tests showing good progression - and ultimately came to feel rather sceptical about using home tests quantitatively. First Response have certainly done well out of me over the years, put it that way. I completely understand the drive to keep checking, though.

My main concern with the weeks indicator tests specifically is that people quite regularly become very distressed that the weeks aren't progressing as expected, when ultimately it may not be any indication of a problem at all. They are very broad in the range they're testing for, so will inevitably be inaccurate for a proportion of people. If I remember correctly I had a loss after the weeks progressed okay, and my successful pregnancy after they progressed a little more slowly than the actual dates.

If you're really concerned, I would suggest that finding somewhere that you can get serial HCG blood tests done would offer more concrete reassurance at probably no greater price than you'll otherwise spend on lots of home tests. (If there aren't any nearby clinics offering this, there are services that you can take a sample at home and send it off, but be warned that the process is fairly unpleasant as you have to get a fair bit of blood out of your finger.)