Becoming a mother is the most joyous thing in a woman’s life. But, the path leading to it is uncertain and strenuous and so is taking a pregnancy test at the beginning of this long journey. At the time of taking a pregnancy test, anxiety about the results can get you worked up. Naturally, you would want your pregnancy test to be more of a private affair than a public one in a doctor’s lab.
When you are looking for ways of doing home pregnancy tests, you will come across many pregnancy test kits available in a drugstore these days. Studies claim that they are not as accurate as they are portrayed.
So, women either go for a blood test in a doctor’s lab or natural tests at home. In the olden days, our grandmothers would check pregnancy at home using traditional medical practices and natural ingredients. It was not only efficient but also safe in many ways.
Keeping this in mind, we have listed some DIY pregnancy tests that will prove to be useful when you want to check your pregnancy status privately.
There are only a few of us who would turn to home-made tests, but those who hesitate to take up the natural route may miss out on some of the benefits like:
- This method can come in handy when you suspect an unplanned pregnancy and wouldn’t want others to know about it.
- Disposing of a pregnancy test can be difficult to hide but not when you use natural ingredients.
- All the ingredients required are on your kitchen shelves.
- You can take the test in the comfort of your home instead of the pharmacy.
- Natural pregnancy tests are cost-effective.
- You don’t have to worry about the expiry date as the natural ingredients used do not have a shelf life.
Did You Know?
- Home pregnancy tests are about 97-99% accurate if instructions are followed carefully.
- Pregnant women can still get STDs and should be tested as part of their prenatal care.
- Approximately 33% of women in the US use home pregnancy tests, with higher usage among those who are white, married, over 39 years old, highly educated, or have a high family income.
- The first home pregnancy test kit, e.p.t, was approved by the FDA in 1977.
- 77% of home pregnancy test users received at least one negative result.
Principle of Pregnancy Test
When a woman conceives, that is, when the embryo attaches itself to the uterine wall, the placenta forms and it starts producing the hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which enters the bloodstream and urine. The test uses antibodies to detect hCG in the urine.
You may wonder when to take a pregnancy test. Well, during the first few weeks of the pregnancy, the concentration of the hormone increases quickly and doubles every two to three days. It generally is harder to detect when you take the test at the early stages of your pregnancy. So, it is advised to take the test one day after a missed period.
If the test says that you are not pregnant, you must keep in mind that every woman menstruates at different times in a month. In case you have an irregular menstruation cycle, then there are chances that you have miscalculated the period due date. For this reason, you may get incorrect test results.
| hCG Level | Likely Outcome |
| 5 mIU/ml | Not Pregnant |
| 5-50 mIU/ml | Possibly not pregnant or 3 weeks pregnant |
| 5-426 mIU/ml | Likely 4 weeks pregnant |
| 18-7340 mIU/ml | Likely 5 weeks pregnant |
| 1080-56,500 mIU/ml | Likely 6 weeks pregnant |
| 7650-229,000 mIU/ml | Likely 7 to 8 weeks pregnant |
Anything under 5 mIU/ml is considered an indicator of a negative result for pregnancy
Anything between 6 mIU/ml and 24 mIU/ml is considered an unsure result for pregnancy
Anything over 25 mIU/ml is generally considered a positive result for pregnancy
How to Make Sure That the Pregnancy Test Results Are Accurate?
- Use a clean container when you collect the urine sample.
- Test the first urine of the day as it will have high levels of hCG.
- Make sure to collect a substantial amount of urine. If it is too low, you may end up with incorrect test results.
- Once you have taken the test, wait for the reaction to happen. It may take up to 10 minutes.
- If you did not get accurate results, don’t hesitate to take it once again.
Efficacy Home Pregnancy Test
Most of the natural home pregnancy tests do not have any scientifically tested efficacy. In many instances, some of the common home pregnancy tests may give accurate results simply by coincidence. However, some of the natural home pregnancy test methods given below have been proven to be more effective than others. While it is always recommended to get a clinically approved pregnancy test kit that you can use easily at home, you can always try these natural methods to get quick results without having to rush to the pharmacy.
Also Read: When Back Pain Starts in Pregnancy?
Top 10 Home Pregnancy Tests
You must be burning with the question – how to test for pregnancy at home? Here are some easy ways how you can check pregnancy at home naturally using only a few ingredients.
1. Salt Pregnancy Test
Every kitchen shelf will have salt in it. All you need for a pregnancy test at home with salt is a urine sample collected in the morning, a pinch or two of salt, and a clean glass to mix the ingredients.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Add a urine sample to the glass and drop a pinch or two of salt. Wait for three minutes. | If you are pregnant, you will notice that creamy white clumps have formed from the reaction. | If you find no reaction happening between urine and salt, you are not pregnant. |
2. Sugar Pregnancy Test
Sugar is something that you will always keep a stock of at home. For this reason, this method is found to be the easiest of all. All you need for this test is a urine sample collected as soon as you wake up, one bowl, and a tablespoon of sugar. Here’s what you need to do.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Add sugar to the bowl and pour the urine sample over it. | hCG present in the urine does not dissolve the sugar easily. If you see sugar-forming lumps in urine, you are pregnant. | In case the sugar readily dissolves in urine, it indicates that you are not pregnant. |
4. Wheat & Barley Pregnancy Test
Wheat and barley are a part of every Indian’s food system. Did you know that they can also help you determine your pregnancy status? Yes! Both the seeds germinate twice as quickly in a pregnant lady’s urine than in water. For the test, you need barley and wheat seeds, a urine sample, and a clean bowl.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Take a bowl, pour a urine sample, and add some wheat and barley seeds into it. Leave it for two days to germinate. | If you see the seeds germinating in a couple of days, then you must be pregnant. | In case they have not yet sprouted, then you are not pregnant yet. |
5. Mustard Powder Pregnancy Test
In case you have a delayed period and suspect that you are pregnant, you can use this homemade pregnancy test in place of rushing to a pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test kit. All you need for this test is half to ¾ cup of mustard powder and a bathtub filled with warm water. Mustard powder is said to generate heat in your body and help you get rid of delayed periods.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Add the mustard powder to the warm bathtub water and keep yourself immersed in it for about 20 minutes. Wait for two to three days. | If you get periods after the wait, then you may be pregnant. | However, if you get your period, then it will indicate that you are not yet pregnant. |
6. Dandelion Leaves Pregnancy Test
This home pregnancy test has been proven to be super accurate. So, if you have a dandelion plant in your backyard, you can take advantage of this test. All you need are some dandelion leaves, a plastic sheet, and your urine sample collected early in the morning.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Place a few dandelion leaves on the sheet making sure that it is not directly under the sunlight. Pour the urine sample over the leaves and wait for 10 minutes. | If you observe the leaves turning reddish-brown or bubble formation, assume that you are pregnant. | If you see no changes in the leaves, then you are not pregnant yet. |
7. Storing Urine Pregnancy Test
Another effective homemade pregnancy test is simply observing your stored urine. All you need is a glass jar and urine sample collected early in the morning.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Add the sample to the glass jar and store it away for about 24 hours. | If you notice a thin layer or film formed on the surface of the stored sample, then you are pregnant. | The absence of any layer or film indicates that you are not pregnant yet. |
8. Wine Pregnancy Test
Did you know that you can use wine as one of the pregnancy tests at home? All you need for this is a wine and urine sample collected in the morning.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Mix wine and urine in equal amounts in a cup. Now, observe the changes that follow. | If the wine changes in color, then it indicates that you are pregnant. | If there is no change in wine color, then consider that you are not pregnant yet. |
9. Tuna Juice
This test is considered to be one of the easiest and most accurate home remedies for a pregnancy test. All you need for this test is a container, canned tuna, white vinegar, and a sample of your urine collected first thing in the morning.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Extract juice from tuna and add it to the container. Mix the same amount of vinegar into it. Let it sit for a day then, add a urine sample into it. | If the mixture gives out a dark green color, then you are pregnant. | If you see a yellow color formation, then you can assume that you are not pregnant yet. |
10. Basal Body Temperature Pregnancy Test
When you are pregnant, your basal body temperature, or the lowest temperature your body attains when you are resting is quite high when compared to normal times. So, this test proves to be helpful to check your pregnancy status at home. All you need is a basal body thermometer.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Place a basal body thermometer under your tongue for a few seconds. While you are at it, make sure to do this as soon as you wake up in the morning. | If the temperature is 37 °C or 98.6 °F, then it may indicate that you are pregnant. | A temperature lower than this may indicate you are not yet pregnant. |
Also Read: Everyday 10 Health Habits for a Vibrant Life
Other Home Pregnancy Tests
In addition to using the natural ingredients available in your kitchen cupboard, you can do home pregnancy tests using certain chemically laden ingredients commonly available in every household. As a bonus, find the answer to your burning question – how to test pregnancy at home using homely products.
1. Toothpaste Pregnancy Test
This is the latest addition to the homemade pregnancy test list as toothpaste was not available around the time our grandmothers took the test. For this method, you can only use white toothpaste for accurate results. Colored toothpaste may contain additional chemicals that may interfere with the results. All you need for a pregnancy test at home with toothpaste is a clean bowl, two tablespoons of white toothpaste, and urine collected early in the morning.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Mix two tablespoons of toothpaste and a tablespoon of urine in a bowl. | If the toothpaste turns blue and becomes frothy, you are pregnant. | When toothpaste does not react with the urine, you are not pregnant. |
Note: Although this test appears to be effective, you can never rely on it as we do not know the exact quantity of urine to be added to the toothpaste nor do we know the amount of time we have to wait for the reaction to happen.
2. Soap Pregnancy Test
This is an easy and quick test that you can do at home with no hassle. All you need is soap. It can be of any type, brand, or ingredient. In addition, you need a wide bowl and a sample of the first urine of the day.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Place the soap in a wide bowl and pour two tablespoons of urine over the soap. | If the soap reacts with urine to produce bubbles and froth, you are pregnant. | If you observe no reaction, you are not pregnant. |
3. Shampoo Pregnancy Test
This is just as convenient as soap and toothpaste tests. You can use any shampoo and you do not need any special tool for the test. All you need is water, a sample of first urine collected fresh in the morning, two drops of shampoo, and a clean bowl to mix all the ingredients.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Mix two drops of shampoo and water in a clean bowl. Whisk gently to avoid frothing. Add urine and wait for it to react. | If the shampoo begins to bubble and froth, you are pregnant. | If you see no reaction, you are not pregnant. |
Note: Be careful while mixing the shampoo and water. Mix it gently to avoid any froth formation. Froth would interfere with the test and end up giving you incorrect results.
4. Dettol Pregnancy Test
Dettol can be found in every Indian’s home. It is the antiseptic medicine we turn to when we bruise ourselves. Did you know that you can also use this for the home pregnancy test? To begin with, you need a clean glass, a tablespoon of Dettol, and a sample of the first urine of the day.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Mix one spoon of Dettol with three spoons of urine. They must be in a 1:3 ratio. Wait for five to seven minutes. | If your urine separates from Dettol and forms a different layer, then you are pregnant. | If urine and Dettol mix and there is no separation of the two, then there is no pregnancy. |
5. Vinegar Pregnancy Test
This Chinese ingredient does not only add flavor to the food dishes but also has proved to be a useful ingredient in DIY pregnancy tests. You can simply use the affordable white vinegar available in the market for this test. In addition, you will need a urine sample collected in the morning and a clean glass to mix the two.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Take vinegar in the clean glass and slowly add the urine sample to it. | In the case of pregnancy, there will be a change in the color of the solution. | In case there is no change in the color of the solution, you are not pregnant yet. |
6. Bleaching Powder Pregnancy Test
If you want quick results with an easy method, then bleaching powder is your go-to option. For this test, you need bleaching powder, a urine sample collected in the morning, and a clean glass to mix the two.
| Method | Positive Sign | Negative Sign |
| Drop the bleaching powder into the glass and pour the collected urine sample into it. | If you notice bubble and froth formation and a lot of frizzing as soon as the urine touches the bleaching powder, you are pregnant. | If there is no bubbling and frothing, you are not pregnant. |
Note: Please avoid inhaling the fumes coming out of the above reaction as they are toxic and harmful to you. So, make sure you maintain a safe distance.
Can You Still Get Pregnant After Using Contraceptives?
Many women have reported that they became pregnant even though they had used contraceptives or taken the pill. Contraceptives are not always full-proof and there are many reasons why they can fail. Some of these are:
- If you forget to take the pill at the appropriate time. This depends on which stage you are in your cycle. If you were already ovulating at the time you took the pill, chances are you might still become pregnant as ovulation amplifies your chances of becoming pregnant.
- Sometimes mixing medications can negate the effect of your birth control pill. Before you start any new medication, consult with your physician.
- If your partner uses a condom during intercourse, chances are the condom might tear or leak leading you to become pregnant.
When should you consult a doctor?
Most women avoid going to a doctor until they are well within a few months of their pregnancy. This is not recommended at all since there can be several complications during a pregnancy that need to be tended to by a medical professional. Therefore, it is always advisable to consult a doctor regarding your pregnancy at the earliest chance possible.
To Conclude
All the above tests have been used by many women who wished to know their status of pregnancy in private. But you have to bear in mind that there are times when you may not get accurate results from the above tests. In such a scenario, it is advised to take more than one of the above tests. In case nothing is working for you, you should get a blood test in the doctor’s lab, which will not only indicate whether you are pregnant or not but also how far you are in pregnancy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
