How Early Is Too Early for a Pregnancy Test to Be Accurate?

If your period is late, it is enough time for tests to pick up pregnancy hormones. False negatives can happen, but that usually when people try to test before their period is actually late. I think you could buy a new test (any brand) and test again in 24-48 hours.

It sounds like you want to be pregnancy, but it's really too early to have pregnancy symptoms, IMO, so don't put too much weight on those (sorry).

If you still feel "off", the re-test in 48 hours is still negative, and your period doesn't come, please make an appointment with your OB.

i'm pretty sure there are directions on the box that answer this question precisely.
khairete
S.

I always waited until at least two weeks past missing my period to take a home test.
Why get your hopes up over nothing? Even if you are pregnant you aren't far enough along to have any "symptoms" you're just projecting. Put on your big girl panties and learn how to be patient.
God knows if you DO have a kid you're going to have to learn patience more than anything...

I was always told wait 3 days. The hormones are supposed to show by 14 days after fertilization. If your ovulation date is off (I charted mine so I knew), you might have ovulated later in your cycle. Just wait a few days.
Some pregnancy tests are supposed to be more sensitive (picking up smaller traces of the hormone). Not sure if that's true. You'd have to Google or ask your pharmacist.
I tended to test first thing in the morning, before I'd had any water/liquid to dilute my urine. That was something my doctor suggested. Good luck.
Patience is key ... if you stress yourself out, you'll develop fake symptoms - my doctor also told me that :)

with my first i got a negative on the day my period was due, no period and one week later the second test in the package said positive. (i used a first response early response)
so i would wait a week and test again.

I didn't test positive until 4 weeks with both of my kiddos, so it is possible. If you really want to know, you should have a blood test at the doctor. Or, wait and see. I do have to say though, that I did have symptoms by 2 weeks in....but my body really didn't like being pregnant, so that probably added to my symptoms. And, no, I wasn't trying.