First Morning Urine and Pregnancy Test Accuracy

Common Questions About Pregnancy Tests & Peeing on a Stick

To increase the accuracy - or more precisely to increase the possibility of receiving a positive test result earlier - it is advised to use a first morning sample when testing for pregnancy. Why? Unless you have urinated in the middle of the night, first morning urine should exhibit a higher concentration of the the pregnancy hormone, hCG. This means you can get an accurate result sooner than with other samples collected during the day or evening.

If I do not use FMU, how long should I wait before testing?

Typically, we advise "holding your urine" for about 4 hours before collecting a urine sample. Frequent urination can prevent a build-up in the concentration of hCG in a urine sample, meaning that the hCG level in the urine sample will be low (and you might receive a negative result when, in fact, you may be pregnant.

Should I not drink fluids before testing?

Along with holding your urine, you should not consume an exorbitant amount of liquids (which might cause frequent urination or dilute a urine sample). However, do not dehydrate yourself - just drink the normal amount of water you would anyway.

Bottom line - use a first morning urine sample to test and thereby increase the odds of detecting pregnancy sooner.

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