15 Simple Homemade Pregnancy Tests

For the many of us, the very concept of Home made Pregnancy Tests would sound unfamiliar; although it has been around for centuries. Homemade Pregnancy Tests are the easiest, convenient and the most cost-effective way of detecting Pregnancy. Until the advent of modern day Pregnancy kits, people have always relied completely on Home made Pregnancy tests. The most surprising fact about these tests are that the ingredients used are most often the off-the-shelf kitchen ingredients. While there are many online resources available on Homemade Pregnancy tests, the authenticity and scientific accuracy is a matter which still needs to be verified cent percent. So here are 15 Simple Homemade Pregnancy Tests for you to try.

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Advantages of Home Pregnancy Tests:

1. Easy to use, quick, convenient and cost-effective option to determine Pregnancy.
2. Most of the ingredients are off-the-shelf kitchen ingredients; doubling your level of ease and comfort.
3. It saves you the hassle of running to a Pharmacy store, every time you miss your period.
4. If you wish to keep your Pregnancy private, then you could opt for these tests.
5. One does not need to worry about the shelf life of Pregnancy kits.

Important Pre-requisites of Home Pregnancy Tests:

While we are aware of the Advantages of these tests, we should not forget that there are certain points to remember before we go ahead with these tests. They are listed as below:

1. Make sure to collect the first urine in the early morning; as it has the highest concentration levels of HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) – the pregnancy hormone.
2. It is important that you collect ample quantity of urine as you might have to perform the tests more than once to get the accurate results.
3. It is advisable to have a full bladder in the morning; therefore avoid using the rest room during the night.
4. Home Pregnancy tests may show positive results on the first day of missed period; but to see better and surer results you could wait for a week after the date of the missed period.

Here we are with our list of Home - made Pregnancy Tests, how they work, precautions to be taken and the possible outcomes of each of them.

Sugar Pregnancy Test - Homemade Pregnancy Test with Sugar

A kitchen ingredient as simple as sugar is the popular choice worldwide; as it is conveniently available plus the accuracy of the results is also quite high.

Procedure:

• Take 1 table spoon of sugar in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the collected sample of urine to it and wait to watch the reaction.

Observations:

• The urine of the pregnant women contain the hormone – HCG- which does not allow sugar to dissolve readily and easily in the urine. Thus resulting in the formation of lumps. This indicates a positive sign of Pregnancy.
• If the sugar readily dissolves in the urine, then the urine does not contain HCG, which means it is a negative sign of pregnancy.

Toothpaste Pregnancy Test - Homemade Pregnancy Test with Toothpaste

The only important thing being that the Toothpaste should be white in colour, a Pregnancy test could be easily performed using it.

Procedure:

• Take 2 tablespoons of toothpaste in a container and add 1 tablespoon of the sample urine collected in the morning. Keep it a few minutes aside.

Observations:

• If you observe that the toothpaste turns frothy and eventually bluish in colour, it is a clear indicator that the Pregnancy test is positive. The reason being that the chemicals in the toothpaste will react with the urine and change colour.
• If there is no change in colour then it means that the test is negative.

Shampoo Pregnancy Test - Homemade Pregnancy Test with Shampoo

An ingredient as simple as a shampoo could be used to determine your pregnancy. However, one point to be understood is that there is no chemical scientific basis to support the accuracy of this test.

Procedure:

• Take 1 table spoon of the urine sample in a plastic container. In another container mix a little shampoo to water to make a soapy consistency. Now add urine to this soapy mixture.
• Allow it to mix.

Observations:

• If the mixture turns fizzy or results in bubbles formation, then the chances of a positive result are high. The reason being that the HCG hormone reacts with the urine reacts to result in a fizz.
• If there is no change, then the result is negative.

Bleach  Pregnancy Test - Homemade Pregnancy Test with Bleach

One of the most common household items, bleach is supposed to be one of the most efficient and quickest methods to determine Pregnancy results.

Procedure:

• Collect ½ cup of sample urine and add ½ cup of bleach to it. Allow it to mix for a few minutes.

Observation:

• If the solution turns fizzy or becomes foamy, then the result is positive.
• If there is no change then it is negative.

Points to remember:

• Use hand gloves while handling bleach, as it exhumes fumes which could cause nausea and vomiting.
• Do not urinate directly over the collected urine as the fumes might irritate your skin and may result in skin itching and rashes.

Must Read: Top 10 Vegetarian Superfoods For Pregnant Women

Soap Pregnancy Test - Homemade Pregnancy Test with Soap

An item as simple as a common bathing soap could make for an efficient and convenient Home made Pregnancy Test. The best part being that there is no restrictions on the colour, fragrance and other factors before you consider choosing one. As long as it is a bathing soap, it would suffice the purpose.

Procedure:

• Take a small piece of soap and pour ½ cup of urine over it and notice the reaction.

Observation:

• If there is bubbles formation, then the Pregnancy is most likely to be positive.
• If there is no reaction, then the test is negative.

Baking soda Pregnancy test - Homemade Pregnancy Test with Baking soda

Baking soda or sodium bi carbonate is an active ingredient in the baking process; thus an active kitchen ingredient in any common household. It could also be used as an ingredient to perform Pregnancy test at home.

Procedure:

• Take 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl.
• Add the collected samples of urine collected in the morning into the bowl. Wait and watch the reaction.

Observation:

• If the resulting mixture leads to excessive bubbles or fizzy formation, then it means that the test is positive.
• In case of negligible changes, then the test is most likely to be negative.

Vinegar Pregnancy Test - Homemade Pregnancy Test

Vinegar is a form of acid in a more diluted form and is an essential part of Chinese dishes. Plain white vinegar is an easily readily available ingredient which could be used to conduct the Pregnancy Test.

Procedure:

• Take some vinegar in a plastic container and add your urine samples (collected in the early morning) to it. Mix properly.
• Keep it aside for 5 minutes.

Observation:

• Initially you might see bubbles formation. Allow it a few minutes to settle down.
• If you notice a change in the colour of vinegar, it is an indicator of positive pregnancy.
• If there are no changes in colour, then it is mostly negative results.

Pine-Sol Pregnancy Test

Pine sol is made from needle-like leaves and other parts of the pine tree and is golden brown in colour. It is basically a common household microbial agent. It is quite popular for doing Pregnancy test at home  as the results are mostly high in accuracy; and has been a favorite among women.

Procedure:

• Pour some Pine sol in a glass container. Note the colour of the Pine sol.
• Add the first sample of the urine collected in the morning.
• Allow both the liquids to submerge.

Observation:

• If the solution changes to bluish green colour, then it is a definite sign of Pregnancy.
• In case of no change, then it obviously is a negative sign.

Wheat & Barley Pregnancy Test - Homemade Pregnancy Test

According to one papyrus text from 1400 B.C.E., a woman could determine if she is pregnant or not with the help of two simple ingredients – barley and wheat. It is indeed as simple as it seems. It was believed that barley and wheat seeds germinate faster if they are replaced by urine from a pregnant woman instead of water. There is one more interesting fact to it – sex determination.  If the barley sprouted faster, then it would be a baby boy; and likewise if the wheat sprouted faster, then it would be a girl baby.

Procedure:

• In a bowl of barley and wheat , pour the first sample of urine of the pregnant woman, if the grains sprout then the test is positive.

Dandelion Leaves Pregnancy Test - Homemade Pregnancy Test

Dandelion leaves are considered to be one of the best and result-oriented method of testing Pregnancy.

Procedure:

• Place a few dandelion leaves on a plastic sheet away from direct sunlight. Pour the sample of urine on the dandelion leaves so that they get completely soaked.
• Leave it undisturbed for 10-15 minutes. And then observe.

Observation:

• If there is change in the colour of the leaves to reddish brown or there is formation of blisters on the leaves, then it shows the sign of pregnancy.
• In case of no change, then it is a negative sign.

Tylenol & Peroxide Pregnancy Test - Homemade Pregnancy Test

Tylenol is a common medication found in almost every household and is used to cure mild aches and discomforts. It is available in 2 forms – liquid gel form and white capsule form. It is always advisable to use the capsule form to ensure accurate results.

Procedure:

• Grind 2-3 Tylenol tablets and put them in a bowl.
• Pour peroxide so that the crushed powder turns fizzy.
• Now add a teaspoon of urine to the crushed mixture.

Observation:

• If the mixture turns blue, it indicates a positive outcome.

Mustard powder Pregnancy Test - Homemade Pregnancy Test

This is a unique kind of a test, as it does not require urine sample nor any kind of mixture or concoctions. All you need is fresh mustard seeds powder. The general nature of mustard powder is that it induces periods; that is due to it’s excessive heat-generation property. Therefore, in case of you missing your period, you could resort to this method to check your Pregnancy at home.

Procedure:

• Fill the bathtub with warm water; not too hot nor lukewarm too.
• Add ¾ cup of mustard seeds powder to the water.
• Soak yourself in the bath tub for atleast 20 minutes.
• After this step out of the bathtub and freshen yourself with fresh water.
• Wait for 2 days to know the results.

Observation:

• Incase you do not get your periods within 48 hours, it indicates that you are pregnant. At times, the results are known within a matter of 24 hours itself.
• Incase you get your periods within 48 hours, then it would have been a case of a missed period. And the chances of pregnancy are ruled out.

Also Read: Is It Safe to Travel during Pregnancy?

Storing urine Pregnancy Test - Homemade Pregnancy Test

The first urine sample of the Pregnant woman could be a stand alone ingredient required for Homemade Pregnancy test. This is an age old practice which has been in vogue since centuries. The urine in a test jar is very popular homemade pregnancy option.

Procedure:

• Collect a sample of first urine in the jar and let it stand for a day.

Observation:

• If you observe the formation of a thin layer on surface of the liquid , then there are strong chances of a positive outcome.
• In the case of no such layer formation, then there are no positive signs of pregnancy.

Salt pregnancy test - Home Pregnancy Test with Salt

Salt, by far one of the most required items in any kitchenette has proven to be one of the cheapest and sure methods to detect the results of Pregnancy.

Procedure:

• Take a clean bowl and pour urine sample in it.
• Add a teaspoon of common tablesalt to it.
• Allow it to stand for 3-5 minutes.

Observation:

• If you see formation of creamy white lumps then it is a sure sign of pregnancy.
• If there is no such thing, then the pregnancy is ruled out.

Dettol pregnancy test - Homemade Pregnancy Test

Dettol is a common household item and is been around for decades as it is a mild antiseptic to treat wounds and minor cuts. It might be interesting to discover the fact that dettol could be used as an ingredient to test Pregnancy at home.

Procedure:

• Take 1 tablespoon of dettol in a clean glass.
• Add 3 cups of urine sample into it.
• It is important to note that the ratio of dettol and urine should be 1:3

Observation:

• If the urine separates from water and forms a separate layer on the top then it means you are pregnant.
• If there is no such formation, and both the liquids mix to form a solution , then the chances of pregnancy are ruled out.

The Cons Of Home Made Pregnancy Test

Home made Pregnancy tests have been around for centuries; but the fact remains that these are definitely not 100% accurate. The reasons for this drawback are cited below:

• There are no clear guidelines for performing these tests.
• There are no specific ratios of the ingredients used to the ratio of the urine samples.
• The reactions and results could vary also because of the quality and quantity of the ingredients used.
• The time taken to observe the required changes and reactions is not constant; it is a fluctuating one.

Tips To Increase The Accuracy Of Home Pregnancy Tests

• The jars and bowls used should be clean and contamination free.
• The urine sample should be the first urine passed in the early morning; as also the test should be preferably done in the early morning itself.
• Any test you perform, should be ideally done 2-3 times to ensure the accuracy of the result.
• The reaction time of the tests is not constant, it may differ every time of performing it. therefore, patience is the key.

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