Addicted to pregnancy tests: desperately looking for the second line

Waiting for those two minutes after peeing with the heart in a fist looking for that hairline that will change your life has become something addictive for some women, who become Up to 10 pregnancy tests a day.

The movement is called "pee-on-a-stick-addicts" or POAS (something like addicts to pee on a stick) and have their own websites, social media accounts and YouTube channels where they record themselves making themselves the tests and sharing the result. Have you ever been tempted to enter this group?

10 pregnancy tests in one day

Surely the moment when you find out that you are going to be a mother (especially your first child) is one of those that you never forget. In fact, although it is not the most hygienic in the world, many of us keep the pregnancy test along with ultrasound scans, the hospital bracelet and other precious baby memories.

Most of us have a second test to confirm, then we make an appointment with the gynecologist and our relationship with the pregnancy tests ends. However, for some women, especially if they are having problems getting pregnant or have had previous abortions, it can become a real obsession, to the point of considering normal Have ten tests in one day.

Addicted to pregnancy tests

Corrine Hounslow is a British mother of three children who became POAS when she took her first pregnancy test at age 19. its pregnancy test addiction He grew up with the search for his second son:

"I became obsessed with controlling my fertility with ovulation tests and then multiple pregnancy tests, hoping to get a positive result. When it was time to take the test, I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. It is difficult to describe the emotion you feel when getting a pregnancy test, but for me it was like Christmas day, a combination of emotion, nerves, adrenaline and hope. "

By the time she became pregnant with her second child, Corrine had already taken more than 400 pregnancy tests (about 600 euros cost).

It could be thousands

A study on the ChannelMum.com website revealed that "addicts to pee on a stick" could be thousands. In fact, in a survey of 1,435 women, it was revealed that 62% would have continued to have a pregnancy test after confirming that they were expecting a child to confirm that they were still pregnant.

In addition, this study revealed that 7% of POAS have 10 tests per day and one in 20, 16 tests or more. The director of the web comments: "It is more normal than it seems to get hooked on this because seeing the positive signal on the stick helps us calm the nerves about pregnancy. However, it is important not to fall in control continuously because it is expensive and unnecessary. If you need to have more than five tests a day to see if you are still pregnant, I would recommend seeing a specialist to help you control your anxiety. "

Also to confirm

But the obsession of the POAS does not end when they get their positive yearning. Once they are pregnant they continue to test themselves again and again under the belief that if the lines appear strong it is that the pregnancy is going well, but if the color weakens it could mean abortion.

The fear of losing something that we crave so intensely is completely understandable, but spending the day confirming "I am still pregnant" does not really help. Once our home test is positive, the only thing you need to make an appointment with the doctor (take folic acid if you were not already doing it) and take care of yourself until it is confirmed that the pregnancy is going forward. To become addicted to pregnancy tests It does not guarantee us success when it comes to being mothers.

Via Cafemom

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