When is the best time to take a pregnancy test?

The most reliable time to take a home pregnancy test is after you've missed your period. This is because the hormone that pregnancy tests detect, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), needs time to build up in your urine after implantation.

If you test too early, even if you are pregnant, the hCG levels might be too low to be detected, giving you a false negative result. For the most accurate results, always follow the instructions that come with your specific pregnancy test kit.