Have you ever just wanted to quickly tell if you’re pregnant or not? It might be that you don’t have the time to run out to the pharmacy to get some test strips and the doctor might just be too far away, too.

In those cases, you might just want to find out quickly whether or not you are expecting. Yes, you can totally find out if you are pregnant by using one ingredient in your kitchen—salt!

WHY BOTHER WITH A HOMEMADE PREGNANCY TEST?

Okay, you may be wondering why you shouldn’t just go to the tried and trusted route of finding out if you’re pregnant. The thing is, testing for pregnancy at home can give you the results you need in the privacy of your home. The whole process can be nerve-wracking whether you really want to have a baby or not.

A homemade pregnancy test should satisfy your curiosity quickly while giving you the answers you seek in a familiar space—your home.
 

THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU TEST FOR PREGNANCY WITH SALT

To get accurate results, you have to wait until your body starts producing sufficient amounts of the hCG hormone. This will happen around one week after you miss your period. Anything earlier than one week and you could get inaccurate results.

Accurate results will also depend a lot on the concentration of your urine, which means you shouldn’t drink too much water prior to taking the test. Too much water could dilute your urine and make it hard to get correct results. This is a fact to note if you want to know how to test pregnancy with salt.

HOW DOES THIS TEST WORK?

It is normal to wonder how the whole thing works if this is your first time of learning how to test pregnancy with salt. You might be skeptical at first, but that is definitely okay, too! The fact that salt—something everyone has in their homes—can work as a pregnancy test doesn’t sound too believable anyway. The hCG hormone will react when it comes in contact with salt, which should let you know if you’re pregnant or not.

THINGS YOU NEED FOR A HOMEMADE SALT PREGNANCY TEST

The good news is that you don’t have to run out to buy anything for this test. While you are learning how to test pregnancy with salt, you should have come learned that everything you need is in your kitchen.

You’ll need:

    A timer to time the duration of the test (your phone timer will do a fine job)!
    Your first (preferably early morning) urine
    A clear, transparent cup or jar
    2 pinches of salt

HOW TO TEST PREGNANCY WITH SALT – THE PROCEDURE

    Urinate into the clear container or cup (remember that fresh, early morning urine works best)
    Add two pinches of salt to the urine sample
    Stir the salt-urine combo to mix it well
    Set the timer to 5 minutes and wait till the time elapses
    Watch for changes

SO, ARE YOU PREGNANT OR NOT?

If you notice a milky foam in the mixture, this is a sign that you are pregnant. But if the urine stays flat and foamless, then you are not pregnant.

WHAT NEXT?

Knowing how to test pregnancy with salt is a quick and cheap way to know if you are pregnant. However, you may still need to get some blood tests in the hospital to know for sure. Home tests might be convenient, but not fool-proof and scientifically proven. It is always better to get a proper pregnancy kit to test or visit a doctor to confirm further.

This article was first published on AfricaParent.com

Resource: National Health Service