It’s no secret that pregnancy tests can be a tad pricey and as a result, a lot of women have started to create their own “homemade pregnancy tests” using toothpaste. Although there have been no scientific studies to back up the claim, a lot of people are claiming that this homemade method works.
This craze, which has been around for a few years, has recently gained a lot of attention through online videos, forum posts, and blog posts.
According to Google Trends, over the last 10 plus years the term “toothpaste pregnancy test” has steadily increased – showing that more people are giving into this crazy idea that toothpaste can indicate pregnancy.
There have even been a lot of online videos where women have filmed their pregnancy tests to show what a positive test result will look like.
How Does the Toothpaste Pregnancy Test Work?
Conducting a homemade pregnancy test with toothpaste is fairly simple. For this test, you simply place a small amount of toothpaste onto a plate and then add a few drops of urine to the toothpaste.
If the test is positive and you are pregnant, the toothpaste will change colour and possibly froth (frothing doesn’t always occur). If the test is negative and you are not pregnant, the toothpaste will remain the same colour and won’t change.
According to one of the websites which promote this homemade toothpaste pregnancy test, toothpaste’s chemical structure interacts with the chemical structure to that of a pregnant woman’s urine. As a result, the changes which we mentioned above occur. This same website also stated that this toothpaste test has been used for years and that women have yielded the correct result from using it.
There’s no way for us to comment on the accuracy of this test as there has been no official scientific study in regard to it. That being said, GPs and other health professionals have said that regardless of what result women yield from the toothpaste pregnancy test, they should always use a traditional pregnancy test which can be bought from most stores. Under no circumstances should the toothpaste tests be solely relied on for pregnancy results.
What Causes the Toothpaste to React?
The toothpaste fizzes after urine is mixed with it is a result of the acid property that is in urine. This acid, when combined with calcium carbonate (a key ingredient in toothpaste), will release carbon dioxide and will fizz. If your urine contains more acid, the more the toothpaste will fizz. Regardless of whether or not you are pregnant, there is acid present in your urine; thus, this test is unreliable.
Better To Use a Traditional Pregnancy Test
Women, who think that they might be pregnant, are strongly encouraged by health professionals to take a conventional pregnancy test. The toothpaste test is really just ‘bit of fun’ and should not be relied on for accurate results. Using a “proper” pregnancy test is the only way of ensuring accurate pregnancy test results.
Zoom Baby can supply you with the perfect pregnancy test if you don’t want to waste toothpaste! In our wide range, we currently off pregnancy test strips, NHS-approved pregnancy test cassettes, and midstream pregnancy tests. We also offer a full range of pregnancy test from top brands such as Clearblue, First Response and Suresign.
There are ways of getting a free pregnancy test locally. According to the NHS, you are able to get a pregnancy test from places such as:
– your local GP
– a pharmacy
– a sexual health clinic
– a contraception clinic
– most NHS walk-in centres
Unless you purchase a pregnancy test from high street shop such as Sainsbury’s, Asda, Superdrug or Boots, you are able to get a pregnancy test for free (even if you are younger than 16).
Photo Credit: “Colgate” (CC BY 2.0) by tacit requiem (joanneQEscober )
This post first appeared in 2017 and has been updated since.
Zoom Baby is a leading supplier of Pregnancy Tests and Ovulation Test Kits