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Baking soda pregnancy test

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What is the DIY Baking Soda Pregnancy Test?

What is the Baking Soda Pregnancy Test?

For women who are waiting eagerly to become pregnant, the wait to buy a pregnancy testing kit from the store can prove to be way too long. In such cases, do-it-yourself (DIY) pregnancy tests can come in handy. There are many natural ways of testing to see if you are pregnant with ingredients that can be easily found in your kitchen. One such DIY pregnancy test is the baking soda pregnancy test. Read on to learn more about the baking soda pregnancy test.

In an era of store-bought pregnancy testing kits, it is rare to hear anyone wanting to do a homemade pregnancy test. However, in recent times, homemade pregnancy testing kits have grown in popularity.[1] Testing options range from using toothpaste to vinegar to even baking soda.

The baking soda pregnancy test is a well-known and straightforward DIY homemade pregnancy test that many women use to determine if they are pregnant or not. The underlying idea behind this pregnancy test is to check if you are pregnant at home itself with the use of baking soda, which is a staple ingredient found in most kitchens.[2]

All only need to add a couple of drops of your morning’s first urine to a tablespoon of baking soda and check for a chemical reaction. Here’s everything you will need to do the baking soda pregnancy test at home:

– One tablespoon of baking soda

– Some urine sample from the first urine of the day 

– A sterilized container for collecting the urine

– A sterilized cup or container for holding the baking soda

– A pair of surgical or plastic gloves (optional)

How do you do the baking soda pregnancy test?

Here’s how to do the baking soda pregnancy test:

– After washing your hands thoroughly, wear the gloves.

– Take a tablespoon of baking soda and keep it ready in a sterilized container.

– Collect some urine in the container, taking precautions not to contaminate the sample.

– Pour a little bit of urine into the container with the baking soda.

Proponents of the baking soda pregnancy test recommend doing this test with the first urine of the day. During the day, the urine may end up getting diluted as you drink water and other beverages. This dilution can affect the results of the test.[3]

What do the results indicate?

The baking soda pregnancy test results become visible as soon as you add the drops of urine into the baking soda container. If you are pregnant, then you will notice an immediate fizzing reaction. If the pregnancy test is negative, though, then there will be no visible reaction.

The critical factor to remember here is that the baking soda pregnancy test is not at all accurate. The baking soda pregnancy test works by checking for the presence of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is the primary hormone produced during pregnancy.[4]

hCG is referred to as the pregnancy hormone because it is the first hormone that starts getting produced by the body when the fertilized egg implants in the lining of the uterus. hCG levels can be detected in a blood test as early as just ten days after conception and in a urine pregnancy test kit around 12-14 days after conception. hCG levels also double every 72 hours, thus reaching its peak within the first 8 to 11 weeks of pregnancy.[5]

See: Ayurvedic Home Remedies For Menopause Symptoms

When should you do the baking soda pregnancy test?

You can take the baking soda pregnancy test as early as your first trimester. You can try it after one week past your missed menstrual period. The levels of hCG hormone typically reach their peak around the tenth week of pregnancy. This is why you generally recommend that you take this test after the tenth week, but again, the results of the baking soda pregnancy test are not guaranteed.

Science behind baking soda pregnancy test

What is the science behind this?

There is no research study that confirms the efficiency of the baking soda pregnancy test. In fact, the science involved in the chemical reaction that occurs in this test is purely based on the chemical reactions of acids and bases. It has nothing to do with the detection of the hCG hormone. Baking soda is not capable of detecting any type of hormone whatsoever.

The fizzing that happens is because of the acid present in your urine. Baking soda is primarily made up of sodium bicarbonate, and when the acid present in urine is combined with baking soda, carbon dioxide gas is released. This is what causes the fizzing reaction when combing urine with baking soda.[6]

See: Perimenopause Diet & Weight Gain

Baking soda pregnancy test accuracy

Is the Baking Soda Pregnancy Test Accurate?

It is essential to keep in mind that there is no evidence to show that the baking soda pregnancy test results are accurate.

Some women claim to get correct results, while others say that it didn’t work for them. Sometimes you may end up getting a negative result when you first do the baking soda test, followed by a positive test result the next time when you do it. It can, therefore, be said that the baking soda pregnancy test has a 50 percent accuracy.

Nevertheless, the test is quite popular these days in many countries since it is a harmless and cost-effective method of testing your pregnancy. However, if you want to get a 100 percent accurate results, it is always better to do a pregnancy test with a store-bought pregnancy test kit or have a blood test at the doctor’s clinic.[7]

Summary

Even though the baking soda pregnancy test might not be accurate, it can still be a fun experiment to try at home, especially if you don’t want to wait to go buy a pregnancy kit or wait to get a doctor’s appointment to confirm your pregnancy. However, remember that you should not believe the baking soda pregnancy test results as there is no evidence to show it is accurate. This lack of evidence is why you should visit a doctor to get a precise diagnosis of your pregnancy.

See: Sugar pregnancy test at home

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