Dr Test Accuracy?

[ladybird11]

I'm sooooo confused.

I got a BFP last night - tested at about 1900 hrs. It was clear and no doubt that it was positive.

Tonight I went to the Dr's and I did a urine test - came back NEGATIVE . He explained I still could be positive etc, and that it is possible to get false positives and false negatives etc - I felt soooo embarrassed!

So like any other lady would do, I bought another HPT on my way home and you guessed it - BFP again. Once again, the test clearly indicated it was positive.

Although I'm going off for a BT tomorrow morning, I was just wondering what the accuracy rating is of those Dr tests. It looked like a white rectangular cartridge - no brands / colours on it.

Don't know if the beef curry and pepsi max that I ate minutes to going to the Dr had anything to do with it?

ARGH - I'm confused!!

[PumpkinZulu]

Babe, docs tests are notorious for being not as sensitive as store bought tests They detect much higher amounts of hcg than store boughts and internet cheapies. Have your beta, (make sure it's quantitive, not qualitive to avoid more confusion lol) but I think you can safely assume you're utd

[ladybird11]

I just looked at the Clinpath forms and the Dr just typed :

?Pregnant

then on the bottom part of the perforated form it said:

HCG.

Doesn't sound too descriptive to me - but I'm no expert!

[PumpkinZulu]

basically, if they do a qualitive test (this is very common) it will be a pass/fail. This varies on the lab it's done in. For some, the cut off number for pregnancy will be a hcg level of say, 25, others may be 30, others may be 15. So you could be utd and they say you are not, simply because it is too early. A quantitive they will tell you what that number is, and usually do another one to confirm it is rising. But I would say with 2 pos hpt's, you are definately utd!

[ladybird11]

Thank you PZ...You're a wealth of info (as per usual :-)

I hope its not a pass / fail test they give me - I feel nervous like I'm about to sit an exam lol!

[PumpkinZulu]

Bahahaha! You will not fail, trust me If they say, hmmm well it says 'not pregnant' just say, psssht, I've done x amount of hpt's (and look on the box to see the level of miu or mui or whatever it's called, the amount of hormone basically that the test will measure) that detect x amount of miu, how much do your tests detect? And can I have a quantitive. And you smell I am 100% certain you're utd...

Out of interest, what will your august fitness goal be now

[Jakabella]

Yeah I agree. My Dr will never do one of her tests because the tests that we buy in the supermarket are so much more sensative - and be sure to ask for quantitive - I have just got back my 3rd quantitive test and can see the levels rising nicely.

Good luck!

[ladybird11]

I assume the '?pregnancy' that the Dr has typed on the form means something specific - would it mean qualitive or quantitive does anyone know?

PZ - The fitness goals are for me to just continue doing something 4 times each week, including hanging on to the 2 classes I instruct weekly. My first 2 pg's I slacked off and gave in to tiredness, ate shockingly etc - so this one, fingers crossed I will not fall back into hold pg habits.

[PumpkinZulu]

Well your weightloss is phenominal! I saw somewhere else how you said you won't give in too much just cos you're preg...that's awesome! I've been trying to get into a bit of an execise routine so that by the time I'm preg I can keep it up I just think the '?' would be, not 100% sure if you're preg or not (the doc that is, I am sure hehe)

[Jakabella]

Yeah my Dr wrote "HGC Quantative" on mine and had in the comments "pregant?" or "pregnancy continuing?"
Can you call your dr tomorrow and ask?

[ladybird11]

Thanks PZ. DH gives in to me too easily so I must make sure I don't even drop hints that I feel like 'naughty foods' or he'll run out to buy it (as he is quite partial to sweet foods too!).

I am 90% convinced its BFP - still! Just to give me that 10% in case I get egg on my face with negative BT results (which I should get tomorrow afternoon apparently).

You've got the right idea, start exercising now while you're not PG, so when you do get your BFP you can continue with it. Some ladies think 'uh oh, I'm pg, I better get exercising to be healthy for the baby '. If ladies dont start before they're pg they may find themselves really limited with what exercise they can do. And um, walking can get boring lol! So well done PZ - ur setting yourself up just nicely :-)

[ladybird11]

Yeah my Dr wrote "HGC Quantative" on mine and had in the comments "pregant?" or "pregnancy continuing?"
Can you call your dr tomorrow and ask?

Well I plan on going to get the blood done first thing at 8am - so I'll have a chance of getting the results tomorrow afternoon...If its neg I'll be buying yet another test lol....

[Inanna]

Leesa Drs tests are 50miu & the tests you buy over the counter can be anything from 10miu up to the 50miu. So that is why your HPT is positive and the Dr's is not showing.

The Dr has requestative just to know if the test is positive or negative - she hasn't asked for the quantity of HCG in your blood - you could phone and request this specifically but considering your good history it's probably not important. Just a positive test is all you need - I have no doubt it will be positive considering the number of HPT's that have returned a positive result. In fact usually a pregnancy will double in HCG every 24-48 hrs - so by tomorrow it's very likely that the Dr's test would have been positive.

Congratulations on your pregnancy & I hope it's a smooth and stressfree 9 months!

[ladybird11]

Thanks Inanna.

I soooo am hoping to find out a due date if the BT comes back positive. Sounds like this test wont give me that? Grrr. I so wish I had my old "Dr Jane" - bigger GRRR to witch step MIL!

So if the BT came back positive, I'd need to go back to the Dr for a dating scan? I've got only a rough guess on dates - and I mean rough like a time frame of 3 - 6 wks. Life has been crazy (as you'd all know for me in the past 6 mths), so I didn't write it down in my diary like I used to. Plus my last AF was really spotty, nothing like it usually is.

[Inanna]

Leesa your blood results if quantitive will give a rough idea of DPO - but an ultrasound prior to 12 weeks is the most accurate way of dating a pregnancy of unknown gestation. It sounds like it's important to know roughly how pregnant you are - though going by the inability of the 50miu test to diagnose the pregnabncy it sounds likje you are very early.

Give the surgery a call & tell the receptionist you have a path form for confirmation of pregnancy but tell her you specifically want to know what your levels are. Ask that they re write the form and fax it to the pathology collection centre you plan to attend. This is no great drama - or alternatively ask that they contact the collection centre to give permission for a quantitive test.

Good luck my love.

[skybie]

you can probably assume that your earlier on rather than later if ur getting BFNs on 50mu tests at the docs.
My doctor never does a pee test, he always trusts the ones from the shops! a dating scan is the only real way to know how far u are. hopefully u can go somewhere that bulk bills!
Congrats hun, havent had a chance to say it yet, u being pregnant was my first though when i saw ur status last night!!!

[Inanna]

A dating scan though can only be done from 6.5 weeks but best at around 7 weeks which you are not right now - a couple of weeks or so to wait yet.

[ladybird11]

thanks again ladies..

Clinpath is conveniently located in the same mall as the Dr's - so this morning I spoke to a receptionist and explained to them that I'd be very early on and that I'd need a quantitve BT. She consulted the 'head' receptionist and she came back and wrote the words 'quantative' next to the ?pregnancy that had been typed on the form :-)

But URGH, I won't find out until tomorrow. so I bought another test (three different brands now) - and another BFP!