Ladies, we’ve all been there. You get symptoms of pregnancy, and you immediately freak out and Google “Am I pregnant?” or “Pregnancy symptoms”.
A pregnancy test kit from a pharmacy can give you precise answers to them, but it’s costly as well. An unplanned pregnancy may come with secrecy, embarrassment, and other inconveniences.
The best way to escape these hassles is to go for a homemade DIY pregnancy test. There are several natural pregnancy tests or ‘Do it yourself – DIY tests’. Many of these are more than 99 % accurate. (1)
Continue reading and learn:
- Symptoms of Pregnancy
- How to do a pregnancy test at home
- Best 12 homemade DIY pregnancy tests
- Tips to increase the accuracy of these pregnancy tests
First, let’s get to know some of the common signs of pregnancy:
Common Symptoms of Pregnancy
You must have experienced some visible physical changes that made you question, “Am I pregnant?” Here are some symptoms of pregnancy (2) that can tell you whether to go for a pregnancy test or not:
- Nauseous feeling: This is also called morning sickness. It may accompany with vomiting. The hormonal changes in your body make you feel this way.
- Short breath: you may experience shortness of breath as you climb stairs or do light works. This suggests that you are carrying a little one inside you. The growing fetus may create pressure in your lungs.
- Fatigue: you may feel tired and sleepy throughout the day due to the hormonal changes in the body.
- Tender and swollen breasts: The hormonal imbalance during pregnancy may make your breasts sore and bigger. Take a close look at them if you feel such changes. The areolas may turn dark, and you may feel mild pain in your swollen breasts as well.
- Missed a period: This is the first sign that makes you curious whether you have conceived or not. You should not ignore a missing period. It’s true that sometimes there may be a late period. But if the red tide is delayed for more than two weeks you should be concerned about it and go for a pregnancy test.
- Food cravings: Are you developing some food issues lately? An intense need for specific food items you didn’t like before or feeling sick of your favorite menu may send a signal that you are pregnant.
- Mood swings: Are you all in tears and irritated at little things around you? A significant change in hormones that prepare your body for the baby may affect your mood. An emotional turnaround may be a vital sign that you are pregnant.
12 Proven DIY Pregnancy Tests
1. Bleach Pregnancy Test
Bleach is a common cleaning agent. Bleach pregnancy test reacts with HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin hormone in your urine. (3)
If you are pregnant, this hormone is released from the placenta. This reliable DIY pregnancy test can give you quick result.
How to do?
- Collect your urine the first thing in the morning.
- In a container pour some bleaching powder and mix the collected urine to it
- Stir and mix it well.
Interpretation of the result:
- In case you are pregnant, the solution will put forth foam above it.
- The absence of foam means you are not pregnant.
2. Sugar Pregnancy Test
Sugar pregnancy test is the easiest one because you always have sugar at home. This particular DIY pregnancy test depends on the solubility of the sugar for a positive or negative result.
Let’s see how to perform this test:
How to do?
- Collect your first urine in the morning and preserve it in a container.
- Add one tablespoon of sugar to the urine.
- Observe the reaction of the urine to the sugar.
Interpretation of the result:
- If the sugar turns into clumps, it means you are pregnant. The presence of HCG hormone in your urine won’t allow the sugar to melt down.
- If the sugar gets dissolved in the urine, your pregnancy test is negative.
3. Toothpaste Pregnancy Test
Toothpaste is another product that is within easy reach at home. Make sure it’s white toothpaste to perform this test. (4)
How to do?
- Take a little amount of white toothpaste and spread it evenly on the surface of a bowl using a brush or spatula
- Add the morning urine sample to it.
- Mix it well and leave it for few minutes
Interpretation of the result:
- Observe the color of the paste. If it changes into blue, the effect is positive
- If there’s no change in color, then you are not pregnant.
4. Vinegar Pregnancy Test
Vinegar is a common culinary ingredient. Its chemical components comprise of 5-20% acetic acid. This acid can react with your urine and give you pregnancy report.
How to do?
- In a clean container collect the first urine sample in the morning.
- Take some white vinegar in a transparent bottle
- Add the urine sample to the vinegar and mix the solution well
- Observe the change in the color of the solution.
Interpretation of the result:
- If there’s observable change in the color of the vinegar; the effect is positive, and you might be pregnant.
- If the color remains unchanged, the result is negative.
Note: don’t pour the urine rapidly on the vinegar. This may form bubbles in the solution. The bubbles aren’t an indicator of the positive result of your pregnancy.
5. Soap Water Pregnancy Test
Soap is the most available toilet article at your home. It is a significant element to perform a pregnancy test.
You do not need to worry about the color or type of the soap.
How to do?
- In a container collect morning urine sample
- In a little water foam soap until it’s a bubble solution
- Add ¾ cup of urine sample to the ¼ cup of soapy water
- Notice the reaction
Interpretation of the result:
- If you notice a change in colour into greenish; the possibility is you are pregnant
- If there’s nothing observable the result is negative
6. Baking Soda Pregnancy Test
Baking soda is another up for grab kitchen ingredient at your home. This test is said to be 70% accurate.
How to do?
- In a cup collect your urine first thing in the morning
- Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the urine sample
- observe the reaction in the solution
Interpretation of the result:
- Do you notice bubbles in the solution? If you do, then you are pregnant.
- If there’s no bubble, you aren’t pregnant yet.
7. Pine-Sol Pregnancy Test
Pine sol is popularly known as Clorox. (5) It is a compelling cleansing product for our home. You’ll need the standard golden brown color Pine Sol without any scent in it.
The accuracy of pine sol pregnancy test makes it the most performed DIY pregnancy test at home.
How to do?
- In a container collect your urine first thing in the morning.
- Pour 1/3 cup of pine sol in a transparent vessel.
- Add the urine sample to the pine sol gradually.
- Give 10 minutes and let the reaction take place.
Interpretation of the result:
- If you notice the golden brown color of the solution changing into bluish green, the result says you are pregnant.
- In case there’s no change in color, be sure you aren’t pregnant this time.
Note: You should guess the amount of urine required for the test. Calculate how many days have passed since the coitus that led to the possible pregnancy. Because since the day you conceived, the HCG level in your urine has gone up with every passing day.
8. Mustard Powder Pregnancy Test
This favourite kitchen ingredient has fantastic medical benefits as well. One such health uses of mustard are regulating menstrual cycle or periods. (6)
Mustard powder pregnancy test is based on this trick.
The drawback of this test is that it doesn’t give you instant result. You need at least 24 hours to know the outcome of the test.
How to do?
- Fill your bathtub with lukewarm water and add 1 bowl of mustard powder to it.
- Allow few minutes for the powder to mix with the water.
- Immerse and soak yourself completely in this water for about 30 minutes.
- End the process with a bath using normal water.
- Wait for a day and see if your period starts or not.
- If your period does not resume, you may be pregnant.
Interpretation of the result:
- If your period is still at a halt after 24 hours; the result is indicating that you have conceived.
- If your period resumes, then you are not pregnant. The symptoms you experienced might have been PMS or premenstrual syndromes (7). They have nothing to do with pregnancy.
9 . Dettol Pregnancy Test
Dettol is an antiseptic product to disinfect wounds and surgical instruments. Most of the household has a bottle of this important antiseptic solution.
Who knew Dettol could be used for pregnancy tests with accurate results as well?
How to do?
- Take 1/4 cup of Dettol in a plastic cup
- Add ¾ cup of your morning urine sample to it.
- Let the reaction take place in 5 minutes.
- Observe the changes in the solution.
Interpretation of the result:
- If you see the urine forming a separate visible layer over Dettol; the result is positive; you are pregnant.
- If there’s no change in the solution; your pregnancy test result is negative.
10. Wine Pregnancy Test
Wine is a popular alcoholic beverage and a reliable agent for a DIY pregnancy test. In ancient times it was regularly used as a DIY pregnancy test in the west.
Do you have a little stock of wine at home? Then follow the procedure and do the test right away.
How to do?
- Take half a glass of white wine
- Pour half a glass of morning urine sample to it
- Mix the two well
- Let the solution sit for ten minutes
- Notice any possible reaction or change in color
Interpretation of the result:
- In case the first shading of the solution changes into a lemony color; it’s likely that you are pregnant.
- If there’s no transformation in color, the result is negative.
11.Dandelion Pregnancy Test
Dandelion means ‘lion’s tooth’ in French. It easily grows in parks and gardens. This beautiful flowering plant has incredible pharmaceutical uses. Especially the leaves which are used to perform pregnancy tests at home.
How to do?
- Pluck a couple of tender dandelion leaves and lay them on the surface of a bowl. Make sure they are not exposed to sunlight.
- Pour your morning urine sample on the leaves and soak them completely.
- Wait for 10 minutes and after that notice for any reaction on the leaves.
Interpretation of the result:
- If red blisters are popping up on the leaves, your pregnancy is positive.
- In case there’s no such change, the result is negative.
12. Urine Sampling Test
Perhaps this is the simplest option to test pregnancy at home. Your morning urine sample can tell a lot about what’s going on inside your body. There is little preparation for the urine sampling pregnancy test.
How to do?
- In a transparent container collect your morning urine sample.
- Let the urine rest for 5 hours and don’t shake or disturb in between.
- Pregnant or not? Check for result
Interpretation of the result:
- If there are a thin white film or foam surfaces on the urine sample; it’s good news. You are pregnant.
- If there’s no change in the urine sample, your pregnancy test result is negative.
13. Red Cabbage Pregnancy Test
Red cabbage is another easy ingredient to check your pregnancy status with. The blood red vegetable is full of nutrition beneficial for the body. This time you can make use of this vegetable for DIY pregnancy test at home.
What’s interesting about testing pregnancy with red cabbage is that the report not only confirms your pregnancy but also reveals the sex of the baby in the womb.
How to do?
- Cut half a cabbage and boil it on a pan for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and strain the solution and preserve it in a glass container.
- On a different container collect your urine.
- Once the cabbage solution is cool, mix equal amount of urine with it and shake it.
- Observe the color changes.
Interpretation of the results:
- If the color of the solution remains unchanged, you are not pregnant.
- A change of color suggests positive report of the pregnancy test.
Tips to Increase the Accuracy Natural Pregnancy Tests
Prefer the first urine of the day for the tests. The reason is that the HCG hormone remains concentrated in the morning urine.
- Avoid drinking water before you collect the urine as it may dilute the urine sample and affect the test result.
- Go to an open place, if you are performing pregnancy test with vinegar and bleach. These ingredients are acidic and can create fumes in reaction with urine.
- Pregnancy is a critical chapter in your life. So don’t solely rely on these DIY tests. Make sure to visit a doctor confidently.
- Always use plastic containers for the tests.
Bottom Line
Pregnancy is the most crucial part of a woman’s life. You need a lot of preparation both physical and mental to be a mother. Now that you know how to perform homemade pregnancy tests that work, don’t be unready for the big news.
Write your experience regarding any of the DIY pregnancy test ideas. Share your stories in the comment section.
