You’ve done a pregnancy test at home, and want to be absolutely sure that you’re pregnant? Consider visiting your doctor to do a pregnancy blood test for confirmation.

The truth is that the blood test and the home pregnancy test (which is a urine test) have an effectiveness of 99%. So, if your home test was positive, you can be 99% sure that you’re pregnant. Really close to certain, isn’t it?

However, performing a pregnancy blood test will give you complete certainty.  It’s comforting to get confirmation from something more scientific, like a pregnancy blood test done by a specialist.

The pregnancy blood test, like a urine test, measures the level of the hormone (hCG), which is produced during pregnancy. The blood test is as effective as the urine test; the difference is that you could get a positive result between 2 and 8 days before the urine test. For example, after you ovulate you should wait about 8 to 15 days in a urine test, however in a blood test you should wait only about 6 to 10 days.

I recommend you to wait until your period is due before to performing any test in order to ensure accurate results.

A blood test is performed in quantitative and qualitative terms. In a quantitative blood test you can know the exact amount of hCG in the blood, and your doctor may tell you how long you have been pregnant. A qualitative blood test will only tell you if you are pregnant or not.

How is performed a pregnancy blood test?

pregnancy blood testTypically the pregnancy blood test is performed in the same way as many other blood tests. Blood is drawn from the arm vein with a syringe. I hope you’re not afraid of needles! Just relax, let the doctor get the sample, and do the work.

Are there any risks?

Drawing a sample of blood implies very little risk. Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another, for this reason it may be more difficult to obtain a blood sample from some people than others. Other risks associated with a blood test are slight, but may include:

  • Excessive bleeding
  • Fainting or dizziness
  • Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
  • Infection (a slight risk any time there is skin breakdown)


Personally I recommend doing the pregnancy blood test so you will no have doubts of your pregnancy, and you can start making plans for the next 9 months.

However, do not get disappointed if the pregnancy test is negative. There is always a second chance.

For safety, you should always note that the doctor uses a new syringe, in order to avoid infections.

Surely you must be experiencing early pregnancy symptoms, so you should start caring for your pregnancy, for your own health, as for your baby. See also pregnancy diet and pregnancy exercises.

And last, but not least, don’t forget a positive pregnancy test is something to celebrate!