Pregnancy Testing

If you suspect you may be pregnant, you should schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Although many home pregnancy tests are accurate, there is always a chance of receiving a false positive or false negative result. To find out for sure if you are pregnant, and to get more in-depth information, you need to be tested by the doctors at North Carolina OB/GYN and Midwifery. Seeing the doctor early in your pregnancy will help you and your baby stay healthy.

Both urine tests and blood tests can let you know if you are truly pregnant. One test is designed to detect the pregnancy hormone, hCG, in your urine, while the other test checks your blood. You will need to see an OB/GYN for the blood test. Urine pregnancy tests (known as UPTs) can be performed in your doctor’s office, and is normally the first step in detecting a pregnancy. Your OB/GYN can perform a UPT, a blood test, and a sonogram (a test done during pregnancy that uses reflected sound waves to produce a picture of a fetus) to determine not only if you are indeed pregnant, but also how far along the pregnancy has progressed.

The blood tests your doctor performs can detect pregnancy earlier than a home pregnancy test. The drawback is that it usually takes two 24 hours to get results.