Clearblue Pregnancy Test Kit

***Before reading this is a very girly review and talks about pregnancy and the joys of being a woman. Therefore all males need to keep this in mind before reading!!!*****

My twin boys had just turned 19 months old and as much as I love being a mum, more children were not on the cards in the near future. But then I felt VERY sick and ill. In fact I said to Mr Lools I think I may be seriously ill. The weird dreams started and I was “late” (not the kind of late due to timekeeping!). I decided that the best thing to do was a pregnancy test as my symptoms were exactly like when I last fell pregnant but I was convinced I couldn’t be pregnant. After two Poundland pregnancy tests came back POSITIVE I was in shock and questioned the reliability of the tests which only cost me £1 (for a double pack). Therefore Mr Lools was sent out for a ClearBlue Digital Test to confirm I was actually pregnant and if I was actually pregnant did my dates add up!

***ClearBlue Digital Pregnancy Test***
The ClearBlue Digital Pregnancy Test with Conception indicator is described to be “not only tells you in words if you’re pregnant or not, but if you are, it also shows you how many weeks pregnant you are”

Clearblue describe it as the “most accurate pregnancy test in early pregnancy” as it is over 99% accurate from the day your period is due. There is no need to interpret lines it simply tells you if you are pregnant or not pregnant.

You can also use the Clearblue Test 4 days before your period is due and it can detect pregnancy. However Clearblue do state the test is less accurate at this stage and you may actually get a “not pregnant” reading if you are in fact pregnant.

The test has an hourglass symbol to show the test is working as you wait for your results.

The conception indicator is described to be 94% accurate and tells you the number of weeks since you conceived. Clearblue include a chart to show how the conception indicator will be interpreted by a doctor when they come to date how many weeks pregnant you are. The conception indicator has 3 results when showing how many weeks ago you conceived if you are pregnant. 1-2 meaning you are 3-4 weeks pregnant, 2-3 you are 4-5 weeks pregnant and 3+ meaning you are 6 or more weeks pregnant.

***My Experience***
The test is very simple to use but because I have taken pregnancy tests before I know what to expect. For those that have not it is worth reading the instructions and familiarising yourself with the different parts of the test. I purchased a double pack of these tests and each of the plastic tests come in a sealed foil wrapper.

When you are ready to take the test you simply take the plastic tip off the test end of the pregnancy test. This reveals an absorbent stick which takes a sample of your urine. You then have two options use a disposable cup to take a sample of urine to dip the pregnancy test in or put the test end of the pregnancy test in your urine mid flow which does take more skill and you risk splashes (yuk)! If you go for the second method you also need to ensure the stick absorbs enough urine. I would say a disadvantage of these Clearblue tests is that they do not come with a plastic cup or pot so that you can put the test end of the stick in urine and many other cheaper tests include this.

Once the end of the stick looks fully wet (by leaving in a sample of urine for around 20 seconds) you are ready to test. You can then put the plastic tip back over the end of the stick and wait for your results. After about 10 seconds of putting the tip back on the test the hour glass sign starting flashing on the screen in the centre of the test. Within 45-60 seconds my result was shown …. PREGNANT. The hour glass symbol was still flashing for another 2 minutes as we waited for the conception indicator. This came back as 2-3 meaning 5-6 weeks pregnant.

We completed this test again (mainly as we had a double pack of tests) just to check the dates as I was slightly in disagreement with the accuracy of the conception monitor based upon my dates. After speaking to my doctor I was told that because I completed my first test at night there would have been less pregnancy hormone in my urine meaning the result was not as strong and therefore the test was showing I was less pregnant than I thought I was. My second test came back as 3+ meaning over 6 weeks which I feel was more accurate as by my dates I was around 6 and a half weeks pregnant (which was then confirmed as being correct based upon a later dating scan).

The conception indicator may therefore range based upon the time of day you take the test therefore it is advisable to take the test on a morning. Secondly it is worth noting if you are carrying a multiple pregnancy (i.e twins) the conception indicator will be confused by the higher amount of hormone in your body and shows you to be more weeks pregnant than you actually may be. Thankfully unlike my first pregnancy my scan showed only one baby!

***Overall***
So yes, in short I’m pregnant, again, and after the initial shock we are thrilled at the thought of another addition joining our family in April 2012.

This is a very accurate test and the results come back loud and clear PREGNANT or NOT PREGNANT. It may sound slightly silly but when you are in a state of shock or nervous about a pregnancy test reading and interpreting how many lines or if a cross appears in the “control” box of a pregnancy test is not an easy task and you often find yourself questioning your result. Obviously with the ClearBlue test it is not 100% accurate but there is less room for user error as you get a clear answer. I would say the conception indicator is probably less accurate (Clear Blue states 94% accuracy) and I feel that it is probably only advisable to do the test early morning to get a more accurate result. Secondly the test only will tell you are up to 6 weeks pregnant after this time you get a 3+ pregnant (meaning 3 weeks or more after conception) reading therefore you could be 6 weeks or 20 weeks pregnant and would still get the same result. I would say these are better for those who are proactively taking a test (i.e trying to get pregnant) rather than reactively taking the test as generally (speaking from experience) you tend to take the test later than the time around your period and the conception indicator in these later few weeks does not tell you very much!

Although this is the most accurate of pregnancy tests it is the most expensive. A single test typically can cost around £7 and a double pack £12 although you can get this product on special offer which makes it more reasonable. For peace of mind it is worth having an idea of “how pregnant” you are but the conception indicator should only be a rough guide (and in my experience changes at what time of day you test) therefore an actual scan will give you the most accurate readings as the Clearblue test assumes that you ovulate at an “average” time in a standard cycle.

From experience it is worth noting that although you may have confirmed you are pregnant using this test as a matter of protocol many doctors insist on completing another test performed by the surgery in order for you to be “referred” to your midwife therefore makes spending money on these expensive tests a slight waste.

An accurate easy to use pregnancy test which I do not intend on using ever again!!