Grandma’s ways to know if you’re pregnant
Homemade pregnancy test? This is how our grandmothers knew they were expecting a baby and that it wasn’t just a delay in menstruation.
Let’s browse together among ancient home pregnancy tests , also to remember how science and medicine have given us safe and reliable tools to improve our lives and our safety.
The pregnancy tests that you can find in pharmacies have not always existed, just as not all women of the past had easy access to hospital tests.
As a result, it was very common to perform home pregnancy tests using commonly used products such as vinegar or dandelion leaves.
In this article, we want to introduce you to Grandma’s 6 ways to know if you are pregnant .
It goes without saying that they do not give scientifically reliable results and are to be considered only games to be played out of pure curiosity or fun.
Consequently, even if they give a positive result, it is always necessary to take a real pregnancy test to confirm the result .
Vinegar pregnancy test
One of the easiest ways to figure out if you’re pregnant is to buy a bottle of vinegar (preferably white) and add some urine. As for the quantities to be used, there are no precise indications.
The combination of urine with vinegar changes color after a while and this change can be read as a positive pregnancy test . Furthermore, in case of pregnancy, a little foam could also form.
In this video, the pregnant woman’s urine turns greenish-yellow some time after adding the white vinegar, while the non-pregnant woman’s urine does not change color.
Oil pregnancy test
This method involves adding a few drops of urine , well spaced apart, into a container or basin filled with olive oil .
If the drops remain separate the test is negative, if instead they unite the test is positive .
Sugar pregnancy test
This method involves placing two teaspoons of sugar in a container and adding a few drops of urine.
If the sugar dissolves in the urine, the woman is not pregnant. If instead the sugar clumps and compacts , then a pregnancy should be in progress .
Salt pregnancy test
Practically identical to the previous one, but using two pinches of salt instead of sugar.
If the salt forms lumps, the test is positive , otherwise it is negative.
Bleach pregnancy test
As with the DIY vinegar test, you also need to mix the bleach with your urine. The reaction involves the formation of bubbles, which are to be interpreted as follows:
- in case of pregnancy a lot of foam forms ;
- in the absence of pregnancy, on the other hand, little is formed .
But be careful: this test, in addition to being unreliable, releases toxic vapors that it is better not to breathe, especially if you are pregnant. The advice therefore, is not to do it!
Baking soda pregnancy test
This test as well as to understand if you are pregnant, would also serve to determine the sex of the child . Pour a spoonful of bicarbonate of soda into a basin, add a little urine and wait a few minutes: if a lot of foam forms, it could be a boy , while if the reaction is milder, it could be a girl .
Toothpaste pregnancy test
In this case, in addition to your pee, you must have white toothpaste available in a plastic cup.
There are no indications on how much urine to use, how much toothpaste to put in the container or how long to wait for the result,
However, if you are pregnant, the color of the toothpaste should turn towards a light blue .
According to others, however, the toothpaste should become foamy as you can see in the video below.
Pregnancy test with dandelion leaves
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is also commonly known as dandelion , dandelion or wild chicory . We know it above all for its yellow flowers and dandelions, even if in this case what interests us about this plant are the leaves .
Also in this method, the pee is poured into a small plastic cup.
The dandelion leaf should be immersed in urine and left to soak for about 10 minutes . If red bubbles appear on the leaf , the test would indicate a pregnancy in progress.
What is the most reliable DIY test?
If you really want to understand if you are pregnant, do a real home test of those you buy in pharmacies (or supermarkets), using the first urine of the morning.
Remember that beta hcg starts circulating in the bloodstream no earlier than a week after conception, so it’s always a good idea to wait at least the first day of your period delay to perform the test, in order to have reliable results.
The “grandmother’s methods” listed above, on the other hand, should only be considered as a game to try out of curiosity , possibly when you are already certain that you are pregnant .
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.