Despite over-the-counter pregnancy tests being widely available, do-it-yourself pregnancy testing methods still remain very popular. Women may prefer these alternative tests to over-the-counter kits because the DIY methods are cheaper, readily accessible, and give fairly reliable results in a timely manner. Some of these home testing methods do not utilize harmful chemicals that could put a woman’s health in jeopardy, a scenario that could potentially be deadly to any early pregnancy she is carrying. When women want to know with a certain degree of assurance that they may be pregnant, they may opt to create a DIY pregnancy test out of sugar.

The sugar test is simple to take and can give its results in a matter of seconds. It also is extremely cheap to make, which benefits women who may be on tight household budgets and do not have money to waste on an over-the-counter testing kit. All they need is one to two teaspoons of sugar and a clean, sterile bowl to create the test. They do not need other specialized ingredients like food dye or bleach or expensive medical equipment like syringes or needles to conduct the test. The fact that it only takes a teaspoon or two of sugar in a bowl to create the test makes this DIY method a top choice for women who wonder if they could be pregnant, but do not want to use a more expensive store bought test.

Of course, as with any pregnancy test, whether it be one that is purchased at a store or one that is created at home, this sugar test can be less than 100 percent reliable. If a woman gets what is interpreted to be a positive indication of pregnancy, she would do well to make an appointment with her family doctor immediately. Her physician can conduct more thorough medical tests to ensure that she is pregnant and determine the approximate gestational age of her unborn baby. While the sugar test may have given her a fair idea that she was expecting, a woman is always advised against replacing proper prenatal testing at a medical facility with any do-it-yourself testing method.

Homemade Sugar Pregnancy Test

This homemade pregnancy test method can be ideal for women who are on tight budgets. All they have to have on hand to create this test is a few teaspoons of sugar and a clean bowl. It is important that the bowl is in fact very clean, if not sterilized with hot water or bleach. When the bowl is sterilized, the woman taking the test ensures that her results are not compromised by debris or contaminants. After ensuring that the bowl is as clean as possible, she can then place one to two teaspoons of pure sugar in it. She should use white sugar rather than brown or confectioner’s sugar for this test, as white sugar provides the desired results if she is in fact pregnant.

The next part of the test requires that she either urinate directly on the sugar or pour her urine into the bowl of sugar itself. If she is pregnant, the sugar will immediately begin clumping. If she is not pregnant, the sugar will dissolve. Again, as with bowl that contains the sugar, any container that she uses to pour her urine over the sugar should be clean and sterilized if possible. If she uses a dirty cup or container to collect her urine, she could inadvertently compromise the results of the test.







In many cases, the sugar will begin reacting to the woman’s urine immediately. The reaction should be visible so that she can tell right away if she is pregnant or not pregnant. The clumps should be well defined and not dissolve a few minutes after the urine is placed on it. If she is not pregnant the woman should be able to see the sugar dissolve quickly. Some women who have used this testing method report the sugar just sitting on the bottom of the bowl, not clumping or dissolving. If a woman gets this result, she should try testing again in a few days. If the sugar still does not clump or dissolve, she should try another testing method or see her doctor.

How Does The Sugar Pregnancy Test Work?

The basis behind the sugar clumping or dissolving relates to the chemical makeup of the woman’s urine. The urine of a woman in early pregnancy will comprise of detectable levels of hCG, the hormone created by the growing pregnancy’s placenta. This hormone is potent enough to react with certain substances, one of them reportedly being sugar, so that women who take both over-the-counter and DIY tests can find out quickly if they are pregnant. In a sugar test, the sugar’s visible reaction with hCG involves clumping. If the woman is not pregnant, however, the sugar will react as it would when it comes into contact with any liquid and dissolve. No hormone would exist to create the clumping reaction.

However, a few factors could undermine the success of this test, notwithstanding the sterility and cleanliness of the bowl and containers a woman uses to put the sugar in and collect her urine. For example, if she tests too early in her pregnancy, a woman may get a false negative pregnancy result, even though she legitimately is expecting. When she wants a reliable result, she would do well to wait until she is late on her period to use the sugar testing method.

If she is on certain medications or has consumed too much water, the quality of her urine may be less than ideal for taking this test. Ideally, she should use her first morning’s urine because urine first thing in the morning will contain the highest levels of hCG if she is pregnant. Similarly, if she drinks too much water, she could dilute her urine so extensively that the hCG level in it will be undetectable. High-quality first morning urine proves to be ideal for this DIY testing method.