How to Check Pregnancy at Home - 5 Easy and Natural DIY Tests

If you’re experiencing symptoms of pregnancy or are unsure if you’re pregnant, you don’t have to feel anxious, confused, vulnerable, or alone. Today, there are several tests available to check pregnancy at home with ease. They are simple, safe, affordable, and time tested across generations. These tests are especially useful when you are worried about an unplanned pregnancy or want to check if you’re pregnant in privacy.

Many of these natural, DIY pregnancy tests are based on folk remedies and can offer indicative results, as it is believed that they too work by detecting the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the pregnancy hormone, in the urine.

Benefits of checking pregnancy at home the natural way

Rushing to the pharmacy to get a home pregnancy test kit to check pregnancy at home may not always be an option. If you suspect an unplanned pregnancy and don’t want others to know, homemade pregnancy tests can be a quick-and-easy way to check if you are pregnant from the comfort of your home. Remember, these are good to get the initial indication and you can always follow it through with your Doctor to be fully sure. 

Some other benefits of using homemade pregnancy tests:

1. The ingredients used in these tests are natural and readily available at home.

2. The tests are easy to assemble, easy to perform, and safe to use.

3. They don’t have an expiry date like the store-bought tests.

4. You can dispose of these natural tests easily, without the fear of being discovered by others.

5. These tests are cost-effective and can help you put your mind at ease.

5 of the best home pregnancy tests that are natural and safe

1. Finger pregnancy test

How to check pregnancy at home with fingers

You can check pregnancy at home by inserting your fingers into your vagina to determine your cervix’s position. Shaped like a spherical ball, the cervix sits between the uterus and the vagina and is the entrance to the womb. It also has a small hole in it through which:

• Period blood comes out during menstruation

• Sperm enters the uterus after sex

• Child is born

During menstruation and pregnancy, the cervix goes through many changes: 

• When your ovary releases an egg, your cervix goes inside your vagina (upwards). It also becomes slightly soft. At this time, you may also get a white, watery, sticky discharge from your uterus.

• Around your period dates, your cervix comes outside (downwards). It also becomes a little hard.

• When you conceive, even after your period date passes, your cervix does not come down and remains up. 

Monitoring these changes can help you check if you’re pregnant.

While checking pregnancy at home with fingers, using your middle finger could give you better results as it is the longest finger. 

Requirements:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap or hand wash to avoid any infection.

• Ensure that your nails are not long. If they are long, trim them.

Method:

If you’ve missed a period or if your period is off, lie down on the bed and insert your middle finger slowly inside your vagina and feel your cervix. 

Positive:

If you feel that your cervix is inside your vagina (upwards) and soft to the touch, then it could mean that you are pregnant or ovulating.

Note: If the finger pregnancy test is done 14 days after your period date, then you could be ovulating. If the test is done 1-2 days after you missed a period, then you could be pregnant.

2. Salt pregnancy test

How to check pregnancy at home with salt

The salt pregnancy test is one of the easiest homemade pregnancy tests to perform. 

Requirements: 

• A urine sample collected in the morning

• One or two tablespoons of salt

• A clean glass to mix the ingredients

Method: 

Mix the urine and salt in equal parts in the glass and wait for a few minutes.

Positive: 

If the salt forms creamy white clumps in the urine, you’re pregnant.

Negative:

If there is no change after mixing the ingredients, you’re not pregnant.

Note: Checking pregnancy at home with salt is a traditional method and there’s no scientific evidence to support the same.

3. Toothpaste pregnancy test

How to check pregnancy at home with toothpaste

The toothpaste pregnancy test is another handy way of checking if you are pregnant using what’s readily available at home. 

Requirements:

• A urine sample collected in the morning

• Two tablespoons of white-colored toothpaste (don’t use colored toothpaste as it may give inaccurate results due to the presence of other ingredients)

• A clean bowl to mix the ingredients

Method:

Mix the urine sample with two tablespoons of white-colored toothpaste in a clean bowl and wait for some time.

Positive:

If the toothpaste changes color (blue) and grows frothy, you’re pregnant.

Negative:

If the toothpaste stays the same, you’re not pregnant.

Note: Checking pregnancy at home with toothpaste is one of the latest additions to homemade pregnancy tests and while it can be effective, there is no scientific evidence to support its results. Also, the quantity of urine used and the time you need to wait for the results are not fixed.

4. Sugar pregnancy test

How to check pregnancy at home with sugar

The sugar pregnancy test is one of the most widely used homemade pregnancy tests. This test was one of the most used ways of checking pregnancy at home when there were no clinically approved pregnancy kits available.

Requirements:

• A urine sample collected in the morning

• One tablespoon of sugar (white)

• A clean bowl to mix the ingredients

Method:

Add one tablespoon of sugar to one tablespoon of urine in a clean bowl and mix.

Positive: 

If the sugar starts forming lumps in the urine, you’re pregnant. 

Negative:

If the sugar dissolves in the urine easily, you’re not pregnant.

Note: Checking pregnancy at home with sugar is a traditional method and there’s no scientific evidence to support the same. It is believed that in case of pregnancy, the hCG hormone in the urine prevents the sugar from dissolving readily in it. 

5. Vinegar pregnancy test

How to check pregnancy at home with vinegar

The vinegar pregnancy test is an affordable and easy-to-do DIY test to check pregnancy at home. 

Requirements:

• A urine sample collected in the morning

• Two tablespoons of white vinegar

• A clean glass to mix the ingredients

Method:

Slowly add the urine sample to two tablespoons of white vinegar in the glass. 

Positive:

If the vinegar changes color and bubbles start forming, you’re pregnant. 

Negative:

If the solution doesn’t change in color, you’re not pregnant.

Note: Checking pregnancy at home with vinegar is a traditional method and there’s no scientific evidence to support the results. 

Tips to make the homemade pregnancy tests more accurate

To ensure that these tests to check pregnancy at home give you the closest to accurate results, do the following:

1. Use the day’s first urine as it contains concentrated levels of hCG (the pregnancy hormone).

2. Collect the urine in a clean plastic container.

3. Collect a sufficient quantity of the urine sample. If the amount is too little, the test result may be skewed.

4. Give it 5-10 minutes for the result to appear.

5. Repeat the test or use another pregnancy test to cross-check the result.

How reliable are these homemade pregnancy tests?

While the DIY homemade pregnancy tests have been used across generations in India, some since ancient times when there were no clinically approved pregnancy tests available, the efficacy of most of these methods has not been scientifically tested. Many of these pregnancy tests could give accurate results just by chance. However, some of these tests have been proven to be more effective than others, and you can use them to get quick results without having to dash to the pharmacy.

Besides homemade pregnancy tests, you can also use fertility monitoring tools and methods such as basal body temperature measurement and ovulation date tracking to check pregnancy at home. You can use the Ovulation Calculator. While these are reliable methods, it will take you a long time to monitor and you will need the know-how to do so. 

To confirm your pregnancy, use a store-bought pregnancy test kit or get tested at the Doctor's.

When to take a pregnancy test

If you have missed a period, take the pregnancy test the week after to get the most accurate result.

If you have had unprotected intercourse and cannot wait to see if you do miss a period, take the pregnancy test at least 1-2 weeks after having intercourse. 

For pregnancy to be detectable, your body needs time to develop sufficient levels of hCG. This usually takes 7-12 days after successful egg implantation. 

If you do a test before this period, you may get an inaccurate result.

Some signs to watch out for:

• Missed period

• Cramps

• Sore/Sensitive breasts 

• Nausea

• Exhaustion

• Food aversions

• Aversions to certain smells

• Frequent urination

When to Consult a Doctor 

If you get a positive result after trying one of the homemade pregnancy tests mentioned above, double-check it by trying another test. You can also purchase a home pregnancy test from the pharmacy at this point. If the second test also gives a positive result, consult your doctor to confirm the pregnancy, so that you can start getting proper care as soon as possible.

Symptoms that mirror pregnancy 

If you took a pregnancy test and got a negative result but you are experiencing symptoms that mirror positive pregnancy-associated symptoms, it could be because of some other medical issue. In case you have such pregnancy-like symptoms, consult your doctor at the earliest.