DIY: Easy Ways on How to Conduct Pregnancy Test at Home

Do you know that conducting a pregnancy test at home is as easy as what you could ever think of? I know a lot of women find it difficult to conduct this test due to the guide or the think that it’s not accurate.

But, what do you think happened in the past when there was no medical specialist to conduct the pregnancy test in the lab? Do you think our grandmothers didn’t survive to bear a child?

Actually, they survived. So, how do you think it was possible for them to conduct the pregnancy test?

The use some of the common things we find at home and conduct an accurate pregnancy test and it works quite well for them. And, do you know that some of those kinds of stuff are still available till today but why is it not useful as before?

Or, does it mean it hard to find. No, it isn’t hard to find but what happens is that we have refused to understand the uses and benefit of some of these things.

Conducting a pregnancy test at home is quite easy and you will be given detailed information on how to do it yourself (DIY).

Benefits of Natural Pregnancy Test

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 in 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.

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.

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

Easy Ways on How to Conduct Pregnancy Test at Home

1. Salt Pregnancy Test

Every kitchen shelf will have salt in it. All you need for this test 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. Toothpaste Pregnancy Test

This is the latest addition to the home-made pregnancy test list as toothpaste was not available around the time our grandmothers took the tests. For this method, you can only use white toothpaste for accurate results.

Coloured toothpaste may contain additional chemicals that may interfere with the results. All you need for this test 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 to 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.

3. 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. 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 sample of the first urine of the day.

Method	Positive sign	Negative Sign
Place the soap in a wide bowl and pour in 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.

5. 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.

RECOMMENDED: Early Symptoms of Pregnancy You Will Notice and Admit You’re Pregnant

6. 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 ends up giving you incorrect results.

7. Baking Soda Pregnancy Test

We use baking soda in the kitchen for many purposes, especially when we are making leavened bread. But it also has the power of indicating if you are pregnant. For that, all you need is baking soda, a urine sample, and a clean cup.

Method	Positive sign	Negative Sign
Take the clean cup. Add baking soda to it. Now, add the collected urine sample.	If you see bleaching powder reacting with urine to give you bubbles and fizz, you should consider yourself pregnant.	If there is no reaction and the solution settles down, then you have not conceived yet.

8. Vinegar Pregnancy Test

This Chinese ingredient does not only add flavours 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 colour of the solution.	In case there is no change in the colour of the solution, you are not pregnant yet.

9. 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 quick in a pregnant lady’s urine than in water. For the test, you need barley and wheat seeds, urine sample, and a clean bowl.

Method	Positive sign	Negative Sign
Take a bowl, pour 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.

10. 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, urine sample collected in the morning and a clean glass to mix the two.

Method	Positive sign	Negative Sign
Drop 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 for you. So, make sure you maintain a safe distance.

In Summary

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.