First Signal pregnancy test: My experience

I am now currently 31 weeks with my little boy (Yay!!) but I've been chewing over this experience for some time now and I figured this group would understand.

I've have always trusted First Signal. It helped me find out I was pregnant with my first and second at only 3 weeks! I loved this brand for years when I was ttc.

But this time around, I feel like it gypped me a bit and caused a ton of confusion.

You see... My husband and I had been ttc for a little bit but I've always struggled for at least a year before I could conceive and carry to term.

Well about 5 days before mothers day 2020 and 1 day before my cycle would start, I decided to test using First Signal. The test came out negative so I didn't think much of it. We had friends over that friday night and I had one drink despite my cycle being a little late*. I felt fine and I carried on like normal. (*I can be up to 3-5 days late before my cycle starts.)

Mother day rolls around and I realize I'm about 3 days late. Not abnormal since my cycles had varying days but still made me uneasy since I wasnt having my PMS.

I ended up picking up a $4 test at 9pm and taking it as soon as I got home. I only had 15 min hold since I had went to the bathroom before i went to the store (last minute decision to get a test). Took the test and had a faint bit definitive positive.

I. Was. Shook. Cue ugly crying.

I could not believe it. I was scared and over the moon. I tell my husband and he is beyond happy.

Fast forward to Wednesday and we decide to do more tests. Digital and First Signal this time. I swore the digital wouldn't read (pregnant) because it had to be too early but I knew first signal would pop up if I was truly pregnant.

So I grabbed a styrofoam cup and peed in it since it would be easier to do multiple tests by dipping. I took First Signal first and waited 3 minutes. Negative. My heart dropped. I was devastated. I remember saying very softly to my husband who was standing right next to me that "I'm not pregnant."

My husband was not having it. He grabbed my cup-o-pee and proceeded to dunk a digital test for its marinating time. Pulled it out, capped it and asked me how long it would take to process. I said about 3 minutes, proceeded to lecture him about wasting a test because digitals hold a higher hcg threshold and that if First Signal wont pick it up, a digital won't.

He looks directly at me, points at the digital test and goes "Wanna bet?"

I look down and (pregnant) filled the screen and I was so confused. It had only been 90 seconds!

I looked at the First Signal test (7 mins past) and I can see a line starting to form. MORE CONFUSION ENSUED!!!

I ended up getting bloodwork done the next day and my hcg was over 8,000.

Advice from this experience: If you are unsure, retest with a different brand.