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You take the test and anxiously watch the clock until it’s time. Finally, it’s time to look at the test, and you find that it’s positive! You’re pregnant!
The excitement floods your system. Then a few days later, you worry it’s too good to be true, so you grab another test to confirm.
But this time, you notice the positive test line getting lighter on the pregnancy test. What does it mean?
Before you spiral to the worst scenario, know there are a few reasons why this could be happening. And not being pregnant is only one of them.
We’re here to help you get to the bottom of these lines on a pregnancy test.
Key Takeaways
- Positive pregnancy test lines get darker as you progress in your pregnancy. This is because of increasing hCG levels.
- If you’re seeing your home pregnancy test line getting lighter, ask someone else to check it for you. The lightness of these lines can be subjective.
- Faint positive lines could also mean that your urine is more diluted. Or you could be mixing test brands, you have an evaporation line, or you’ve had a chemical pregnancy.
- An evaporation line occurs when you leave your pregnancy test sitting out too long. This leaves the salt in your urine behind and also a faint line.
- A chemical pregnancy is a very early miscarriage because the embryo stops developing.
- Early pregnancy bleeding happens in 15-25% of pregnant women.
- This bleeding is spotting or mild and lasts only a day or two.
- If you experience bleeding that’s more like a period flow after a positive pregnancy test, go to the doctor immediately.
Why Is My Pregnancy Test Getting Lighter?
Questions about home pregnancy tests are normal. Taking multiple tests helps clarify things, but not always.
If you take two tests and the pregnancy test is getting lighter instead of darker, you’re probably wondering what’s going on. Here are some possible causes and what you can do:
You’ve got line eyes
One potential cause for your pregnancy test showing a dark first line and a faint second line is your eyes.
No, you aren’t crazy. And you aren’t alone. Many women who are Trying To Conceive (TTC) experience this.
Sometimes the faint lines are simply your eyes playing tricks on you. Line eyes make it harder for you to read your test results accurately.
Pregnancy tests and their lines are subjective. What one person considers dark may differ from what another person finds dark. Hence, it’s a good idea to ask someone else to take a look at your results, too.
This is where digital tests have an advantage.
Rather than trying to read between the lines (pun intended), you get a clear “pregnant” or “not pregnant” result.
Your urine is more diluted
If your urine is diluted when you take your pregnancy test, this can decrease the concentration of the pregnancy hormone, hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin). Which means the pregnancy test reads lower levels of hCG in your urine.
And that may give you a lighter pregnancy line.
To avoid this, test your first urine in the morning. Since your urine is more concentrated in the morning, it will more accurately detect the hCG hormone.
See how your hormone chart might look like!
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You’re mixing test brands
We love the convenience of at-home pregnancy tests, but they vary slightly in their design.
If you’re taking multiple tests, stick with just one brand. Different brands may:
- Have different levels of sensitivity
- Use different types of dye
- Incorporate different manufacturing
If you’re taking multiple tests, stick with just one brand. Buy a multi-pack at the store and only compare tests from the same brand.
You have an evaporation line
We all have moments of forgetfulness.
However, forgetting to check your pregnancy test results at the right time can cause the pregnancy line to get lighter.
If the test sits out too long, the urine evaporates, leaving the salt in your urine behind. And along with it, a very faint line on your pregnancy test.
But sometimes it can be hard to tell whether that faint line is an evaporation line or a faint positive pregnancy test.
Here are a few differences between a faint positive line and an evaporation line to help you distinguish:
To help avoid confusion with a faint line, set a timer for the amount of time specified in your test directions to wait. Check the results immediately.
You’re having a chemical pregnancy
So you’re doing all of the following:
- Asking someone else to read your test results
- Testing first thing in the morning
- Using a single brand for testing
- Setting a timer for your results
But you’re still seeing a lighter line. Your hCG levels may be dropping, which can be a sign of a chemical pregnancy. This type of miscarriage happens on or before the fifth week of gestation.
You may also get a miscarriage that looks and feels like your period, but is delayed, heavier than usual, and has clots.
The halting of embryo development is what causes the drop in hCG levels. And this all happens before the fetus is even visible on an ultrasound.
Chromosomal abnormalities are often to blame for a chemical pregnancy.
Reach out to loved ones for support during this time. Also, consider looking to the Inito Support group to find women who can relate to what you’re going through.
Learn more: 6 Tips to Get Pregnant After Chemical Pregnancy
Should Pregnancy Test Lines Be Getting Darker?
In short, yes. Your test lines should become darker as you progress in your pregnancy (at least until the first trimester).
This happens thanks to Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), a.k.a. the ‘pregnancy hormone’.
And at-home pregnancy tests are used to detect your urine hCG levels.
Here’s a look at how your hCG levels change throughout pregnancy and why that causes a pregnancy test line progression.
The ‘hCG doubling time’ during the first few weeks is when your hCG typically doubles.
As your pregnancy progresses, the doubling time slows down. And once you reach your peak hCG levels around 10 weeks, they either plateau or decline.
At-home pregnancy tests don’t give you the exact hCG level. They can only detect if it’s above a certain threshold.
And, as a general rule, the darker the line on the test, the more hCG is in your urine.
A.k.a. the further you are in your pregnancy, the more your hCG levels increase. This translates to a darker indent line on the pregnancy test.
Now, let’s discuss what happens if you see a positive test followed by bleeding.
What if I Get My "Period" After a Positive Pregnancy Test?
There are varied reasons behind getting your period after a positive pregnancy test.
For starters, early pregnancy bleeding is more common than you think. In fact, it happens in 15-25% of women.
However, if you’re concerned, consult your doctor. It could mean more.
Chemical pregnancy. As we talked about earlier.
Ectopic pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy is when implantation occurs outside of the uterus. This can happen in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix, or the abdomen. And it unfortunately results in a non-viable pregnancy.
Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy include:
- Heavy bleeding
- Clots
- Severe nausea
- Abdominal pain
If you’re experiencing these, seek emergency care immediately.
Learn more: Can You Have a Period and Be Pregnant?
When Do I Need to See a Doctor?
Tell your healthcare provider about your positive pregnancy test.
You’ll want them to confirm your pregnancy. Plus, they’ll give you some prenatal advice to kick this pregnancy off the right way. Your doctor’s office will also schedule follow-up care and chat about any questions or concerns you may have.
If you’re TTC and experiencing pregnancy test line confusion, we hope this article will help. It’s important to remember that both faint and dark positive lines exist.
FAQs
No, a lighter pregnancy test doesn’t necessarily mean a miscarriage is happening. While a test line should get darker over the course of a few days in early pregnancy, there are some reasons the line may not appear darker. The first reason is if your urine is too diluted (usually from testing later in the day when you’ve been drinking fluids within the last few hours). This can cause the concentration of hCG to be lesser and appear lighter on a pregnancy test. So aim to test with your first morning urine each day for the best comparison in darkness from day to day.
Also, if you mix up which pregnancy test brand you’re using, then comparing the darkness of lines is not advised. This is because different pregnancy tests brands use different threshold hCG levels. If you are using the same brand and you notice the line getting lighter over a few days, then it is possibly due to a miscarriage. In this case, it’s a good idea to check in with your healthcare provider.
A pregnancy test could get lighter for a few reasons. Here are a few common culprits:
- Using urine that is too diluted or not testing around the same time each day
- Mixing up testing brands that have different hCG thresholds
- Having “line eyes” or misreading evaporation lines
- In some cases, it could be a chemical pregnancy (where the embryo stops developing soon after implantation)
In some cases, it is possible to have a positive pregnancy test followed by a negative one the next day. This can happen if:
- You misread the initial pregnancy test as positive (due to evaporation lines or “line eyes”)
- The urine you used the second day was too diluted for hCG to register on the test
- You switched between two different pregnancy test brands (which likely have different hCG threshold values for hCG detection)
- It could be a chemical pregnancy
The best thing to do in this situation is take a day off from testing and then retest again in the morning when your urine isn’t diluted by fluids.
Yes, it is possible to have a pregnancy test get lighter one day and still be pregnant. This can often happen early on in pregnancy when hCG levels are first rising and doubling. If you use urine that is diluted (due to fluid intake), then it can cause a subsequent test to appear lighter. That said, if you are testing consistently at the same time of morning each day with the same brand of test, then you should ideally notice the line getting darker.
Know more: Pregnancy Test Progression: What Should it Look Like?
You may notice a pregnancy test line fade if you test later in the day since your urine gets more dilute. Results may also vary if you’re using different brands. The best thing to do is use the same brand of test and test each day with your first morning urine.
Yes, pregnancy tests can get lighter with an ectopic pregnancy. This is because during an ectopic pregnancy, hCG levels tend to rise much more slowly than in a healthy pregnancy. Levels of hCG may also start to decline in an ectopic pregnancy.
Know more: Understanding Ectopic Pregnancy hCG Levels
The level of faintness that is “too faint” for a positive pregnancy test depends on how far into pregnancy you are. In the very early stages of pregnancy when hCG is first rising, even the faintest of lines can indicate that you are pregnant. That said, if you’ve already had relatively dark tests and you begin to notice that the test lines are getting consistently lighter, that could indicate a problem with the pregnancy.
If you’re concerned about the faintness of your pregnancy test after a few days, it may be a good idea to check with your doctor who can order you an hCG blood test.
Here are a few things you should avoid before taking a pregnancy test:
- Consuming too many fluids (which can dilute the concentration of hCG in your urine)
- Switching to a different pregnancy test brand
- Not checking the expiration date on the test
- Not being mindful of the time of day you’re testing (aim for the same time each day)
- Not being mindful of how many days past ovulation you are (testing before 12 – 14 DPO could give you a false negative since hCG may not be detectable yet)
Know more: Know What Not to Do Before a Pregnancy Test
Was this article helpful?
- What is an Evaporation Line on a Pregnancy Test? | Inito
- Chemical Pregnancy: Quick Guide & Need to Knows | Inito
- Chorionic Gonadotropin Beta Subunit | ScienceDirect
- Doubling times of human chorionic gonadotropin increase in early viable intrauterine pregnancies | NIH
- Bleeding During Pregnancy | ACOG
- Ectopic Pregnancy | ACOG
- Can You Have a Period and Be Pregnant? | Inito
