Q: I have been trying to conceive for the past 8 years. Except IVF and ICSI, everything has been done. I did conceive four months back but miscarried within a week. The endometrium lining was 7 mm. Could that have been the reason for the miscarriage? I also feel that I might have conceived in the cycle this month. I would like to know how early can one know whether one is pregnant and by which test? Will a Beta HCG reveal anything even on day 15-16?

A:If you have conceived once, you can conceive again. I am sure you are under the care of an expert gynaecologist; she will guide you regarding any problem (if there is) with the endometrium. The earliest one can detect a pregnancy with beta HCG in blood is about 10 days after fertilisation. We usually do the test around day 25 if a patient has regular 28 day cycles. If a woman has been given drugs for ovulation and for ovum rupture, the date for testing can be calculated more precisely by the gynaecologist.