Faint lines
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Category: Planning Pregnancy (trying for baby)
Forum Name: Planning Pregnancy (trying for baby)
Forum Description: Trying to get pregnant? Going through fertility treatment? Just planning your first or second child? There are many people out there in the same boat to help and listen and share with
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Printed Date: 19 August 2025 at 7:27pm
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Topic: Faint lines
Posted By: minik8e
Subject: Faint lines
Date Posted: 28 February 2008 at 10:14am
| What is it that actually causes faint lines - is it just that the hcg level is lowish, so there isn't enough hcg to make it a dark line, or what? |
Replies:
Posted By: arohanui
Date Posted: 28 February 2008 at 10:37am
I had a really faint line (DH thought I was imagining it) when I first tested - I think cos it was early and my hcg levels were therefore lower  ------------- Mama to DS1 (5 years), DS2 (3 years) and... http://alterna-tickers.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 28 February 2008 at 10:50am
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lower HCG levels... too much water in urine etc.
Check out http://www.peeonasstick.com - www.peeonastick.com for info. Hilarious site. From the FAQ The positive line is really faint. Is this okay? An HPT tells you exactly one thing: your urine either has detectable pregnancy hormone in it, or it doesn't. The darkness or lightness of a line doesn't mean much. Generally speaking, a very light line can mean there is a small amount of hCG in your urine, and a very dark line can mean there is a larger amount of hCG in your urine. This is why you may get a faint positive at 10 DPO but a darker positive at 18 DPO. However, this is not always true. Tests are all different, and even tests in the same box may differ in sensitivity. Comparing light/dark lines will just drive you nuts. If you see a line in the "results" window, you're preg! 9. I took another test and the line is lighter. Does this mean anything? Should it get darker? Not necessarily. In general, the positive line will be darker when a greater amount of hCG is present in the urine, but not always. Some tests contain more or less dye (meaning there is just more or less color to "stick" to your hCG.) Some tests are more or less sensitive-- even 2 tests in the same box can be different. Also, your urine may have more or less hCG in it depending on what you ate or drank, or how long it's been since you last peed. Food itself does not cause false results, but can affect how much urine you have and how dilute it is. Eating salty chips and drinking caffeine all day will result in more concentrated pee, whereas gorging on watermelon and ginger ale will result in lots of very dilute pee. But an HPT is not meant to tell you "how" pregnant you are. It only tells you if you are pregnant or not. As long as there is a line in the results window, you are pregnant. Some women experiencing early miscarriages do notice their lines getting fainter or disappearing entirely, but even if your line gets fainter, it is not a guarantee that you are miscarrying, or that anything is wrong. See FAQ 21 for normal levels of hCG and how to properly measure it. |
Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 28 February 2008 at 10:51am
What are ya telling us huh? Or just general question? 
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Posted By: Jennz
Date Posted: 28 February 2008 at 10:57am
I was thinking the same thing! ------------- Jen, Charlotte 7 & Kate 3 
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nikkiwhyte wrote:Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 28 February 2008 at 11:13am
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Just a general question Babies aren't on the agenda for another year or so (I hope), what with a new mortgage and all LOL
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