Homemade Pregnancy Test with Baking Soda: Is it accurate?

A pregnancy hormone is believed to react with baking soda, but the accuracy of the test is ambiguous.

Reviewed by Dr. Umera Zakiahmed Saiyed, BHMS Dr. Umera Zakiahmed Saiyed Dr. Umera Zakiahmed SaiyedBHMS Follow MomJunction on LinkedinFollow MomJunction on Instagram Specialty: Writer, poet, and bloggerExperience: 5 years
Written by , MSc, MA, BEd Ghazia Shah MSc, MA, BEd Follow MomJunction on Linkedin Specialty: Health & WellnessExperience: 3 years
Edited by , BSc Rebecca Malachi BSc Follow MomJunction on Linkedin Specialty: Pregnancy, Health and WellnessExperience: 12 years
Fact-checked by , MSc Reshmi Das MSc Follow MomJunction on Linkedin Specialty: Health and WellnessExperience: 4 years
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Homemade Pregnancy Test With Baking Soda

Image: Shutterstock

If you doubt you are pregnant but are hesitant to buy a pregnancy test kit at a pharmacy or visit a doctor for a checkup, then you may try this simple homemade pregnancy test with baking soda. This DIY (do-it-yourself) pregnancy test with baking soda may help determine if you have conceived or not. But is the baking soda pregnancy test 100% accurate?

Keep reading the post as we tell you about how the baking soda pregnancy test works, when and how you can perform this homemade test, and how to interpret the results.

In This Article

Key Pointers

  • Baking soda pregnancy test is a traditional home-based method of determining whether or not you are pregnant.
  • It detects the presence of hCG in a pregnant woman’s urine sample.
  • Household baking soda, two dry cups, and your urine sample are all you need for a baking soda pregnancy test.
  • A week or more following your missed period is best to take a baking soda pregnancy test.
  • But the baking soda pregnancy test’s accuracy is not wholly reliable.

Baking Soda Pregnancy Test

Baking soda has been used traditionally as a DIY or homemade pregnancy test by many across the world.

It is a simple, low-cost, and convenient home-based method to detect the hCG hormone (pregnancy hormone) in the urine. Find out how this simple everyday ingredient can tell you whether or not you have conceived using a urine test.

How Does It Work?

Human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG is present in the urine during early pregnancy (1). Baking soda can be used to check its presence in the urine. The reaction of baking soda with urine tells you whether or not hCG is present in it. If it is present, you are pregnant.

Keep reading this post to know how to perform this home-based test.

How To Perform This Test?

For this DIY test, you would require:

  • Baking soda
  • Two dry cups, mark them as cup A and cup B
  • A sample of fresh urine
Collect urine in a cup for the pregnancy test with baking soda

Image: Shutterstock

Follow these steps to test for pregnancy:

  1. Collect urine in cup A. You may directly urinate into it
  2. Take cup B and add a spoon of baking soda
  3. Now add the mixture of cup B into cup A
  4. Wait for a few minutes to notice the reaction

Note: hCG is easily detected in the urine when it is fresh. Thus, use urine that has been in the bladder for several hours, preferably the first one in the morning.

protip_icon Quick tip
Make sure the baking soda is fresh. To check for its freshness, take a teaspoon of baking soda in a bowl and add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar. If it fizzes heavily, it is ideal for use.

Interpreting The DIY Pregnancy Test Results

  • If you find a fizzy or bubbly reaction in the cup, it means the result is positive, which means you are pregnant.
  • If there is no reaction in the cup, then the result is negative, which means you are not pregnant.

Sometimes, doing the test at the wrong time could lead to a false-negative result, particularly if the test is performed before the body has produced enough hCG to be detected. This is often the case if the test is done too early after a missed period. Hence, it is essential to know when to perform the test to get the correct results.

When Should You Do The Test?

Your body produces hCG only after implantation, which occurs a week after ovulation. So, the best time to perform this do-it-yourself test is a week or more after your missed period. Doing the test early might give you a negative result. Also, consider using first-morning urine because it contains the highest concentration of hCG, making it more likely to yield an accurate result (2).

Is The Baking Soda Pregnancy Test Accurate?

Baking soda pregnancy test has 50% accuracy

Image: Shutterstock

There is no evidence to prove that the at-home pregnancy test using baking soda is accurate. Some women get correct results, while others may not. At times, you may get a negative result the first time, followed by a positive result the second time. So it can be said that baking soda pregnancy test has 50% accuracy. It is important to consult a doctor for proper clinical blood and urine tests and sonography. These test results can help predict how far along the pregnancy is.

protip_icon Quick fact
A home pregnancy test kit is available over the counter, and the results are 97% to 99% accurate when used correctly (3).

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How often should I repeat the baking soda pregnancy test?

It is advisable to retake the test a couple of times or use a traditional pregnancy test kit to confirm your pregnancy. Even if you get a positive pregnancy test result, schedule a prenatal appointment with your obstetrician/gynecologist to confirm your pregnancy.

2. What are the alternatives to a baking soda pregnancy test?

Pregnancy tests with sugar, toothpaste, and vinegar are alternatives to baking soda pregnancy test, but they lack scientific evidence. A commercial pregnancy test kit or consulting a healthcare professional is the most accurate and reliable option.

3. Are there any risks associated with the baking soda pregnancy test?

The baking soda pregnancy test is not a reliable or scientifically validated way of detecting pregnancy. Since it may give incorrect results, a false negative may postpone essential prenatal care or create stress, while a false positive can cause unnecessary confusion.

4. How does the accuracy of homemade pregnancy tests compare to commercial tests?

Homemade pregnancy tests, such as the baking soda test, often lack the scientific validation and accuracy of commercial tests, which are designed to detect hCG levels reliably.

A homemade pregnancy detection test with baking soda is not quite reliable. Yet, some women claim that the test gives correct results. Since the test is non-invasive, economic, and harmless, you can try it at home. However, don’t rely on its results for pregnancy confirmation. Instead, use a pregnancy kit at home or visit a doctor’s clinic for a checkup. Remember, pregnancy is a crucial period that needs utmost care right from the start. So opt for the most reliable and safest pregnancy test methods only.

Infographic: Pros And Cons Of A Baking Soda Pregnancy Test

Homemade pregnancy tests such as the baking soda test can give results within no time but are not always valid and trustworthy. If you wish to perform this test, this infographic details the pros and cons of this test to know before you decide on going ahead with it.

advantages and disadvantages of baking soda pregnancy test (infographic)

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

References

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

1. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG); Michigan Medicine
2. R. Horsager-Boehrer; How early can home pregnancy tests show positive results?; UT Southwestern Medical Center (2018)
3. Pregnancy Test.

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Dr. Umera Zakiahmed Saiyed
Dr. Umera Zakiahmed SaiyedBHMS
Dr. Umera Zakiahmed Saiyed is a homoeopathic consultant and runs her own clinic Noor. She pursued her BHMS from Yerela Medical College in Kharghar, Mumbai and worked as an assistant doctor under a gynaecologist in Surat, Gujarat.

Read full bio of Dr. Umera Zakiahmed Saiyed
Ghazia Shah
Ghazia ShahMSc, MA, BEd
Ghazia is a scientist-turned-writer with three years of research experience in Cancer Biology. She did her masters degree in Biotechnology at the University of Kashmir and bachelors in Education at the same university. Ghazia then delved deeper into the science of language with a masters in English.

Read full bio of Ghazia Shah
Rebecca Malachi
Rebecca MalachiBSc
Rebecca is a pregnancy writer and editor with a passion for delivering research-based and engaging content in areas of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and post-pregnancy. She did her graduation in Biotechnology and Genetics from Loyola Academy, Osmania University and obtained a certification in ‘Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy’ from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU).

Read full bio of Rebecca Malachi
Reshmi Das
Reshmi DasMSc
Reshmi Das has over four years of experience as a clinical coordinator, medical content writer and medical conference coordinator. Her continuous interest in medical journals and writing makes her write well-researched articles for MomJunction.

Read full bio of Reshmi Das
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