The hCG pregnancy hormone level gradually falls thereafter to reach its nadir at about seventeen to eighteen weeks of gestation and remains at that level for the remainder of the pregnancy.

Other causes of a false negative pregnancy test include:

· A faulty test kit may be one reason;

· Wrong technique may be another and unfortunately, in some cases,

· A non-viable pregnancy may be the explanation.

All in all, if a woman has a negative pregnancy test where she feels sure she is pregnant, she should seek prompt medical attention.

In most cases, an ultrasound scan will provide clarity.

Frequency of erroneous pregnancy tests.

The rate of false positive pregnancy test has been, historically, quoted at 5%. False negative is supposed substantially higher at 15-20%. These figures are certainly no longer valid, as the tests have become more refined and false positives and negatives are much less common now.

Fetal movements

Baby “kicking”

As mentioned earlier, basic organ formation is complete by 8 weeks of gestation.

In fact, fetal blood circulation is established three to four weeks post-conception.

Movement is detectable on the ultrasound scan even before eight weeks are complete. However, the fetus is still quite small (just over 2 cm long, at eight weeks) and the expectant mother should not expect to feel any movements for several weeks yet.

16 -18 weeks

Some women may want to believe otherwise but it is extremely unusual for fetal movements to be perceptible before sixteen weeks of gestation. In fact, in a first pregnancy, thi fetus at 20 weeks s may not take place until around twenty weeks or soon after this point.

Some women experience a sensation which is remarkably similar to fetal movements much earlier than sixteen weeks. In reality, this is caused by momentary spasms of muscles and even bowel, and is not a result of fetal activity.

Stories of fetal movements at ten or twelve weeks, though not uncommon in antenatal clinics, are a result of this mistaken belief.