General Question re positive test lines

[Flora14]

If you do a test on test day for fet and it were to say you were pregnant are the lines supposed to continue to get darker? Should you keep testing or just wait and do a hcg blood test? As I'm guessing how strong/diluted your urine is will also have impact on the darkness of the line? At what point would you know if its chemical? And/or when is that most likely? As I see people get chemicals all the time.Just want to be prepared for a miracle 🙄 thanks

[Kittykat198]

I’ve had three chemical pregnancies over the years and they have followed a fairly predictable path. positive but that doesn’t progress at all or get any darker and this usually fades by about 5 weeks to negative (or about 16dpt in the case of my last chemical).

They were never very dark on a test like my pregnancies that progresses further did.

I think you can be sure of a chemical pregnancy with a negative test after a positive one a week or so after otd.

My clinic advised testing a few days after otd but comparing the lines isn’t overly helpful as too many factors in urine tests that can impact the strength of the test. That said, a few days between tests means you can usually see them get darker.

If you are worried though the fertility nurses are always knowledgable and taking a test of the same brand in a few days might but your mind at rest.

[MrsOrangejuice]

It's really up to you whether you test again and how. Some women just get their BFP and wait until their viability scan. As I've had three losses at early stages I've always gone to the opposite extreme and tested on urine sticks (often twice a day) and had repeat HCGs. The lines on the urine sticks are meant to get darker but different brands have different sensitivies, some are easier to read an compare than others, and the lines can be affected by urine dilution and time of day. I've driven myself mad comparing lines and worrying myself about progression. The only reliable way I've found to know what's happening in the early stages is to get HCGs repeated roughly 2 days apart. But again, it's not necessary, I just want to know so I can prepare myself if it's not looking viable. Not sure what is the cut off for when it's a chemical or not, or if there is one, but it's generally a positive on or before OTD and then little or no progression, lines fading or a negative test soon after. You're right that they are fairly common - that's also the case with natural pregnancies though - but even though it's crushing they do mean that quite a lot went right to get to that stage and that's there's a good chance of another transfer being successful.

[MagicTourmaline]

My clinic suggested to do another test 5 days after the BFP... My one was quite strong on testing day so it didnt get any darker, but it didnt get any lighter either...When I went to an emergency scan she asked me if I have done another test since my BFP...

To be honest not sure what you meant to see but it gave me a bit of a peace of mind...

I always use the first uring of the day as that should be the most concentrated...

Wishing you the best of luck! 💕

[GoonerT29]

honestly, test on test day, if it’s a very faint positive test again the next day to recheck it. I had a chemical in February, it was extremely faint on test day, negative the following day. I don’t recommend early testing as it can really impact your mood if it’s negative before being too early to test. Chemicals normally happen very early on, up to 5 weeks. HPT tests are not in any way at all an indication of a viable pregnancy, I’ve had dye stealers with my MMC and even stronger dye stealers with my ectopic pregnancy which I’m currently in hospital with. The only way to check a viable pregnancy is the hcg blood tests where they should double every 48-72 hours, irregardless of low of high starting numbers, as long as they increase as they should the starting point is irrelevant (A bit like the subjective embryo grades, some women get pregnant with A grades, some with c grades) then the hcg will be followed with your viability scan with your clinic. Wishing you the best for this cycle!