If you’re hoping to expand your family, taking a pregnancy test could be a much-anticipated part of your month. Sometimes, though, the simplest-sounding processes can change out to hold unexpected complications. You’ve taken the test, and there appears to be a second line, but only barely. Can you really be “a little bit pregnant” after all?

How Pregnancy Tests Work

When you’re expecting, the body creates a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Some of the excess hCG makes its way out inside your urine, which is why you dip or hold the pregnancy test strip in pee to confirm a pregnancy.

In the early stages of being pregnant, hCG rises rapidly. At about the time of your missed period, levels usually double every 24-48 hours. There’s a wide range for how many international units per liter (IU/L) is recognized as “normal”; the more critical a part of a healthy pregnancy in those early days is how quickly levels are doubling.

Different brands of being pregnant test may require a different minimum degree of hCG to exhibit an optimistic result. Tests tend to work best on the day of the missed period, or even when you’re a few days late (again, because the hCG levels double so quickly). One test may show a definite positive, while another only registers a faint line.

All of the would be to say, generally speaking, any second line counts as a positive for pregnancy. Especially if you’re testing early, a faint lines are absolutely nothing to be worried about. You may even observe that the road gets stronger and clearer should you retest a couple of days later.

Late for Period, But Faint Line

Based on which we’ve discussed, you’d probably anticipate seeing a dark second line if you’re testing after your period was due. There are some reasons why you may still see a faint line:

1. You’re using diluted urine. H2o in the hour or two before testing can dilute your urine, which makes it harder for the test to determine hCG. The best technique is to check very first thing after you awaken each morning.
2. Your progesterone levels might be low. The hormone progesterone helps signal the body that you’ve got a bun within the oven and want to prevent normal menstrual cycles. If you’ve been diagnosed with low progesterone levels, have observed multiple early miscarriages, or are working with a fertility specialist to try and conceive, your physician might want to be especially vigilant in checking that the progesterone levels are where they must be. In some instances, progesterone supplementation can help you maintain a pregnancy. If you’re seeing multiple faint lines, it’s worth a phone call for your OBGYN’s office.
3. You might be experiencing a missed miscarriage or “chemical pregnancy.” As much as 20%-25% of pregnancies end naturally in miscarriage, often in very initial phases. Often, this is due to chromosomal problems or issues with implantation or embryo development you have no treatments for. When the second line on your test is getting progressively fainter, or has disappeared after you saw good results before, it’s likely you’re experiencing a chemical pregnancy.

The Problem of the VVVVFL

These days, it’s incredibly easy to find a like-minded community of individuals hoping to conceive. It’s great more individuals are talking about previously taboo topics, like miscarriage and infertility. The only problem is the fact that sometimes misinformed opinions spread quickly, leading you to definitely imagine the thing is a positive result when the test is really negative.

A dark line or a fainter test line still mean a positive result on a pregnancy test. Some expectant moms with higher hCG levels and a sensitive test may notice a very faint line (or VFL in forum acronym-speak) as early as 8 or 9 days after ovulation. Other hopeful members post pictures asking in regards to a VVFL, or a VVVVVFL, or…well, you get the picture.

Squinting at a test too long can convince anyone they’ve spotted something. Evaporation lines, or the colorless shadow formed from evaporated urine, may also mistakenly convince some people the test is positive. It’s easier to wait a few days for any clearer result than torment yourself if you attempt to will a test into to be the result you would like.