Lighter Pregnancy Tests (Speshal Snowflake edition)

JamieK1882

Took a wondfo this morning just for the heck of it. It was still positive, but lighter than previous ones. So of course I start googling. I found on another "speshful" (aka non-evidence-based) website this and wanted to see what people thought...

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"Yes, I know some people already know this...

I know a lot of us are POAS-aholics and continuously take tests well past our BFP. I do, because I have a ton of Wondfo cheapies leftover and after a miscarriage and then a chemical pregnancy (line didn't get darker after a couple of days) I am extra paranoid. My betas have been good, but this gives me an extra piece of mind.

Ok, so I have testing every couple of days with my Wondfos just because I love seeing that super dark test line appear before the control line. It gives me such comfort and slaps me into the reality that I am indeed pregnant! Well, a couple  of days ago (around 6w1d) I tested with FMU and the line was lighter than it had been! I had a brief moment of panic, but then I remembered reading that once HCG gets high enough, the tests will get lighter or even show negative! Makes sense, as they are not quantitative tests but instead qualitative tests. I added water to the cup so that it was 70% water and 30% urine. Dipped another test, and it was nice and dark! Whew!

So I decided to try the experiment one more time this morning.

FMU: line was barely even there!

80% water mixture: Super dark line shows instantly!"

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So my question is...do you think that could possibly be true? The line today wasn't that much drastically lighter that I am super concerned at this point, but thought that post above was interesting.

_darth

Don't compare tests with previous tests. Just don't do that to yourself. The dye lots are inconsistent, and not suitable for that type of comparison. 

SuperKristy85

That doesn't seem logical at all. All the test is testing for is the presence of HCG, the test should turn positive with any level over the threshold, it doesn't have a second condition that it also be under a certain level of HCG. 

queen_frostine

It makes sense that it wouldn't get darker after a certain maximum-darkness point, but not that it would get lighter again. HCG levels do drop at some point in pregnancy but I believe it is pretty late in pregnancy (if I remember correctly.) But yes to the dye lots - the dye lots can vary. I have been guilty of comparing tests from the same box, but really... anything that doesn't give you a number is unreliable for measurement.