Getting mixed positive and negative pregnancy tests often points to a very early pregnancy (chemical pregnancy) where hCG levels are low and fluctuating, different test sensitivities, diluted urine, testing too early, or even a rare false positive/negative, but it's best to see a doctor if it continues as it can signal an early loss or other issues.
Despite that, the hCG level can vary immensely between individuals and can rise exponentially throughout early pregnancy. That is the reason why one can get a negative followed by a positive pregnancy test, especially in the case where the test was taken too early.
Your first test could have been a false positive. Or your second test could have been a false negative result. A false positive test result isn't that likely, but it can happen for a few reasons. These include user error and having hCG in your system for some other reason.
A chemical pregnancy's main symptom is a positive pregnancy test followed by a period, often appearing as a late, heavier period with more intense cramping or spotting, sometimes with clots, occurring shortly after implantation fails. Many women don't notice it, mistaking it for a normal or slightly unusual period because it's so early, but the key indicator is a positive test then a negative test a few days or weeks later, without typical pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness.
A negative result doesn't always mean you're not pregnant, especially if you tested too early. Even when taken after a missed period, home pregnancy tests can still produce false negatives. In fact, some studies estimate that up to 11% of pregnancies may go undetected by urine tests early on.
Yes, although it's rare, being pregnant with twins can cause a urine pregnancy test to show a false negative especially if the pregnancy results from IVF. If you're experiencing symptoms of pregnancy but your test results are unclear, we recommend scheduling a follow-up appointment.
Lack of visible pregnancy symptoms like nausea, breast changes and weight gain. Continued light bleeding that resembles menstrual periods. Hormonal imbalances that suppress usual pregnancy signs. A tilted uterus that doesn't show a prominent baby bump.
A chemical pregnancy typically occurs within the first 5 weeks of pregnancy — before many women even know they're pregnant. Treatment isn't typically needed for chemical pregnancies.
With a silent miscarriage, however, you likely won't have any signs or symptoms. Brownish discharge might be present on some occasions. Some people will experience a sudden loss of their pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness and breast tenderness.
Medication Interference
Medications that could affect your test include benzodiazepines, phenothiazine, promethazine and others. Urine contaminated with blood or protein can also trigger a false positive. A laboratory-quality test may be your best option for accurate results.
In a twin pregnancy, there are elevated levels of hCG, making it possible to have a very early positive result. However, home pregnancy tests won't confirm if twins are present, only the presence of hCG. It takes around 2 weeks after conception for hCG to be detected in a hCG pregnancy test.
Baseline beta hCG >25 mIU/mL taken approximately 12-14 days from expected conception is considered positive for pregnancy. An hCG level between 6 and 24 mIU/mL is considered a gray area, and you'll likely need to be retested to see if your levels rise to confirm a pregnancy.
If you're still not very far from ovulation (especially if you're testing before you're expecting a period), it may be due to fluctuating levels of hCG, and this isn't necessarily a problem.
If there are enough levels of hCG in your urine, the at-home pregnancy test will read as positive. While stress can affect your hormone levels and even delay your ovulation or period, it does not affect pregnancy test results.
You may not notice any symptoms at first. However, some women who have an ectopic pregnancy have the usual early signs or symptoms of pregnancy — a missed period, breast tenderness and nausea. If you take a pregnancy test, the result will be positive.
The night before an exam should be spent getting in the right mindset. However, students often fall into these common mistakes: not having dinner, drinking too much caffeine, re-reading over their notes, cramming and not getting enough sleep. All these mistakes can result in them not performing their best the next day.
The first morning urine is the urine you void when you get up for the day. If you get up during the night, it is not necessary to catch that urine.
What is this? The most common use of 3-2-1 I've seen is in response to a reading or lesson–usually 3 things you learned, 2 things that made you curious or confused, and 1 most important thing you learned or should do with what you've learned.
Your risk of miscarriage is greatest between weeks 0 and 10. In the early days of pregnancy, you likely don't yet know you're pregnant.
Signs of a chemical pregnancy might include: A positive pregnancy test at first, but then a negative one soon after. Mild cramping. A bleed like a period even after a positive pregnancy test.
Occasionally, hCG levels might fall instead of rise, and then rise again. While declining hCG levels often signal a miscarriage, sometimes the levels go back up and the pregnancy continues normally.
Understanding Implantation Cramping and Bleeding
One of the earliest types of early pregnancy pain is implantation cramping, which happens when the fertilized egg attaches to your uterine wall. This typically occurs 6 to 12 days after conception, often before you've even missed a period.
Molar pregnancy. A molar pregnancy is when there's a problem with a fertilised egg, which means a baby and a placenta do not develop the way they should after conception. A molar pregnancy will not be able to survive. It happens by chance and is rare.
The "3-2-1 Rule" in pregnancy is a guideline for first-time mothers to know when to call their midwife or doctor for active labor: consistent contractions that are 3 minutes apart, lasting 2 minutes each, for 1 hour (or sometimes cited as 3-1-1, meaning 3 minutes apart, 1 minute long, for 1 hour). For subsequent pregnancies, the 5-1-1 Rule (5 minutes apart, 1 minute long, for 1 hour) is often used, indicating labor is progressing more quickly.