Women have been using various homemade pregnancy tests to confirm early pregnancy for many years. Homemade pregnancy tests have been around long before modern day over-the-counter pregnancy tests or medical pregnancy tests were available.
Most Popular Homemade Pregnancy Tests
There are quite a few homemade pregnancy tests that claim to work. The items needed for these pregnancy tests are probably already in your home. They are simple, cheap, discreet and there's no need to go to the drug store and take a chance of running into your nosey neighbor.
The Bleach Test
You will need bleach, first-morning urine, two containers, a well-ventilated room, rubber gloves, and a mask.
- Put on gloves and mask.
- Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup of bleach in the first container.
- Urinate in the second container.
- Add a few drops of urine to the bleach and wait about 10 minutes.
- If the mixture bubbles and gets foamy you may be pregnant.
The Soap Test
You will need a bar of soap (a small hotel soap will do the trick also), first-morning urine, and two containers.
- Place the bar of soap in the first container.
- Urinate in the second container.
- Place about two drops of urine directly on the soap.
- If the soap bubbles or gets foamy, you may be pregnant.
The Toothpaste Test
You will need plain white, high-quality toothpaste, first-morning urine, and two containers.
- Put one teaspoon of toothpaste in the first container.
- Urinate in the second container.
- Add about three drops of urine to the toothpaste and mix thoroughly (with a plastic knife, stirrer etc.).
- Wait about 10 minutes.
- If the mixture changes to a bluish color you may be pregnant.
The Vinegar Test
You will need white vinegar, first-morning urine, and two containers.
- Place one tablespoon of white vinegar in the first container.
- Urinate in the second container.
- Add three to four drops of urine to the vinegar.
- If there is a color change (any color), you may be pregnant.
The Vinegar and Tuna Juice Test
You will need white vinegar, one can of tuna, first-morning urine, and two containers.
- Drain the tuna but save the juice.
- Mix 1/2 cup vinegar with 1/2 cup tuna juice in the first container and set aside.
- Collect your urine in the second container.
- Add equal amounts of urine to the vinegar-tuna juice.
- Wait about 10 minutes.
- If it turns dark green, you may be pregnant. If it's yellow, you are most likely not pregnant.
The Sugar Test
For the sugar test, you will need white sugar, first-morning urine, and two containers.
- Put three tablespoons of sugar into the first container.
- Urinate in the second container.
- Add several drops of urine to sugar and wait about 10 minutes.
- If the sugar remains in a clump, then you may be pregnant.
- If the sugar dissolves, then you are probably not pregnant.
The Tylenol and Hydrogen Peroxide Test
You will need white Tylenol tablets, hydrogen peroxide, first-morning urine, and two containers.
- Crush two Tylenol tablets (the back of a spoon should work fine) and place in the first container.
- Add 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide to the crushed Tylenol in the first container.
- Urinate in the second container.
- Add mixture from the first container to urine. Wait about 10 minutes.
- If the mixture turns blue, you may be pregnant.
The Pine-Sol Test
You will need Pine-Sol, first-morning urine, two containers, rubber gloves, and a mask.
- Put on the gloves and mask.
- Pour a small amount of Pine-Sol in the first container.
- Urine in the second container.
- Pour equal amounts of urine into Pine-Sol and observe.
- Wait about 10 minutes. If the color changes, you may be pregnant.
The Dandelion Test
You will need freshly picked dandelion leaves, first-morning urine, one container, a piece of plastic, and rubber gloves.
- Pick dandelion leaves and set aside.
- Collect your urine in the container.
- Submerge the leaves in the urine for one minute.
- Remove leaves and lay on plastic.
- Check leaves every 10 minutes until dry.
- If red bumps form on the leaves, you may be pregnant.
The Urine in a Jar Test
You will need a clear, clean glass jar and first-morning urine.
- Collect urine in the jar and leave for 24 hours.
- Do not pick up the jar when looking at the urine.
- If you see a thin, white layer on top of the urine in the jar, you may be pregnant.
Do Homemade Pregnancy Tests Work?
There is some controversy on whether or not homemade pregnancy tests actually work. They also appear to be less reliable than their drugstore counterparts. However, the fact is they work the same way as the over-the-counter pregnancy tests by detecting the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) that is found in the woman's urine when she is pregnant. With the homemade pregnancy tests, if there is a detectable amount of hCG in the urine, there will be some type of chemical reaction with the various substances.
Guidelines
You should follow a few simple guidelines when performing these homemade pregnancy tests:
- Wait until at least one week after you missed your period.
- Only use your first-morning urine. It will contain the largest amount of hCG hormone and will be most accurate.
- Only use fresh urine. Do not let it sit for any length of time or do not refrigerate.
- Only use clean, clear disposable containers. You can sterilize them in boiling water before use as well. (Never use metal containers. The metal can interact with the chemicals.)
- When using harsh chemicals, work in a well-ventilated area and wear protective rubber gloves and a mask of some sort.
- Most importantly, keep in mind that no pregnancy test (other than a blood test) is 100% accurate. This includes over-the-counter pregnancy tests as well.
Of Course, See Your Doctor
With a homemade pregnancy test, it is not unusual to get a false negative on these types of tests. This means the test shows as negative and you can actually be pregnant. You can safely repeat these tests if you'd like. But it is always advised to make an appointment with your doctor so he can order a blood test to determine if you are actually pregnant with 100% accuracy.
