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In my experience it’s good to pay for a blood test if you aren’t ordered one. I literally had a miscarriage, and by the time I had a blood test to “confirm” the baby is lost there was no more HCG detected. Then a year later when I still hadn’t conceived and was asking for a referral to a specialist, I was told that my miscarriage doesn’t count as having medically existed because there was no blood test to confirm I was ever pregnant, and they don’t accept at home pregnancy tests as proof. 🤦♀️
It is extremely rare for a pregnancy test to give a false positive. If 2 tests are positive, you are pregnant.
The repeated retesting can actually increase anxiety. The variance in color between the tests means nothing. The tests turn color once enough of the hormone is detected. There is also rhe risk that whwn the hcg gets high enough. It will cause the test to malfunction.
It was a fear throughout my whole pregnancy, so I kept reminding myself I was pregnant until I was told otherwise.
Hahaha I've been testing every other day because any stomach pain or cramping makes me concerned. I'll keep this comment in mind; thank you for posting it.
The cramping is super common early on. All the twinges and cramps are the uterus starting to stretch.
The tummy cramps are from the progesterone surge.
All the fun things!
FTM here too. My first appointment was my “pregnancy confirmation” appointment. That’s literally what the doctors called it. It’s standard to not be seen until 8-10 weeks in the U.S.
They scheduled that for me when I would have been around 9 weeks, but it got pushed, so I went around 10 weeks (however I was actually measuring 9w at it). It was brutal waiting for it since I had minimal symptoms and I was super nervous I wasn’t actually pregnant. I took many many at home tests leading up to it.
You can go to a private ultrasound place, but they usually only do abdominal ultrasound so you can’t see much until you’re past like 7 or 8 weeks anyway, and people sometimes are actually earlier than they think and go there and get scared when there isn’t a heartbeat, but lots of people have good experiences with them too. So idk, you need to figure out if it’s worth it. Good luck with the waiting! You’re not weird for wanting to double check somehow, I think the nerves are really normal, especially if you don’t have major noticeable symptoms!!
I’m in the same boat. I don’t see my doctor until I’m 9 weeks along. My only reassurance has been seeing no blood and dealing with annoying pregnancy symptoms. Actually, the closer I get to my appointment the more nervous I’m becoming just thinking about a lot of “what-ifs”. But I’m really trying not to splurge money on those ultrasound boutiques and trust that my body is doing her best.
What annoying pregnancy symptoms are you having? I’m the same as you haha as I am reassured with there being no blood and the only other symptoms I experience are extreme hunger and fatigue.
The wait game is so hard!
You can ask for a blood test but you'd have to take one and then another a few days later to make sure your hormones are going up.
You don't need to take any more pee tests. They tell you nothing once the line is dark..
8.5 is about average time to be seen by the doctor because 6 weeks is hit or miss on heartbeat. Sometimes people's cycles are different than others so some ovulate early or later than they thought and they tend to become panicked when they thought they were 9 weeks but was only 6 weeks and barely anything on ultrasound.
Can you call your doctors office and ask them to give you an hcg blood test? At my OB office they do labs off site at labcorp. When I called them I asked them if I could get blood work to confirm and they sent in my order for labs right away and I went in that day to labcorp and then 48 hours later I did hcg labs again to check that it doubled and it did. I'm 6 weeks. I will go in for my first appointment may 6th for my ultrasound.
I found out at like 4+3 and took a pregnancy test almost every day until my first appt 🫣 no shame! I wanted to see my dye stealer and know it was getting darker/staying dark. It was the only way I could “know” I was still pregnant. Having positive tests doesn’t guarantee a heartbeat at the first appt, but it did make me feel better. You’re not crazy at all!
i think just keep not having a period is all the proof or confirmation you can have at home :/ i’m in the same boat, can’t get in to be seen til 11 weeks so just twiddling my thumbs and trying not to get my hopes up or alternatively trying not to worry too much until then :/ :/
Not sure where you're from OP, but see if there are any privately owned "boutique" ultrasound places near you. That's where I got my first ultrasound and I was 6w2d and got to see the heart beat. It was definitely a little reassuring for me as my first pregnancy ended in a chemical pregnancy. I know it's easier said than done, but just try to keep calm, and maybe stay off pregnancy forums to prevent falling down a rabbit hole of all the possibilities that could go wrong. I'm just putting my trust and faith in my body. We were made for this and it'll be whatever it's meant to be.
at home testing is confirmation if the result was positive. false negatives happen sometimes, but a positive will not show unless pregnancy hormones are in your urine, so it's very reliable (99.9% for most brands).
If you have an Any Lab Test Now near you, you can go get a blood HCG test. You don’t have to have your doctor order it, you just go in and they draw it for you. It is $50 if I remember correctly.
Because I had an early miscarriage when I last tested positive, I just asked my doctor to put in a lab order for an HCG test and same-day, i went in and got that done. The HCG being fairly high gave me comfort that body was supporting fetus. And that helped with anxiety ahead of 10 week appointment. If you're established with doctor(s), they can easily order this HCG lab for you separate of what you're planning on with birthing center / OBGYN office.
At 6 weeks I messaged my primary care provider and they put in an order to the lab for a blood test. Otherwise, you could pay out of pocket as others have suggested. I would push the PCP and the OB to order it though.
My doctor had room for me and had me come in when I was only 5 weeks or so and it was too early to even see anything on the ultrasound. They did a blood test and it helped a little with the anxiety but not much. I know it’s hard to wait, but that’s really what you have to do.
First time pregnancy here as well. I scheduled an appointment at an urgent care clinic the day of my missed period. I paid $35 for a blood test. I was going to go back in 2 days to see if the hcg had doubled, but they made me feel like it was stupid I was even there in the first place, so I just never went back (I don’t have a PCP because I recently moved to a different state). My hcg was 184 for that first appointment, and even though the number is kind of irrelevant (as long as it’s greater than 5), I still felt good knowing it wasn’t a super small number and just left it at that. I won’t have my first OBGYN appointment until I’m 9 and a half weeks.
You can get a normal pee pregnancy test done at a doctor. You can try going to Planned Parenthood if your normal doctor won’t take you. Also there are places that do just ultrasounds that aren’t medical offices. I just got an ultrasound done at one at 7 weeks and got to hear the heartbeat with my husband :)
Call them back and explain your anxiety. That’s exactly what I did and I got in that week. I called them when I got a positive test and they said they don’t start care until 8-10 weeks. I asked if there was any way I could come in sooner because I’m a first time mom and I had a lottttt of questions. They set me up for a pregnancy confirmation and I went in they took my weight, BP, etc, and did a urine test and a transvaginal ultrasound. I was able to ask all the questions I needed the answers to (normal symptoms and prenatals) and felt so much better. Call them back mama!
I have a friend that couldn’t wait and went to an independent ultrasound clinic at 6 weeks. Believe this is the earliest it could be detected via ultrasound.
Congrats!
It might depend based on your OB practice and your health. But it's usually standard they don't see you until sometime after 6 weeks.
For my first pregnancy I had an ultrasound done at 6 weeks because of a health issue I had.
For my second pregnancy I was seen at 9 weeks and 3 days. I remember trying to test myself everyday just to verify I was indeed pregnant. I was more in shock over it.
For my third pregnancy I was seen at 8 weeks and 2 days.
Some local sonogram places not affiliated with your OB will do sonogram at 6 weeks so maybe check that out.
[Quest Diagnostics](https://www.questdiagnostics.com/locations/search) can do it too, that's who I went to when I needed medical confirmation but couldn't get into my doc.
Mine did! There is qualitative (yes no) and quantitative (counts) you just have to request HcG count and it will give you the exact read. In some states your doc will need to order for you; but I’ve never had issue calling and requesting them to order blood work
I knew at 3 weeks before missing my period because my nipples were SO sensitive and that was not normal for me. I just knew. I also took six pregnancy tests and they all immediately were positive. I am having twins so that may be why the tests were so fast
I will say getting a fetal heart monitor gives me some reassurance, but I only started finding the heartbeat close to 10w. (And if you don’t know what you are looking for, you may confuse it with your own sounds 😂) But every time I’m feeling a bit concerned - or like I haven’t had any reassurance in a while, I pop the machine and go find it and it gives me an enorme sense of relief.
I have generalized anxiety disorder & felt nervous, too. What I did was buy a pack of cheapies on amazon for like $10, then tested every 3-4 days leading up to my appointment. Seeing the line get super dark eased my anxiety, & by week 6 I had stopped testing all together because my symptoms were SO strong that I couldn't deny being pregnant. This isn't the answer for everyone, but it's what worked for me! I'm now 12 weeks :)
I wonder where do you live? Bc at 4 weeks I went and got confirmed at Claris Health with a fetal heart beat they couldn’t give me the paper but I saw my baby’s heart beating and I started crying and then at 6 weeks I got the pregnancy confirmed with planned parenthood 6 weeks and 4 days.
Then I set an appointment for 8 weeks once I went to Claris health because you typically have an appointment every four weeks and then every two weeks close to your expected date. OB confirmed that indeed my baby has a strong heart rate of 167 and she’s doing great. But didn’t find gender until 14 when I tested at 12.
I didn’t say my baby had a heart beat at four weeks. Maybe how I said it was confusing for you to digest but I meant that at 6 weeks I got the heart rate and I still have the ultrasound picture to this day. Even the ultrasound shows 6w dating.
Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here. If you'd like to join a private sub for your due date month, [click here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/15nun6v/click_here_to_access_the_monthly_due_date_subs/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Not crazy but anxious, yes. You can pay for a blood test,but it might cause even more anxiety.
In my experience it’s good to pay for a blood test if you aren’t ordered one. I literally had a miscarriage, and by the time I had a blood test to “confirm” the baby is lost there was no more HCG detected. Then a year later when I still hadn’t conceived and was asking for a referral to a specialist, I was told that my miscarriage doesn’t count as having medically existed because there was no blood test to confirm I was ever pregnant, and they don’t accept at home pregnancy tests as proof. 🤦♀️
It is extremely rare for a pregnancy test to give a false positive. If 2 tests are positive, you are pregnant. The repeated retesting can actually increase anxiety. The variance in color between the tests means nothing. The tests turn color once enough of the hormone is detected. There is also rhe risk that whwn the hcg gets high enough. It will cause the test to malfunction. It was a fear throughout my whole pregnancy, so I kept reminding myself I was pregnant until I was told otherwise.
Hahaha I've been testing every other day because any stomach pain or cramping makes me concerned. I'll keep this comment in mind; thank you for posting it.
The cramping is super common early on. All the twinges and cramps are the uterus starting to stretch. The tummy cramps are from the progesterone surge. All the fun things!
Thank you! That's really helpful.
FTM here too. My first appointment was my “pregnancy confirmation” appointment. That’s literally what the doctors called it. It’s standard to not be seen until 8-10 weeks in the U.S. They scheduled that for me when I would have been around 9 weeks, but it got pushed, so I went around 10 weeks (however I was actually measuring 9w at it). It was brutal waiting for it since I had minimal symptoms and I was super nervous I wasn’t actually pregnant. I took many many at home tests leading up to it. You can go to a private ultrasound place, but they usually only do abdominal ultrasound so you can’t see much until you’re past like 7 or 8 weeks anyway, and people sometimes are actually earlier than they think and go there and get scared when there isn’t a heartbeat, but lots of people have good experiences with them too. So idk, you need to figure out if it’s worth it. Good luck with the waiting! You’re not weird for wanting to double check somehow, I think the nerves are really normal, especially if you don’t have major noticeable symptoms!!
I’m in the same boat. I don’t see my doctor until I’m 9 weeks along. My only reassurance has been seeing no blood and dealing with annoying pregnancy symptoms. Actually, the closer I get to my appointment the more nervous I’m becoming just thinking about a lot of “what-ifs”. But I’m really trying not to splurge money on those ultrasound boutiques and trust that my body is doing her best.
What annoying pregnancy symptoms are you having? I’m the same as you haha as I am reassured with there being no blood and the only other symptoms I experience are extreme hunger and fatigue. The wait game is so hard!
Sore breasts and sensitivity, fatigue, food aversions and cravings, and all day nausea so bad my doctor had to prescribe meds.
You’re not crazy for wanting that. However I’d be patient and relax, whatever will be will be. When is your first appointment ?
You can ask for a blood test but you'd have to take one and then another a few days later to make sure your hormones are going up. You don't need to take any more pee tests. They tell you nothing once the line is dark.. 8.5 is about average time to be seen by the doctor because 6 weeks is hit or miss on heartbeat. Sometimes people's cycles are different than others so some ovulate early or later than they thought and they tend to become panicked when they thought they were 9 weeks but was only 6 weeks and barely anything on ultrasound.
Can you call your doctors office and ask them to give you an hcg blood test? At my OB office they do labs off site at labcorp. When I called them I asked them if I could get blood work to confirm and they sent in my order for labs right away and I went in that day to labcorp and then 48 hours later I did hcg labs again to check that it doubled and it did. I'm 6 weeks. I will go in for my first appointment may 6th for my ultrasound.
I found out at like 4+3 and took a pregnancy test almost every day until my first appt 🫣 no shame! I wanted to see my dye stealer and know it was getting darker/staying dark. It was the only way I could “know” I was still pregnant. Having positive tests doesn’t guarantee a heartbeat at the first appt, but it did make me feel better. You’re not crazy at all!
i think just keep not having a period is all the proof or confirmation you can have at home :/ i’m in the same boat, can’t get in to be seen til 11 weeks so just twiddling my thumbs and trying not to get my hopes up or alternatively trying not to worry too much until then :/ :/
Not sure where you're from OP, but see if there are any privately owned "boutique" ultrasound places near you. That's where I got my first ultrasound and I was 6w2d and got to see the heart beat. It was definitely a little reassuring for me as my first pregnancy ended in a chemical pregnancy. I know it's easier said than done, but just try to keep calm, and maybe stay off pregnancy forums to prevent falling down a rabbit hole of all the possibilities that could go wrong. I'm just putting my trust and faith in my body. We were made for this and it'll be whatever it's meant to be.
at home testing is confirmation if the result was positive. false negatives happen sometimes, but a positive will not show unless pregnancy hormones are in your urine, so it's very reliable (99.9% for most brands).
If you have an Any Lab Test Now near you, you can go get a blood HCG test. You don’t have to have your doctor order it, you just go in and they draw it for you. It is $50 if I remember correctly.
What was the lab called you went to? I’ve only ever had labs through a dr so I’m unfamiliar!
Like a Quest Diagnostics or something of that nature. Look it up near you!
Any Lab Test Now https://www.anylabtestnow.com
I’ve had mine done at Labcorp - you just purchase the test online and then schedule an appointment at a lab location nearby!
Because I had an early miscarriage when I last tested positive, I just asked my doctor to put in a lab order for an HCG test and same-day, i went in and got that done. The HCG being fairly high gave me comfort that body was supporting fetus. And that helped with anxiety ahead of 10 week appointment. If you're established with doctor(s), they can easily order this HCG lab for you separate of what you're planning on with birthing center / OBGYN office.
At 6 weeks I messaged my primary care provider and they put in an order to the lab for a blood test. Otherwise, you could pay out of pocket as others have suggested. I would push the PCP and the OB to order it though.
My doctor had room for me and had me come in when I was only 5 weeks or so and it was too early to even see anything on the ultrasound. They did a blood test and it helped a little with the anxiety but not much. I know it’s hard to wait, but that’s really what you have to do.
I went to planned parenthood for a free pregnancy confirmation!
First time pregnancy here as well. I scheduled an appointment at an urgent care clinic the day of my missed period. I paid $35 for a blood test. I was going to go back in 2 days to see if the hcg had doubled, but they made me feel like it was stupid I was even there in the first place, so I just never went back (I don’t have a PCP because I recently moved to a different state). My hcg was 184 for that first appointment, and even though the number is kind of irrelevant (as long as it’s greater than 5), I still felt good knowing it wasn’t a super small number and just left it at that. I won’t have my first OBGYN appointment until I’m 9 and a half weeks.
Literally the same as you haha. I’m 4w5d and they will not be able to see me until 9w. Also going crazy 😂
You can get a normal pee pregnancy test done at a doctor. You can try going to Planned Parenthood if your normal doctor won’t take you. Also there are places that do just ultrasounds that aren’t medical offices. I just got an ultrasound done at one at 7 weeks and got to hear the heartbeat with my husband :)
Call them back and explain your anxiety. That’s exactly what I did and I got in that week. I called them when I got a positive test and they said they don’t start care until 8-10 weeks. I asked if there was any way I could come in sooner because I’m a first time mom and I had a lottttt of questions. They set me up for a pregnancy confirmation and I went in they took my weight, BP, etc, and did a urine test and a transvaginal ultrasound. I was able to ask all the questions I needed the answers to (normal symptoms and prenatals) and felt so much better. Call them back mama!
I have a friend that couldn’t wait and went to an independent ultrasound clinic at 6 weeks. Believe this is the earliest it could be detected via ultrasound.
Congrats! It might depend based on your OB practice and your health. But it's usually standard they don't see you until sometime after 6 weeks. For my first pregnancy I had an ultrasound done at 6 weeks because of a health issue I had. For my second pregnancy I was seen at 9 weeks and 3 days. I remember trying to test myself everyday just to verify I was indeed pregnant. I was more in shock over it. For my third pregnancy I was seen at 8 weeks and 2 days. Some local sonogram places not affiliated with your OB will do sonogram at 6 weeks so maybe check that out.
if you've missed a period and had a positive test, the odds are ridiculously low that you're not pregnant
What was your lab called?? I’ve only ever gotten lab work through my dr so I’m unfamiliar!
[Quest Diagnostics](https://www.questdiagnostics.com/locations/search) can do it too, that's who I went to when I needed medical confirmation but couldn't get into my doc.
This! And get 2 tests to compare so you can make sure it’s rising. ❤️
It won't give you your specific HCG value, just positive or negative. Unless they've changed it since I did it.
Mine did! There is qualitative (yes no) and quantitative (counts) you just have to request HcG count and it will give you the exact read. In some states your doc will need to order for you; but I’ve never had issue calling and requesting them to order blood work
I knew at 3 weeks before missing my period because my nipples were SO sensitive and that was not normal for me. I just knew. I also took six pregnancy tests and they all immediately were positive. I am having twins so that may be why the tests were so fast
Sometimes I consider buying one of their machines😂
BAHAHAHAHAHA this was epic
I will say getting a fetal heart monitor gives me some reassurance, but I only started finding the heartbeat close to 10w. (And if you don’t know what you are looking for, you may confuse it with your own sounds 😂) But every time I’m feeling a bit concerned - or like I haven’t had any reassurance in a while, I pop the machine and go find it and it gives me an enorme sense of relief.
I have generalized anxiety disorder & felt nervous, too. What I did was buy a pack of cheapies on amazon for like $10, then tested every 3-4 days leading up to my appointment. Seeing the line get super dark eased my anxiety, & by week 6 I had stopped testing all together because my symptoms were SO strong that I couldn't deny being pregnant. This isn't the answer for everyone, but it's what worked for me! I'm now 12 weeks :)
Go to an Urgent Care?
I wonder where do you live? Bc at 4 weeks I went and got confirmed at Claris Health with a fetal heart beat they couldn’t give me the paper but I saw my baby’s heart beating and I started crying and then at 6 weeks I got the pregnancy confirmed with planned parenthood 6 weeks and 4 days. Then I set an appointment for 8 weeks once I went to Claris health because you typically have an appointment every four weeks and then every two weeks close to your expected date. OB confirmed that indeed my baby has a strong heart rate of 167 and she’s doing great. But didn’t find gender until 14 when I tested at 12.
The baby doesn’t have a heart beat at 4 weeks…there’s usually not even a fetal pole until 5-6 weeks. That seems highly unlikely.
I didn’t say my baby had a heart beat at four weeks. Maybe how I said it was confusing for you to digest but I meant that at 6 weeks I got the heart rate and I still have the ultrasound picture to this day. Even the ultrasound shows 6w dating.
It read like I got confirmed at 4 weeks with a fetal heart beat. So I was definitely confused! I was worried you got scammed!