False Postive?

[tinkerbellkj]

I know there's a saying, "there are no false positives" but I'm kind of confused. So please bare with me!

 

Basically I'm barely late (and when I say barely, I mean a day or two or possibly not at all, my period was a little irregular last month) but I just had this feeling, and I decided to take a test. I bought a clearblue test and I took two and both times I saw EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY faint lines, so faint I was unsure that I had even seen them at all.

 

I'm a bit of a control freak, so I went and bought first response, and took two the next day (Tuesday) and they were negative, so I'm like great, I'm not pregnant. However, yesterday I still was feeling iffy so I went and bought the clearblue digital tests, and took one in the late afternoon which came back "not pregnant". So then this morning I had one left and decided that I would just end this once and for all, took the last test and lo and behold, it said "pregnant" as clear as day.

 

At this point I called my OBGYN and was told I could not be seen as they were booked solid, so I went to planned parenthood instead. I did the urine test and it was negative. I went to take the blood test but my veins kept collapsing (just my luck!), so she told me I'd have to come back.

 

I asked the doctor (who just happened to be in the lab, while they were attempting to draw blood) what the reason could be and she said that my urine might have been too diluted but that I absolutely could be pregnant. She said false positives are very rare.

 

So now I've just been reading online and a lot of women claim to have gotten false positives, so now I'm wondering if I got one as well. Sorry for the length, but any input would be appreciated.

 

Just hate not knowing, I'm not very patient, as you can see!

[BellaDonna]

Definitely go back and get the blood test. When can you bet back there for the bloodtest?

 

False positives are rare. This article talks about different situations that may lead to false positives: link removed

 

Your situation is rather complex because you had positive and negative results on BOTH traditional and digital tests. So evaporation lines might have been what happened the first time you got the positive faint lines with the traditional test, but the 2nd digital test that later said "Pregnant" is what makes me think you may be.

[tinkerbellkj]

I bought another digital test (different brand-first response) and I plan to take it in the am.

 

I am going for a blood test on Monday for sure. PP told me that it would take 7-10 days for results, and I could go in tomorrow, however, my doctor will (hopefully) get the results slightly quicker, so I think I will just wait for Monday.

[BellaDonna]

I bought another digital test (different brand-first response) and I plan to take it in the am.

 

 

Is it one of the "early detection" tests that is sensitive enough to detect low levels of pregnancy hormones?

 

Take it in the morning, when you first wake up and urinate so that the urine will be concentrated and you will get the best reading.

[Jetta]

My daughter was a faint positive. Congratulations Mommy!!!

[tinkerbellkj]

Yes, the one I took is supposed to be able to check I believe 25-50mg (I've been researching online, and there's a few discrepancies about that) and I have read that some of the doctor tests are not as sensitive because women normally don't seek a doctor until they are further along then they realize, so they may only detect 50mg-100mg.

 

It's just hard not knowing. I've had a little bit of brown discharge and PMS symptoms, so really, I guess I could be pregnant or I could be about to start my period! Whatever the result is we are prepared, it's just the waiting period that is so frustrating!

[Cheetarah]

I hate blue dye tests! Those greyish evap lines confuse the heck out of me.

 

I always, always, always trusted FRER(First Response Early Result). Pink dye makes you less likely to hold it up to the light going "Is that blue? Is that grey, wait that's an evaporation line, isn't it? It's sort of blue if I turn it 25 degrees to the left under fluorescent lighting..."

 

But yes...False positives very rare. Betting your HCG levels are lowish as it's early and/or diluted urine.

[tinkerbellkj]

So I woke up at 5:20am, and took the test. I was fully expecting a negative, however, it was indeed positive.

 

I don't think that I'd have two false digital positives from two different brands? I took a picture (along with the test) to make sure I was not going crazy!

[KH26]

Sounds to me like you are pregnant!

 

False positives are extremely rare. It could be that the tests you're getting positives on are more sensitive than the ones which are showing negative. And as you said you aren't all that late yet. And I'd say be careful they're not evaporation lines but it's unlikely that the digital ones are false positives.

 

Just wanted to say though last month I was late (can't remember how late exactly now). I got quite a sensitive test which was definitely showing up positive (but faint). I took some pictures to make sure I wasn't going mad too. It showed up within the 2 minutes so wasn't an evaporation line. To make sure I got another test in the afternoon and used my afternoon urine. But the test I used in the afternoon was a cheap supermarket own brand one and was negative. But I was convinced I was pregnant because the first test was, in my opinion, definitely positive. But then my period came the next day. Very strange! I'm not sure if I tested to early and it was a chemical pregnancy or something. But I do think the first test was positive anyway, I wasn't going mad. I showed other people who also said it was positive so it wasn't my eyes.

 

Sorry, rambling and don't want to scare you just wanted to say.

 

Keep testing! But it sounds like you are pregnant to me.

[tinkerbellkj]

Yes, that's why I bought the ones with the words! The one with the lines were totally confusing me and tricking my eyesight! Clearblue said "pregnant" on the screen, and then First Response digital said, "YES +".

 

I do get very nervous about the whole chemical pregnancy, and reading up online is not helping! My fiance keeps telling me to stay off of webmd haha because I do work myself up! How would you know if it was a chemical pregnancy vs a normal pregnancy? Is there any way?

[BellaDonna]

So I woke up at 5:20am, and took the test. I was fully expecting a negative, however, it was indeed positive.

 

I don't think that I'd have two false digital positives from two different brands? I took a picture (along with the test) to make sure I was not going crazy!

 

 

Ok, so I would say you are definitely pregnant at this point- don't worry about chemical pregnancy. Chances are you had some false negatives because of different test brands, diluted urine, and tests that were not sensitive to low levels of hCG. Go to the doc for the bloodtest and added piece of mind. By 8 weeks (or even sooner) they can do an ultrasound and establish if there is an attached embryo with a beating heart.

[Batya33]

Yes, I agree with all of this. I used the clearblue and in a few seconds it said "pregnant", and I followed up with a blood test 5 days later (at that point I was about two weeks late). I used midmorning urine for the test.

[tinkerbellkj]

Thanks everyone, I definitely plan to call my doctor on Monday morning. And I'm also going to stop scaring myself reading stories online!

[BellaDonna]

^Yeah, don't read scary stories online. Most pregnancies do go well so reading all that stuff will only make you worry needlessly.

 

One of the things you can do right away while you are waiting for your appointment is to pick some prenatal vitamins over the counter. They contain adequate levels of folic acid, which is very important for a healthy prengancy.

[KH26]

Ahh sorry I didn't want to make you worry! Was just saying what happened with me and what I thought was a false positive but I really don't think it was. But it's very unlikely that that's going to happen to you and it definitely sounds like you're pregnant! Congratulations!

[tinkerbellkj]

Ahh sorry I didn't want to make you worry! Was just saying what happened with me and what I thought was a false positive but I really don't think it was. But it's very unlikely that that's going to happen to you and it definitely sounds like you're pregnant! Congratulations!

 

Oh no, no worries! It wasn't you, it was my google obsession haha. I have been reading everything and anything and there are some horror stories out there!

[Batya33]

^Yeah, don't read scary stories online. Most pregnancies do go well so reading all that stuff will only make you worry needlessly.

 

One of the things you can do right away while you are waiting for your appointment is to pick some prenatal vitamins over the counter. They contain adequate levels of folic acid, which is very important for a healthy prengancy.

 

I didn't know those could be obtained OTC- I had to chase down my gyn (who was no longer an OB when I found out I was pregnant) to be willing to prescribe them before I was seen by an OB. Before that I had been taking the women's one a day with folic acid for over a year to make sure I had sufficient levels. But, yes, Tinker... try to go on some women's vitamins when you get a chance and enjoy that milk!

[BellaDonna]

"One a Day" makes an OTC prenatal vitamin as well as the brand "Nature Made". The Walmart brand "Equate" also makes one.

 

To the OP, I hope you ar eable to get in to see your doc on Monday. Keep us posted.

[KH26]

Oh no, no worries! It wasn't you, it was my google obsession haha. I have been reading everything and anything and there are some horror stories out there!

 

Haha I wish I had a way to block google sometimes! It does my over active imagination no good.

[tinkerbellkj]

So I called my doctor, and I was told that I need to believe my pregnancy test results, and that if they bring me in this week that the only thing they are going to do is the same urine test I did at home.

 

That being said, I'm going in next Wednesday and having an ultrasound. She said that it will be too soon to have one this week because I'm not far along enough. So I guess that is that. In the meantime I'm going to get some prenatal vitamins today and begin taking them!

[savagegirl]

Well, congratulations, it does sound like you are pregnant! I hope the doctors appointment goes well, and I am pretty sure that if you want to plan your wedding before the baby is born that it's totally possible. I think the internet makes wedding planning so much easier!

[Batya33]

So I called my doctor, and I was told that I need to believe my pregnancy test results, and that if they bring me in this week that the only thing they are going to do is the same urine test I did at home.

 

That being said, I'm going in next Wednesday and having an ultrasound. She said that it will be too soon to have one this week because I'm not far along enough. So I guess that is that. In the meantime I'm going to get some prenatal vitamins today and begin taking them!

 

Terrific! I got married in my third trimester. It took us 6 weeks to plan our beautiful, albeit small, wedding, and we honeymooned locally since I could no longer fly at that point.

[tinkerbellkj]

Yes! Our wedding plans are definitely going to be re-thought! We are going to do something much smaller, and much quicker then we had planned, so we will be married before the birth!

 

Hopefully everything goes well at the ultrasound (I was told at 4-5 weeks I may not see anything, so not to worry too much) and I will keep everyone posted!

 

Thanks to all for the comments and advice!

[arwen]

Yay, congrats

 

I got married when already 17 weeks along, and had a great wedding (we started TTC when engaged, didn't wait for the wedding... Stop reading online. Look around. Most pregnancies are normal, and result in healthy babies.

[Fudgie]

Congrats tinkerbell. sounds like you are indeed pregnant!

 

Remember, lots of folic acid to help the baby's neural plate fold (early brain development) and just be kind to yourself!