2 minutes with a pregnancy test
Would the little plastic stick gives us happy news after our months of trying?
By Suki Lock
Pic: Shutterstock
Article originally in
Parent24
If Jack Bauer thinks 24 hours are hard, he should try these 2 minutes.
While trying to conceive people have different approaches: marking the calendar, taking your temperature, having sex every x days or – for the less calculated of us – just going at it like bunnies.
Yet, the closer ‘that time of the month’ draws, one thought dominates the minds of every woman trying to make a baby: did it work this time?
Enter the home pregnancy test.
As this is my second time round, I asked hubbie to pick up a test (instead of spending many hours in multiple stores reading the boxes of every brand of home test kit available to mankind). This, however, is where my level-headed approach ended.
A time to read
The instructions were studied in-depth. All of the tiny words and the 3 pictures. In-depth.
As this was a Sunday, around noon, I soon realised there was no way I could wait until the next morning (the best time for the test), so I avoided the loo for 4 hours (second best).
A time to test
I made sure I had all the ingredients: the stick, flat surface, timer, cup and most importantly, a full bladder. Then I filled the cup (yes, with that), dunked the stick, placed it carefully on the flat surface and started the two minute countdown timer.
2:00
I wait.
1:54
Realise in a panic I forgot to put the cap back on the test. I slam the cap on and check it’s still lying flat.
1:52
Convince myself it is fine.
1:45
A walk around the bathroom.
1:30
Pick up a magazine.
1:23
Put the magazine back down; mind can’t focus (or is too focused).
1:14
Brief glance at the test – control line is bright pink. No other lines.
1:06
Get up. Sit down.
0:58
Try to convince myself I’m not ready for morning sickness.
0:54
Sheepishly retract the morning sickness thought.
0:50
Breathe in.
0:45
Breathe out.
0:41
Another glance.
0:38
Stare at the floor.
0:25
Try to figure out which is my leading eye by squinting at my thumb.
0:19
I think it’s my left.
0:18
Stare at the ceiling.
0:05
I try to convince myself I don’t even want more kids, the world’s a bad place, we can’t afford it…
0:01
I shut my eyes.
0:00
Still shut.
-0:03
Still. Shut.
-0:07
I open my eyes. I slowly turn my head to the test. A bright pink control line and – next to it – a not so bright pink second line.
I’m pregnant.
Calm.
I got up from where I was perched on the side of the bath and picked up the test. I walked to hubbie where he was lying in front of the TV.
‘I did the test. There’s a faint second line. I should probably get a blood test.’
His eyes flickered with hope and then said with the same cool tone as me: ‘Yeah, a blood test would be best.’
It was positive.
Have you done home pregnancy tests?
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