When should I take a pregnancy test?

Why testing early gives false negatives

Home tests detect hCG, the hormone the embryo produces after implantation. Implantation itself happens 6–12 days after ovulation, and hCG then doubles roughly every 48 hours — so a test taken even two days early can miss a real pregnancy simply because the hormone hasn't crossed the test's detection threshold yet.

Getting the most reliable result

• Wait for the missed period — even "early result" tests are dramatically more reliable from day one of a missed period.
• Use first-morning urine while hCG is at its most concentrated.
• A faint line is a line — any positive deserves confirmation, not dismissal.
• Negative but no period? Retest in three days; if it stays negative and your period stays absent, speak to your GP.

If your cycles are irregular, work from the latest possible ovulation date rather than the earliest — our ovulation calculator helps you map the window.