If someone asks me a question, “What is the best gift one can have in his/her lifetime?” Even without a second thought, I would answer, LIFE!

The more overwhelming phase is when there is an addition of another life into your lives. Yes, the little sized yet magnificent bundle of joy is the arrival of the newborn. Although it’s a union of a mature egg cell (female gamete) and spermatozoon (the male gamete) this process of Fertilization carries forward an altogether complex occurrence of pregnancy with physio-biological changes at a very minute level.

The formation of a multi organic and super-functional human form itself is big evidence and isn’t it quite amazing!

Is this so easy? Well, there are various physical, biological and hormonal changes that take place right after fertilization.

It is very important to confirm pregnancy as there are many components that have to be thought about, for e.g., its continuation, pre-natal care, emotional and mental support and most important, the overall well-being of the mother and the baby ensuring the safety and risk-free term. So how soonest should one consider getting a pregnancy test and how exactly does the pregnancy test work?

Before we jump to the diagnostics, let us first know a little about the hormone hCG, the human chorionic gonadotropin. Basically, this biomarker of pregnancy hCG, is, a glycoprotein hormone that elevates in the first few weeks of pregnancy and is at the peak during the 8-10 weeks of pregnancy. It is the embryo implantation that causes the rise of this hormone. This hCG also plays an important role in the functions necessary to maintain the pregnancy, like uterus enlargement in line with the fetal development, prevention of immature contractions during the term of pregnancy, enhancing the growth of fetal organs during pregnancy, etc.

Now that you know about this wonder hormone, let us tell you how the diagnostics work.

Ideally the test can be carried out a week post missed menses or if there are signs and symptoms that suggest pregnancy. The 2 simple ways to determine the presence of pregnancy Is

• Hormone hCG testing in urine and blood
• Ultrasonography

Urine Testing:-

The hCG testing in urine seems to be the simplest method that’s quick, easy, convenient, inexpensive, reliable and has high accuracy levels when done one-week post 1^st day of missed menses. The best thing is, it can be done at home.

Test requirement, procedure and interpretation

• Early morning urine sample preferable as dilution may result in false negative results. Urine sample should be free of any contamination and presence of blood
• Urine is added by the dropper in the provided sac on the strip or the strip is dipped in the container containing the urine. This depends on the type of kit that is being used. Its usage instruction is available with the kit.
• If the test is positive, a colored line along with control appears on the kit. If only control line is seen, then the outcome is negative. Where a strip is used, it will change in color. It is very important to read the instructions carefully and understand well to avoid the reporting errors

Blood test

• A peripheral blood sample is collected by the laboratory technician and the test is done at a medical centre.

In either case of a positive or negative result, the healthcare professional should be visited so that the complete guidance and treatment can be advised for your pre-natal well-being or family planning, if needed. It should also be noted that the hormone hCG levels can be impacted by reasons other than pregnancy. In cases of false positive and negative results, it is indeed rational to seek proper medical guidance to avoid any impending health issues.

Ultrasonography

This is done after consulting the healthcare provider and getting a referral form for the same.

Until we come up with our next topic on pregnancy stay healthy and happy!