Easy@Home Tests not getting darker

[PqSparrow]

Hi everyone, currently trying to conceive our first baby after a chemical pregnancy in February. On Thursday I got a positive test using the cheap easy@home test strips. It was really early - 12dpo. I waited 2 days to test again and it looked a tiny bit lighter so I had a major panic after what happened last time. I was also feeling crampy and bloated so fearing the worst. The cramps stopped and were light. I'm 15dpo today and did another test I'm just worried because online everyone posts line progression and I haven't got this. I know it's really early and I should stop testing and they're not designed for this, but I can't help worry this is another chemical. Attached photo, top test is 12dpo, middle is 14dpo and bottom is 15dpo. I know no one can tell me if it's going to be a chemical or not, I just need to let me stress out somewhere people might understand/experienced the same thing?

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Please stop testing. After losing more than one baby and having miscarriages I understand entirely understand your worries. But testing will change absolutely nothing. As my living DC are a little older now, it was a trip to the chemist and a good £10+ to buy a pregnancy test which was a significant chunk of cash for me (1/3 of the weekly food budget), or you waited for a doctor appointment and peed in a cup. By the time I had my youngest, internet cheapies existed and someone, probably the manufacturers of the tests, had invented line progression. And then, everyone seemed to test incredibly early, anxiety rises, more money is spent, and the number of chemical pregnancies and early miscarriages go up (they don’t really of course, but early testing confirms) That then heightens anxiety for everyone, understandably, so more tests and more tests and more tests. I get it, I joined the ranks and tested twice on consecutive days for my youngest. But after that, you really have to stop. Testing will not change the outcome. At this point literally nothing can, and part of the whole journey is accepting you cannot change this, it is outside of your control. We cannot will healthy babies into existence. Lines on tests don’t guarantee anything, scans are but a snapshot, worrying will not force a baby into being. It’s sad and upsetting and awful that babies can slip and slide in and out of existence and we can’t change it. I’ve lost them after positive tests, after heartbeats, after happy scans, after anomaly scans where everything has been checked to be well. I’m lucky enough never to have lost them after birth but that is outside of our control too. It’s really really hard to know all of this and keep trying anyway but it’s the first step in a psychological shift towards the unpredictability of parenthood.

I hope it all works out for you. Today you are pregnant. Tomorrow is outside of your control. Stop testing, it lines their pocket and increases your anxiety. Go for a walk and find a nice view to look at, take some time for relaxation or meditation, write in a diary instead. I wish you well.

Thanks @EyeOop , I really wish all the cheap tests didn't exist tbh, I'm driving myself mad. I managed to distract myself by going out yesterday but today I'm not doing so well. All the waiting and lack of control is a nightmare and not what I expected my TTC journey to be like.
Sorry for your past losses and thank you for sharing your advice.

I am going to take a screenshot of this. Your advice is valuable ❤️

Advice from the pp is wonderful 😁
Just on a super practical note, I used these tests and they really were not dark at all until more like 20 dpo.
I even thought one got lighter a few days before and broke down convinced it was all over, that pregnancy is now a beautiful 3 month old.
Of course that doesn't mean things will go the same way for others in that position, but genuinely testing every day was so awful for my mental health in the early weeks and it didn't make things any more certain. I had super strong progression that didn't go anywhere too. Don't even get me started on clear blue weeks indicators.
Coming from a history of miscarriage too, I understand your anxiety, it's so tough.
At the time, I found counselling super helpful, and really tried to spend time doing regular, non baby things and trying to rest. Finding ways to cope now will pay off later
Best of luck to you xx

You've got great advice here just but in case it helps, I'm attaching my 15 DPO compared to 19 DPO tests. Everyone is different but when I got a faint positive I googled and posted here and found it was very common for people not to get a "strong" positive until 7-8 days after period was due, which I found very reassuring.

I know easier said than done but worrying won't help - you're pregnant today, congratulations! X

Hi OP - currently going through exactly the same thing and feel so worried despite knowing nothing I can do. I first tested Thursday as had some spotting and my app is saying I am around 13DPO today. My easy at home lines seem very faint too. I've never been pregnant before (ttc first baby) and so scared this could be a chemical. Going to see if docs can do my blood tomorrow for some peace of mind❤️

Thanks for the advice @Chasingbaby2 and congratulations on your beautiful 3 month old, I think I'm going to listen to everyone on this thread and stop testing now. It becomes obsessive doesn't it? I wasn't like this before the CP, I took 2 tests and accepted I was pregnant back then.

Thanks for the pics @m00ngirl, that does make me feel better!

So sorry you're going through this @pinkrose001, it's impossible to think about anything else isn't it? I'm worried the GP isn't going to do anything, it's impossible to even get an appointment these days. Let me know how you get on, fingers crossed everything turns out ok for you.

line darkness means nothing.
My easy at home tests / and others never got dark. I've made it to 37 weeks

@PqSparrow yeah it's horrible, just overthinking everything. Thank you and to you❤️🤞

@PqSparrow managed to get an emergency appointment this morning with a nurse at my GP. They did a urine test and was positive so said no bloods needed despite me saying i was concerned with faint lines they did say it was really early days. I had some pain & bleeding too so they have referred me to the early pregnancy unit and I am waiting for them to call. How are you feeling today? X

It’s positive, congratulations. Don’t read any more into it, it doesn’t necessarily get darker and doesn’t indicate if pregnancy will or won’t progress. Try not to stress, stop testing otherwise you will get more stressed.

@pinkrose001 Good news that you got to see someone, fingers crossed the EPU give you some helpful advice. My cramps have settled down and I've got really sore boobs now. I'm hoping that's a good sign. I have stopped testing and will try to hold off until the end of the week, but it's constantly on my mind and very stressful as I'm analysing every twinge or pain I get after last time. I hope you get some help from EPU, and happy to talk if you need to. This thread has helped calm me down a bit hearing everyone else's experience and advice.

@PqSparrow thank you ❤️ I strangely feel reassured that it's just too early for anything to be done and the testing and googling isn't going to help or change the outcome either way. But 100% with you that it's all consuming and worrying. Glad to hear your symptoms are there that definitely is a positive. Lots of luck and keep me updated x

I'm so sorry about your chemical pregnancy, OP. I had two chemicals before my current pregnancy so know how hard it is, and at the beginning of this pregnancy I obsessively tested every single day multiple times a day up until about 7 weeks, it was mental and so destroying mental health wise. If I can give you any advice, just please put the tests down. They are no indicator of how the pregnancy is progressing or what the outcome will be. It's so SO difficult when you don't have anything else to go off and you're just looking for some reassurance anywhere you can, but it really won't help you, all you can do is take it a day at a time and wait to see what happens. Also, cramps in early pregnancy are so normal. I had really bad period like cramps all the way from less than 4 weeks pregnant until 9-10 weeks pregnant and everything was fine x

@pinkrose001 How are you getting on? I hope you've had some good news. I haven't tested all week, had symptoms like sore boobs every day until today. Just started getting bad cramps and there was some blood when I wiped 😞

Thanks for checking in❤️ So went to the EPU yesterday they did an internal ultrasound and said pregnany of unknown location said as I have pcos my cycles are longer I may only be 4 weeks not 5 but they also prepared me for the worst too as couldnt see gestational sac😔 Had bloods taken for hcg and going back tomorrow for another, praying I have the results so I know over weekend either way. Feel like my symptoms have eased a bit coming and going but this morning my pregnancy test was the strongest line I've seen since last Thursday (I reckon I am roughly 17dpo now). I said to them about the lines being not as strong as what I thought they said not to test anymore as this doesn't mean anything and bloods more accurate and will cause more anxiety comparing lines. Still spotting dark brown when wipe. I feel emotionally exhausted. Well done for not testing its so hard and takes willpower - do you know how far along you'll be by now? Hopefully not too much of a wait for an early scan?

Good news on your latest pregnancy test though. Fingers crossed for you 🤞 Reassuring to know that the EPU will see you so early and were helpful.
I should be 19dpo by now, will see if the bleeding gets heavier today but not feeling hopeful after last time.

@PqSparrow could you ring your EPU or be referred? They may not see anything on scan but can do bloods for you for some reassurance xx

@pinkrose001 I'm bleeding heavily today and pregnancy test is now negative. I know it's another chemical now, so not much point wasting anyone's time. We'll have to try again.
I hope your HCG results brought good news & there's a happy ending for one of us! ❤️

Hi @minnieot , thanks for your response and congrats on your pregnancy. Did you do anything differently after the 2 CPs or did you see anyone about it? I've read about people having success with low dose aspirin on here and I've thought about having a private scan to check things are ok. Or I could just try again and hope it's 3rd time lucky.

No problem lovely. I did nothing different, I did call the EPU at the start of this pregnancy to ask about progesterone or low dose aspirin but they told me they wouldn't recommend it, I can't remember why. I did have quite a few early scans, the first being at 7 weeks, which I'd definitely recommend if it's in your budget, it made it so much easier to get through those first 12 weeks x

Just seen your comment about it being another chemical, I am so sorry 😔 you could ask your GP for blood tests to check your thyroid function, vitamin D3 and full blood count, that's what Tommy's charity recommended for me to do. They're super helpful by the way if you need somebody to talk to or any advice, their midwives are lovely and so understanding. Sending you so much love ❤️ x

Im so sorry lovely ❤️ Unfortunately not good news either- got the call to say hcg levels have risen but not doubled and my progesterone is low so pregnancy not viable. They asked me to come in next Friday for bloods to monitor and make sure not ectopic. I feel heartbroken 💔

I'm so sorry @pinkrose001 , I was really hoping yours would stick. Take care of yourself, I know how upsetting it is to go through this.