Feeling sick to your stomach of once-loved scents?
Or maybe youâre glued to the couch with an unusual fatigue? đď¸
It may be time to take a pregnancy testâŚ
But before you nip to the local drugstore, is there anything you can do at home?
Weâre here to de-bunk all the DIY pregnancy test myths and reveal the truth about home pregnancy tests.
Are you ready?
Letâs go!
In this article: đ
- What are DIY pregnancy tests?
- How can I check my pregnancy naturally at home with a pregnancy test?
- What to do if you test âpositiveâ on a DIY pregnancy test
What are DIY pregnancy tests?
A homemade pregnancy test is just what it says on the tin â using standard household items, mixing them with urine, et voilĂ â instant pregnancy result. â¨
Sounds easy, right?
Well, probably not.
There is very little evidence to back up some of the most common DIY pregnancy test myths.
So, more often than not, they canât be trusted â as they have no scientific studies to back them up. đ¤ˇââď¸
Most homemade pregnancy tests involve looking for a chemical reaction between a household item (like toothpaste) and your pee.
The theory is that certain reactions could indicate high levels of hCG â a positive pregnancy test result.
Sure, there might be some logic behind these DIY tests, but you will still need to follow up any result with a reliable pregnancy test, like a blood test, strip test, or digital test.
So, what are some of the homemade pregnancy tests out there?
And can any of them be trusted?
How can I check my pregnancy naturally at home with a pregnancy test?
Toothpaste đŞĽ
One of the most common DIY pregnancy tests is the infamous toothpaste test.
Simply squeeze a generous blob of toothpaste into a clear bowl, pour in your urine sample, and check for any fizzing or a change in color.
Fizzing or a color change = pregnant
No fizz or change of color = Not pregnant
But is it accurate?
No.
You might see some fizzing or a color change, but thatâs not because thereâs hCG in your pee.
It could just mean your urine (which typically has an acidity of 6.0 to 7.5) has combined with toothpaste (which, dependent on brand, has varying levels of acidity), causing a reaction.
But it canât detect pregnancy. đ¤ˇââď¸
So thatâs the first myth de-bunkedâŚ
đ Want To Know More? Read Up On: Toothpaste Pregnancy Tests
Basal body temperature đĄď¸
Basal body temperature can be used to track your ovulation, and the theory is that it could also be used to test whether youâre pregnant or not.
Natural contraception companies, like Natural Cycles, test using a basal thermometer to tell whether youâre ovulating, so you know when itâs time to do the deed if youâre TTC. đ
Natural Cycles say that if your basal body temperature is 97.6°F (36.4°C) to 98.6°F (37°C), and hasnât dropped for 18 days or more, it may indicate youâre pregnant.
Although this could be a sign of early pregnancy, it could also be caused by stress, colds or infections, drinking alcohol the night before⌠or many other reasons. đ¤ˇââď¸
And some have think that using basal body temperature for ovulation detection is unreliableâŚ
But if you do see a rise in body temperature, the best thing to do is test with a home pregnancy test, to be sure.
Wheat and barley đ
Now this is an interesting oneâŚ
A 1963 study into diagnosing pregnancy found that combining wheat or barley seeds with pee and leaving them for two days could detect pregnancy.
If seeds sprout, you could be pregnant. đą
Although there was some validity to the theory, only 70% of cases when a woman was pregnant were picked up by the wheat and barley test (sigh).
So, there goes our reliability factorâŚ
Wine đˇ
So drinking while trying to conceive might be on your list of things to avoid, but could it also be another homemade pregnancy test?
Simply mix equal parts wine to urine in a clear container.
A change of color tells you that you could be pregnant.
But, that doesnât necessarily mean youâre pregnant. đ¤ˇââď¸
Whether youâre pregnant or not, the color could change â so you might have a false-positive from using this DIY test.
Unfortunately, another unreliable method!
Shampoo đ§´
For this DIY pregnancy test, youâd need two bowls:
- One filled with a urine sample
- One filled with water and a few drops of shampoo, mixed until soapy
Next, combine the two bowls by adding the urine to the shampoo mix â if hCG is detected, itâll froth.
But is this accurate?
Well, on one hand, urine might cause shampoo to froth â but, as there are no studies into this, we canât assume it has anything **to do with your hCG levels. đ¤ˇââď¸
So, unfortunately not â and we have another de-bunked pregnancy test myth ticked off the list.
Salt đ§
The salt pregnancy test involves mixing together salt with your urine in a clear, clean bowl.
If youâre pregnant, in theory, the salt will react with your hCG, turning the mixture âmilkyâ or âcheesyâ.
But alas, just like other DIY pregnancy tests, thereâs no scientific studies done to suggest this works. đ¤ˇââď¸
Sugar đ§
Mixing equal amounts of sugar and urine into a bowl is apparently another homemade pregnancy test.
If it becomes clumpy, youâre pregnant⌠if it dissolves, not pregnant.
Is the sugar pregnancy test accurate?
Turns out, not veryâŚ
Thereâs no evidence that hCG causes sugar to clump, so thatâs another DIY pregnancy test in the trash.
Bleach đ§˝
An easy one to get your hands on â everyone has bleach, right?
Mixing 1/2 cup urine to 1/2 cup bleach and waiting three to five minutes could result in a foamy or fizzy paste.
According to popular myth, that could mean youâre pregnant.
But here comes science to ruin the funâŚ
We canât rule out that urine from non-pregnant women can cause the same reaction⌠or even from men!
So, this lack of scientific backing leads to the test being unreliable.
Sorry! đŤŁ
đ All Things Bleach: Do Bleach Pregnancy Tests Work?
Vinegar đĽ
One youâll likely have in the cupboard, vinegar is supposedly used for detecting pregnancy.
Itâs thought that mixing 1 of cup white vinegar to 1/2 cup of urine can detect pregnancy.
If it bubbles and changes color, that could mean youâre pregnant.
What color would vinegar become if you were pregnant?
Rumours are, this would be an orangey-yellowish kinda color.
But urine color depends entirely on how hydrated you are, and can vary a lot from person to person.
So, again, this means that vinegar could likely change color anyway, but not because of hCG.
Soap đ§ź
Ever heard of the soap pregnancy test?
Similar to the shampoo myth above, soap apparently becomes foamy when mixed with first morning urine if youâre pregnant.
Apparently, the hCG hormone in theory should make the soap bubble and fizz. đ¤
Does the soap pregnancy test work?
Again, thereâs no scientific evidence around this, unfortunately!
Another one bites the dust.
Pine-Sol đ˛
Now, maybe a more obscure household item (unless you like your home smelling like Christmas trees all year), but a pine-scented household cleaner could also be used as a make-shift pregnancy test, according to popular belief.
Mixing 1/2 cup urine with 1/2 cup pine-sol for three minutes could tell you youâre pregnant if it changes color.
Yet, there are no scientific studies are here to back this up, either!
Baking soda đ§˝
The myth is that if you add a couple of tablespoons to urine, the mixture may fizz up if youâre pregnant.
But, here comes the de-bunkâŚ
As urine is slightly acidic, and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) fizzes when it mixes with acid, itâs likely gonna fizz.
So, thereâs no hidden meaning behind this reaction!
Dandelion leaves đ
Apparently, collecting dandelion leaves into a clear container, pouring urine over them, and soaking them for 10 minutes can cause red spots to appear if youâre pregnant đ¤
Others suggest that if the leaves turn reddish-brown, or even bubble, that could also be a sign of a babe on the way.
But, you guessed it â no scientific evidence!
What to do if you test âpositiveâ on a DIY pregnancy test
Well, thatâs the thing â theyâre so unreliable, so the first thing to do is check your results by doing a home pregnancy test.
So, are they really worth doing in the first place?
Although you may be tempted to try and save some money while youâre TTC, finding out if you have a baby on the way is a life-defining moment.
One that deserves accuracy and reliability.
Not a guessing game, and not false hope.
Thatâs why itâs best to head out to your local drugstore and pick up a medically-approved pregnancy test.
Although they can also have varying results sometimes, this is the most reliable way of doing a pregnancy test at home.
We know it can feel like thereâs a mountain of information you feel you need to know while youâre trying to conceive â it can get overwhelming.
If you want to talk to other women in the same boat who get what youâre going through, youâre always welcome to join us on Peanut.
Weâre having the conversation. â¤ď¸