Fairhaven Health Library, Pregnancy Signs & Testing
Early Morning – The Most Accurate Time for a Pregnancy Test
Common Questions About Pregnancy Tests & Peeing on a Stick
Should I use “first morning urine” to test for pregnancy?
To increase the accuracy – or more precisely to increase the possibility of receiving a positive test result earlier – it is advised to use a first morning sample when testing for pregnancy. Why? Unless you have urinated in the middle of the night, first morning urine should exhibit a higher concentration of the the pregnancy hormone, hCG. This means you can get an accurate result sooner than with other samples collected during the day or evening.
If I do not use FMU, how long should I wait before testing?
Typically, we advise “holding your urine” for about 4 hours before collecting a urine sample. Frequent urination can prevent a build-up in the concentration of hCG in a urine sample, meaning that the hCG level in the urine sample will be low (and you might receive a negative result when, in fact, you may be pregnant.
Should I not drink fluids before testing?
Along with holding your urine, you should not consume an exorbitant amount of liquids (which might cause frequent urination or dilute a urine sample). However, do not dehydrate yourself – just drink the normal amount of water you would anyway.
Bottom line – use a first morning urine sample to test and thereby increase the odds of detecting pregnancy sooner.
More Pregnancy Test Articles
- Pregnancy Signs & Testing
- Pregnancy Midstream Test Instructions
- Pregnancy Test Strip Instructions
- Early Morning – The Most Accurate Time for a Pregnancy Test
- Pregnancy Test Faint Lines and Evaporation Lines
- Home Pregnancy Test HCG Levels & FAQ
- First Trimester Pregnancy Signs
- Pregnancy Test Sensitivity and Early-Detection Testing
- Implantation Bleeding
- Top Ten Signs You’re Pregnant
- Ovulation Test as Pregnancy Test