Pregnancy

So you're trying to get pregnant.  Yippee!

The good news:

Gone are the days when doctors injected rabbits.

Today, home pregnancy test kits are so accurate, doctors rarely test for HcG levels in the office, unless you are a high-risk or fertility patient.

 When you come into the office as a pregnant patient, you're more likely to get an ultrasound to check the date instead.

But if you're trying to get pregnant, those $8 EPT two-packs get expensive, FAST.

Guess what? 

Doctor's offices don't buy EPT or ClearBlue Easy.  They use the same type of stripped down test kits that you can find for $1 or less elsewhere!

You can buy basic pregnancy tests at the chain store Dollar Tree for only $1 each.  (Dollar Tree stores also sell ovulation prediction tests for the same low price.)

Sure, they don't have the fancy ergonomic holder and "yes/no", "plus/minus" results window. 

You'll be holding a small plastic box with a felt-like strip and looking for a simple 1 or 2 line result.

I have found them to be accurate, though I have never tried them on the first day of a missed period.

If this is your first pregnancy, and you're just a little late--splurge on the EPT or similar brands.  This is a special moment!  However, if you're testing monthly or more, it makes sense to go with a cheaper brand.

You can buy pregnancy tests even cheaper online.  There is a very simple pregnancy test that looks even more stripped down than the Dollar Tree version.

These pregnancy tests cost less than 50 cents apiece!

Here are places you can order the cheapest pregnancy tests online:

• Another Blessing, a family business
• Amazon.com pregnancy tests
• Ebay search for pregnancy tests.

If you do have a positive pregnancy test, CONGRATULATIONS! 

The best way to preserve that happy moment is to take a photo of the result.  If you try saving the pregnancy test forever, the result window will dry and fade.