LIFE PARENTING PREGNANCY

The Weird and Wonderful History of Pregnancy Tests

5 min read
The Weird and Wonderful History of Pregnancy Tests

Most women you speak to these days will tell you the exact day they realised they were pregnant.

For me, it was a sudden outburst at my husband for burning my toast which triggered the “oh sh*t, I’m pregnant” realisation.

I had been having these emotional attacks for a week or so, and besides being completely out of character, they were also caused by an insane craving to eat nothing but toast and eggs “” so burnt toast was NOT an option.

Of course, like many women who come to this realisation on their own, I had to get proof before I would allow reality to sink in.

A quick trip to the shops and a little pee on the tip of plastic stick was the easiest way to confirm my suspicions, and sure enough, the two little blue lines appeared to confirm what my body was already screaming at me: “You’re pregnant, you idiot”.

I’m not sure if it was because I was impatient, or just HAD to know for sure, but my entire emotional state was reliant on that little plastic test and those two blue lines.

I’m sure I’m not alone here either … actually I know I am not.

Friends of mine keep packets of pregnancy tests in their cupboards, impatiently feeling the need to check their urine for traces of a pending baby before the little cell has even had a chance to travel down and nestle in the womb.

Confirmation of pregnancy is just so easy these days, which makes home pregnancy tests all the more valuable to us women. We rely on these tests more than we like to admit, especially if you’re a woman who is having trouble conceiving.

However, finding out you were pregnant through peeing on a plastic stick is only a relatively new source of confirming pregnancy for women, well, it’s been around for some 45 years, but it’s still new in my books.

The history of | Stay at Home Mum.com.au

Here is a little history of pregnancy tests, from ancient times to the 20th century!

Ancient Egyptians

via www.invitra.com
via www.invitra.com

The ancient Egyptians used to have a woman urinate on bags of wheat and bags of barley. If wheat sprouted, it was a girl. If barley did, it was a boy. If neither did, there was no pregnancy.

Ancient Greeks

via www.rwaag.org
via www.rwaag.org

The Greeks figured that they could check by applying perfumed linen to the genitals. The mouth and nose, they said, would take on the odor of the perfume if the woman was pregnant. It sounds pretty gross, huh.

Medieval doctors

via en.wikipedia.org
via en.wikipedia.org

These smart fellows focused their attention on a woman’s urine by mixing it with things to predict pregnancy. They found a needle would rust red or black if the woman was pregnant.

Next Page: Pregnancy Test in 1900s

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About Author

Kate Davies

Senior Journalist & Features Editor. As the modern-day media hunter-gatherer, Journalist Kate Davies is harnessing 10 years in the media to write...Read More engaging and empowering articles for Stay At Home Mum. Her years of experience working in the media both locally and nationally have given her a unique viewpoint and understanding of this dynamic industry. Hailing from a small town in Tasmania and spending many years travelling the world, Kate now calls the Sunshine Coast home alongside her husband and one-year-old son. Read Less

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