Fertility Questions

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What Does a Faint Line Mean on a Pregnancy Test?

On a pregnancy test, a faint test line - or color band - is usually indicative of a positive result, as long as it's read within the time frame - or reaction time of the test (usually at 5-10 minutes). If you perform the pregnancy test properly and read results within the recommended time frame, then a faint or weak color band in the test area is very likely a positive pregnancy test.

Evaporation Lines

Evaporation lines, however, can confound results if tests are not interpreted within the clinically recommended time frame. An evaporation line develops when the urine on the test area begins to dry, leaving a faint, usually colorless line. Evaporation lines appear to show up (or not show up) as a result of the composition of the particular urine specimen - and they may appear on any test regardless of brand.

Explanations for Faint Positives

Testing Too Early: If you test too soon, hCG may not be at a sufficient level for test detection. See the section above on determining when to take a pregnancy test.
Low Test Sensitivity: Different tests detect hCG at different levels, from 20MIU to 100MIU or more. 20 MIU tests will display a faint line when when hCG levels are at 20 MIU, while less sensitive tests will display a negative result. At 50 MIU levels, a 20 MIU test will show a stronger color band while a 50 MIU test will show a very faint band.
Dilution of Urine Specimen: Urine specimens may be diluted due to frequent urination or consumption of liquids. First morning urine is recommended for pregnancy testing as it contains the most concentrated presence of hCG.
Chemical pregnancy: Sometimes an early pregnancy is detected - followed by negative test results. A chemical pregnancy means implantation takes place (hCG is produced for a short time) followed by a miscarriage (generally, before any other pregnancy symptoms are detected).
Evaporation Lines: Always read your test results within the test reaction time (usually 5 minutes) as evaporation lines can develop as the urine dries on the test area. Evaporation lines appear to show up (or not show up) as a result of the composition of the particular urine specimen - and they may appear on any test regardless of brand.

Remember, a pregnancy test does not function like "light switch" - and just turn on: different hCG levels will produce different gradients of color bands (from very light, faint lines early in pregnancy to dark, rich color lines later on as hCG develops).

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A very conceivable diet

by Peter Lavelle / Published 08/11/2007/ Source

Infertility affects one couple in six, but simple lifestyle measures can help many couples conceive, say US researchers.

In our parents' day most women were married and had at least one kid by the age of 25. That seems like a lifetime ago.

These days in Australia most women give birth in their 30s. While they may be in a better position financially and perhaps mentally – in a more stable relationship, with a higher income – they're much less likely at that age to actually fall pregnant.

Women are most fertile between 17 and 25. Over the age of 35, one woman in three will have trouble getting pregnant.

It's not always the woman's fault – in 40 per cent of cases the finger can be pointed at the male. (In 40 per cent of cases the problem lies with the woman; in 10 per cent there is a problem with both partners and in another 10 per cent, the cause is unknown.)

There are various reason why a woman finds it harder to conceive in these later years – there may be a structural problem with the reproductive organs, like blocked fallopian tubes, or a disease of the uterus like fibroids or endometriosis.

Most cases, though, are due to a failure of ovulation – eggs just don't ripen and release when they're supposed to. This is usually because of a hormonal imbalance – at an older age, the body isn't producing enough sex hormones at the right time and in the right amounts to ovulate successfully.

For these women, IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) is an option, but it's not the preferred one: apart from anything else, it's time consuming, expensive and has a high failure rate.

But there's some good news this month from the US. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School say that adopting a few lifestyle measures can drastically improve the chances of getting pregnant, at any age.

They followed a group of 17,544 married women who were infertile due to ovulation failure but who were trying to get pregnant. The women were part of a larger study of women's health called the Nurses' Health Study II, based at the Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard. The researchers followed them over an eight-year period, looking in particular whether or not they followed a range of dietary and lifestyle measures. They looked at:

• the ratio of mono-unsaturated to trans fats in their diet
• protein consumption (and whether it came from animals or vegetables)
• carbohydrate consumption (including the amount of fibre they ate, and whether high or low glycaemic index)
• consumption of dairy products (and whether low or high-fat)
• iron consumption
• use of vitamin supplements
• body mass index (BMI, i.e. weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres) and
• degree of physical activity.

The researchers took into account whether a woman smoked, drank alcohol or coffee, and/or had used oral contraceptives in the past.

Those women with the lowest rate of infertility (and most likely to fall pregnant) were those who ate less trans fat, less sugar, ate food with a low glycaemic index such as pasta and whole grains, ate more protein from vegetables than from animals, had a good iron intake, took multivitamins, exercised daily, kept their BMI between 20 and 25, and (surprisingly) consumed more high-fat dairy products and less low-fat dairy products.

The more of these measures they adopted, the lower the infertility rate and the higher the pregnancy rate. This was regardless of the woman's age, or whether she'd had children before.

For example, those who adopted just five of these measures had a 69 per cent reduced risk of infertility compared to those who adopted none of the measures.

Even following just one of these lifestyle measures reduced the risk of infertility by 30 per cent compared to those women who followed none. Of all the lifestyle measures, weight and diet, rather than exercise, were the most important.

Blood sugar and insulin

Why should these measures improve fertility? It's believed they improve insulin resistance – that is, they help regulate insulin and blood sugar levels and this in turn may help the sex hormones to regulate ovulation successfully.

Why high fat dairy products help remains a mystery though.

Now adopting these measures won't necessarily work for other types of infertility, such as blocked fallopian tubes. But what it does mean is fertility due to ovulation problems – which account for most infertility cases – can be partly prevented through modifications of diet and lifestyle, the authors say.

As an added bonus, these measures are also good for the pregnancy if a woman does conceive, they say. Taking multivitamins containing folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects in the foetus. And keeping weight down reduces the chances of pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia.

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Do read emails from some of our previous FSDW members..

Hi Emma,

Just wanted to tell you the brilliant, fantastic and marvellous news that I'm pregnant! 

Took your advice and got clinic to inseminate me on first day of ovulation instead of second even though they were really unhappy about it. Also inseminated at home the day before and day after.
I am completely over the moon and thank you and the site from the bottom of my heart.