Well, this is not completely a review on the Clear Blue pictured, but my comparison of about 15 different pregnancy tests (ok a little egageration!) and how I got on with each of them. Eventually the Clear-Blue brand came out on top for me, but I think the comparison will be worth reading for any of you who are in the 'am I or aren't I?' stage and considering spending the little bit more on a clear blue.
I am still a newly wed (October!) and when we got married the first thing we settled on was that we wanted another child as soon as we could. I came off birth controlin July, but with no positive pregnancy tests by November I decided that this month I would chart my cycle. Armed with an ovulation kit I recorded my results into the website fertility friend.com and eventually found out that my actual ovulation date was 23 days into my cycle, and not the 'average' 14 days that I had assumed. Of course no woman is average,
but I know that doctors would call that a common date as many women have 28 day cycles. Not me! Mine are more like 36! My son was not a planned baby but the minute we knew we were expecting him, something inside me changed and I am incredibly maternal now. I would love a house full of children!
As I neared the date that my period was due I found myself feeling crampy, I felt starving! Eating at all opportunities, I had a few dizzy heads, and I remembered that these were my early symptoms of pregnancy with my son so I was feeling good that we might have another child on the way. But then again, the cramps were also a sign of menstruation so I couldn't be sure! Eventually I got the usual PMT signs, moodiness and leg cramps and I resigned myself that the old witch was on her way and it was to be yet another month with a negative result.
The day before Christmas Eve was the date my period was due to arrive, and 2 days before that I tried one of the internet cheapie pregnancy strip tests that had come with my ovulation tests. It showed nothing, so I just thought it was going to be another bad month for us. That afternoon I tried another cheapie test (I have been addicted to testing since we started trying to conceive!) And I could see a very faint line (I will post you all a picture at the end of the review!) It was so hard to see but there was definitely something there. I do understand that the cheap tests can be susceptible to evaporation lines which are not positives, they are more of a grey colour, but this line had a definite pink tinge. I took a photograph and emailed it to my other half who couldn't see anything. Then I posted a picture on to an internet forum I had been using for women who are Trying to Conceive and 15 people posted to say they could see something there and for me to get a better test the next day.
At this stage I began to find out more about pregnancy tests as I couldn't work out why I had no result that morning and here was a faint result. The internet cheap tests can be bought on Ebay for around 20 for £5 so are a bargain if, like me, you are recording your cycle and want to test a lot. They pick up 10miu of the HCG hormone, which is the hormone a pregnancy secretes. 10miu is a tiny amount and none of the shop bought tests react to such a small amount and this is where I started to get confused. I dashed out after that faint line and bought two Asda own brand tests. One was negative, and I asked on the forum how could that be? The knowledgable girls there told me that the Asda tests only picked up 25miu of HCG hormone so they hadn't regisitered any in my wee. They advised me to wait until the morning and test again as the first morning wee is concentrated and has more hormones in it. So that's what I did. I barely slept that night!
In the morning I tried the next Asda test and I thought I could see a faint line. I even took the test apart to make sure! But the line could only be seen if I held the test to the window so I remained unconvinced. I even tested again with cheap tests all day with varying results. My Tescos online delivery was coming after work, and I had ordered a Clear Blue digital test and I was waiting for that to arrive so I would know one way or the other, no wondering if a line was there or not- the clear blue test would be able to tell me 'Pregnant' or 'Not Pregnant' in writing.
When the Tescos delivery van arrived I was disappointed that one of the substitutions on my list was my Clear Blue digital. They had been out of stock so they just sent me the normal Clearblue with the + or - sign. I kept it anyway, and after unpacking the shopping a went to the loo to try again. When I came back up, myself and my hubby waited for the result, I could see nothing, but my hubby was sure he could see a faint line. This was in the evening and the artificial light wasn't helping things. I refused to get excited. My period was due the next day (Christmas Eve) and we would know then. When Christmas eve arrived and my period didn't I went into Asda and bought a digital Clear Blue. We tested that night, you know the usual, wee on the absorbent stick and hey presto within 3 minutes of looking at an Egg timer icon we were staring at the word 'PREGNANT' on the LCD screen. What a lovely Christmas present.
The Clear Blue digital test said on the box that it could detect pregnancy as early as 4 days before the period was expected, although there was fine print to say that this wasn't in all cases. Of all the tests I tried it was the only one that gave me a definite result so early. In the following week I tried another Asda test and got a great positive, but it just shows that many tests just don't pick up enough hormone to detect a very early pregnancy. In all cases I did hold the absorbent stick in the stream for at least 5 seconds, but the HCG levels in my wee were obviously not strong enough for the tests. It does say in the clear Blue instructions that if you do not get a word result, and have a book symbol where the words should be then you didn't get enough urine on the test.
On the back of the Clear blue box is a disclaimer about how in lab tests if a woman tested 4 days early she was only 51% likely to get a positive, 3 days early was 82%, 2 days was 90% and 1 day was 95%. I do think these are good odds. The only real issue being that the Clear Blue tests are at the more expensive end of the market compared to my 20 for £5 bargain tests. The overall accuracy of the clear blue is said to be over 99% when used correctly.
So that's our story! I am now in my 8th week(ish) waiting for a dating scan to tell us for sure, I am sick as anything! But still happy and so pleased to be expecting this little August baby. It is very early days yet, but Im keeping positive that things will be ok.
Pictures of Clearblue Pregnancy Test Kit
cheapy test
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Pack of two digital pregnancy tests: No test is more accurate - 99% accurate from the day ... more
your period is due Most accurate reading in early pregnancy - brand used by UK doctors Unmistakeably clear digital result - Gives 2 unique results: pregnant/not p...
Postage & Packaging: £1.48 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Pack of two digital pregnancy tests: No test is more accurate - 99% accurate from the day ... more
your period is due Most accurate reading in early pregnancy - brand used by UK doctors Unmistakeably clear digital result - Gives 2 unique results: pregnant/not p...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: A very easy and quick test, no waiting about for results (well, 1 minute!), Available in any chemist or supermarket Disadvantages: Expensive for something you can get done at the doctors for free!
Advantages: A very easy and quick test, no waiting about for results (well, 1 minute!), Available in any chemist or supermarket Disadvantages: Expensive for something you can get done at the doctors for free!
Jan 11th, 2008
exceptional by (15%):
very helpful by (85%):
