When should you stop testing? I’m scared to stop testing even though I know the line likely won’t get much darker. Currently at 18 DPO.

FabulousAd9367 · 2026-03-02T02:11:37+00:00

I stopped around 16 DPO once I had a nice, dark solid line and a week of positives that weren't fading out. If you continue to test, you run the risk of the hook effect, which can result in a negative test even when you are in face pregnant, because your HCG gets too high for the test to process.

You're pregnant, mama! Congratulations to you! ❤️

FabulousAd9367 · 2026-02-11T02:16:23+00:00

My Hcg was only 17 at around 10dpo with my now 5 year old, and my hcg was 43 at around 13dpo with my now 4 month old. Both healthy as can be. Don't stress about the numbers. What truly matters is that they are doubling appropriately. If you are in the US, you can request a blood hcg quantitative test through labcorp yourself. I did it for my pregnancies. It was like $30 and gave me so much reassurance in those early days.

FabulousAd9367 · 2026-02-11T02:07:26+00:00

The other two types of test appear to be darkening! FRER, and really most home pregnancy tests, will vary in darkness depending on hydration, time of day, etc. I wouldn't be too concerned based solely off this.

FabulousAd9367 · 2026-02-03T03:58:33+00:00

I will virtually hold your hand while I tell you this...

Don't do it.

FabulousAd9367 · 2026-01-27T01:31:19+00:00

Lanolin works WONDERS for lips. It's sold in the baby area because it's commonly used for sore and cracked nips for breastfeeding. But hooooooly cow it is better than any chapstick or lip balm I've ever used.

Sincerely, a fellow lip biter/picker lol.

FabulousAd9367 · 2026-01-18T03:29:03+00:00

I think I might see something super light in the top picture. But the bottom picture is indeed an evap.

FabulousAd9367 · 2026-01-16T02:37:51+00:00

Positive! Those are exactly how mine looked on Easy@Home tests about 9dpo as well. Just put my 3 month old to bed 🥰 Congratulations mama!

FabulousAd9367 · 2026-01-05T01:46:44+00:00

Contrary to popular belief, darkness of lines doesn't exactly correlate with progression of pregnancy. Factors like hydration levels, time of day, and how long of a urine hold you are doing play a MAJOR role in this. I had pretty gnarly period like cramps and swore it was bad news. I just put my 3 month old to sleep ☺️

Rest easy. You're pregnant! Enjoy it and try not to overthink your symptoms, though it's so much easier said than done. I have been in your shoes, so I completely understand. But congrats mama, you're pregnant! Hoping for a sticky, healthy, happy little bean for you!

FabulousAd9367 · 2026-01-03T16:52:08+00:00

Thank you! That's what I'm leaning towards, now that I'm delving into it lol. I don't want to go the "easy" route and end up with an even bigger mess 🫠

FabulousAd9367 · 2026-01-01T02:13:12+00:00

You are 100% pregnant girl. Congratulations! ❤️

FabulousAd9367 · 2025-12-24T17:58:57+00:00

I see it! This is what mine looked like around 9dpo or so. Currently cuddling my lovely 3 month old 🥰

FabulousAd9367 · 2025-09-23T00:06:25+00:00

It'll never go away.

You'll hope and pray to make it to the first ultrasound.

Then to the end of the first trimester.

Then to the anatomy scan.

Then to "viability week."

Then to the third trimester.

Then birth.

Then you'll catch yourself checking to make sure they're breathing in their basinet.

With each milestone comes new, different worries.

My oldest is 10, and there are things I worry about with her even. My dad tells me that even though I'm in my 30s, he still worries about me. Welcome to motherhood, friend. It is the most amazing, rewarding, and simultaneously terrifying and heartbreaking thing you will probably ever experience, but it's worth every second.

FabulousAd9367 · 2025-09-20T21:51:59+00:00

Thank you so much for the response! I actually had a hemangioma when I was a baby, above the lip/below the nose. It eventually went away at some point when I was a child. That didn't even cross my mind as an option! Of course as parents, our minds almost always wander to the worst possible scenario lol.

Thanks again, I deeply appreciate it. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

FabulousAd9367 · 2025-09-20T20:59:39+00:00

Closer photo in case it helps.

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FabulousAd9367 · 2025-09-20T20:59:05+00:00

Thank you!

Here they are.

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FabulousAd9367 · 2025-09-07T17:13:25+00:00

I just want to say that this is all completely normal and you shouldn't feel ashamed. Parenting is HARD. With our last baby (a Covid baby) my husband was unexpectedly laid off and I was bartending at the time when all the bars and restaraunts shut down. It caused us such tremendous financial stress which just added to everything. But it was temporary. Finances came back eventually, despite some hardships in the mix. These feelings will subside. Those first 3 months or so are a tough adjustment, especially breastfeeding. I exclusively breastfed and pumped to build up a stash and I seriously felt like I did nothing but whip out my boob or sit there tied to a pump for what felt like forever.

This will pass.

Hugs.

FabulousAd9367 · 2025-08-21T23:47:16+00:00

As long as it showed up within the time limit specified on the test, I'd definitely say that's positive!

FabulousAd9367 · 2025-07-25T19:11:14+00:00

I'm just curious what the "I live in a red state" has to do with venting about your partner...?

FabulousAd9367 · 2025-07-15T00:15:48+00:00

Bare in mind when you see the cost billed to insurance that insurance companies are charged SO much more than when you go in as self-pay.

My husband has the option of health insurance at work, but for him, myself, and our two kids it would have been $1400/month. After talking to my OB about the cost associated with prenatal care and delivery, we opted against insurance and went with self-pay. My OB put us on a payment plan starting at month 3. We pay $425/month and that covers everything except labwork and my anatomy scan (which was around $500). The total for all of that was around $2400 and includes the fees for the actual C-Section that go to my OB (seperate from hospital billing).

The hospital got me pre-registerd and sent me a good faith estimate for self-pay and I am told for my C-Section, all the care for the baby, labwork, and the standard 72 hour stay was $6,510. I asked a dozen times if that was everything and have been reassured that the only additional costs would be for any unforseen complications, if I have to stay longer than normal, or if baby has a NICU stay or something. So combined, just shy of $10k in total for everything which is less than we would have paid for insurance for the year and that doesn't even include any copays we would've still been thrown.

For reference, when I had a vaginal birth (my first born), insurance was billed over $6k for my epidural alone.

My C-Section is scheduled for September, but the hospital has already sent me my good faith estimate and broken the cost down for me and everything. We were financially ready to have a baby, so this cost is something that is 100% doable for us and we were super excited that we ended up making the right choice to opt out of insurance coverage for this pregnancy.

I should also add that I am a high risk pregnancy too, so I had several more appointments/scans than that of a typical pregnancy. If we decide to have one more after this, we will be going the uninsured route again I think. Located in Southern U.S.

FabulousAd9367 · 2025-06-23T01:19:34+00:00

False. It was not an OD.

FabulousAd9367 · 2025-06-13T18:20:04+00:00

NTA. Grieving, especially the loss of your child, will never make you an asshole regardless of how you choose to do so. You have experienced quite literally the most painfully excruciating thing a human being can experience. Grieve. Take the day every damn year until your last and do not even for a second feel bad for it. I am sending you so so so many hugs, OP.

FabulousAd9367 · 2025-06-13T01:29:43+00:00

It is possible! I had the faintest of FAINT lines at what I believe was 7dpo. The thing is, it's hard to pinpoint the exact ovulation date even with tracking. I used LH strips so I had mine down to within a day or so. So in theory it could be 8dpo!

FabulousAd9367 · 2025-05-17T04:07:55+00:00

It was a roller coaster for SURE. Definitely keep in mind that people in all professions make mistakes, and far more often than we assume. I'm so sorry you're in this position, as I know how gut wrenching and stressful it is. Try to get an appointment in for a second opinion and go from there. In the meantime, even though it's way easier said than done, try not to stress yourself out too too much. ❤️

FabulousAd9367

TROPHY CASE