The tests aren't getting darker.

Hihi, it's already exciting enough with a first pregnancy, let's not make it even more stressful! No, but it's actually good to talk about it, especially to keep doing so and if you notice something you're unsure about and/or have questions, just ask. We'll keep your spirits up until Monday, and on Monday the midwife will take over with the good news.

That’s totally possible! It’s not really about your baby yet, since it’s still so small, but it’s related to bloating. I had that from week 7 onwards, and it was intense—I even had to buy maternity pants because my regular jeans were too tight. And yeah, those twinges are totally normal! I sometimes got scared and had to check after every bathroom visit to make sure nothing was wrong. I kept doing that until week 15... But I also got twinges in places I never expected, like down in my vagina! I thought that was so weird, and sometimes even really intense. But apparently, it’s totally normal, and (almost) every pregnant woman gets them. You just have to be prepared... haha!

It’s part of the process, or farmers letting things happen at the wrong time. It’s true that there’s a lot of growth and many changes happening inside! Brown is old blood, so that doesn’t seem like a big deal to me. No need to worry about it right away, I can assure you. For me, it’s actually quite fine, the little one is doing well too. Had positive check-ups with the midwife, on Saturday we’re having a 3D/4D ultrasound, we’re allowed to peek at our girl again!

I can totally relate to that insecurity, Saartje. With my oldest, I had bleeding at 7 weeks and a few days. The next day, an ultrasound showed everything was fine, luckily. But you still feel unsure, especially with the first one. I never had that with my daughter. And then in November, that early miscarriage. Now I'm a pretty sober/realistic person. I was sad, but I had clarity, and my gut feeling already told me something wasn't right. With this pregnancy, I had a nice positive test at 10 dpo and bleeding again at 12 dpo. Even though my tests kept rising and my gut feeling was really good, I remained unsure until that first ultrasound. And even then, because I wasn't quite 6 weeks yet, I only felt truly relieved after the ultrasound with that beautiful beating heart. As long as you don't have visual proof, it's still so unreal. So I hope you get that clarity too. Just a little more patience.

Hey Saartje, how are you doing now? Has the pain subsided a bit?

Definitely Saartje! And yes, we also found it really special, especially those live 4D images!

I just checked, indeed. I don't think you can tell how well a pregnancy is going just by looking at a pregnancy test. The hCG hormone is just different; sometimes you have a bit more in your urine, and sometimes a bit less. This also depends on how much you drink and at what times you test. If you're testing at different times, you really shouldn't test at all, because it's not comparable. Also, your ovulation might have been later than your own calculation, which means implantation would have been later too, so the test might show a line a bit later. I also see that you've used two different brands; one brand needs more hCG than the other, so unfortunately, that's not comparable either—you're just fooling yourself. Even the hCG hormone differs from woman to woman, so yours is different from mine. So, girl, please stop wasting all those tests; it makes you incredibly insecure. They're not cheap anyway, and it's a shame to spend money on that. You'd be better off spending that money on something for your baby! I'm completely convinced that everything is fine. Maybe you won't get that really dark line you hoped for, but you can see that the lines are getting darker, not much lighter. I'm not a midwife, of course, but I assume they'll tell you the same thing on Monday, and you'll leave the practice with a big smile!!

Orchidea, I don't entirely agree with you. Not meant in a mean way, of course, but not rising tests can indeed indicate that something went wrong after implantation. And of course I hope it's not the case, but this forum is also meant to be honest and realistic about how unpleasant that can be. Your hCG always rises in a healthy pregnancy, but there are indeed women who keep getting light tests despite everything being fine. But that happens less often than the other way around. I'd get anxious too, but just assuming everything is fine would only make the disappointment bigger if it isn't. And once again, I don't mean it in a mean way! I'm just being cautious. You only get certainty after the visit to the GP. I'm definitely rooting for you, Saartje!

I get what you're saying. I'm not a midwife either; I've mentioned that several times in my post, and also that we'll have to wait until Monday for the results.

But it could be due to so many things why her tests aren't getting darker, even though everything is fine.

I've read on other forums too, and it's actually quite common for tests not to get darker, even when things are okay. And indeed, being honest and realistic, I agree with you. But often, for someone who's already anxious, it's nice to have people who empathize and think along with them, rather than immediately assuming the worst. I assume Saartje is asking this partly to see if others have experienced the same, but mainly for support.

I just wanted to let you know that I'm not irritated at all, but I did appreciate the response. That's how I meant it, and I really only mean well. I've been realistic in my other posts too, but still optimistic!!

I get it, and staying optimistic is always good. I just think your own gut feeling often already tells you how things really are. We can only guess. And hope along with someone.

You're welcome! I'm totally with you, it's just the hormones.