I Had Sex Two Weeks Ago But My Doctor Says That Im Four Weeks Pregnant How
88 things nobody tells you about being pregnantIf you have a standard 28-day period, you will likely ovulate around day 14 and are most fertile around days 12, 13 and 14when you had sex to conceive. It takes about nine days after ovulation for implantation to occur, which brings you to around day 23. It takes a few days for your pregnancy hormone levels to be detectable by a pregnancy test, bringing you to around day 28. How far along you are in your pregnancy isnt calculated from conception or implantation but from the first day of your last normal period. If you had your period four weeks ago, then ovulated and had sex two weeks ago to become pregnant, youre currently four weeks pregnant.
How To Tell If Youre Pregnant Without A Test By The State Of Your Body
The conception is usually accompanied by a physiological and hormonal adjustment of the female organism which becomes evident to a woman due to the changes in her state of health and figure. Some of these symptoms are specific signs of pregnancy and can be indications that the conception has happened.
1. Dizziness and fainting. The early pregnancy stages may be accompanied by dizziness or clouded consciousness. These sensations are a sign of changing hormonal background and an increase in certain hormones. Such a state not only can tell you about your pregnancy, but it also can be a consequence of stressful events or overtiring.
2. Raised body temperature . The increase in body temperature is one of the pregnancy symptoms, especially if its level has been constant for a long period of time. It happens because the developing embryo situated in the fallopian tubes before the implantation into the uterine wall is interpreted as a foreign object by the organism of the mother and that triggers the immune system. Thats why your body temperature is raised. During the first trimester of pregnancy, doctors consider 98.6°F a normal body temperature. This sign can be of help when you suspect youve conceived if any infections or inflammations are eliminated.
You Haven’t Missed Your Period Yet
If you haven’t missed your period yet, mark down the day that you think you may have conceived on, and wait at least six days before the day you are expecting your period to take a First Response pregnancy test. If you think you might be pregnant and do not want to be pregnant, there are emergency contraception methods that are effective within five days of having unprotected sex, so you may want to explore those options.
You can also choose to take a pregnancy test after you miss your period. In fact, some recommend not taking one until one week after your missed period in order to ensure accurate results.3 Be sure to follow the instructions of the brand of pregnancy test that you buy.
Also Check: Donating Plasma While Trying To Conceive
How Soon Can You Tell If Youre Pregnant 24 Really Early Signs
So you think you may be pregnant? But how early can you tell if you really are?
Honestly, its hard to pinpoint exactly how soon you can tell if youre pregnant because each one of us is unique.
Some women get a 6th sense about it straight away , while others dont know until months down the line.
Most of us will fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes and well start to get an inkling we may be pregnant within 2-4 weeks of conception.
Pregnancy symptoms are usually very mild in the first couple of weeks making them hard to detect without a blood or urine test. Usually, the first sign is a late period. But what other early signs and symptoms will give you a clue to whether youre pregnant or not?
And how early can you take a pregnancy test to find out for sure?
How reliable are urine pregnancy tests, what can you do to make sure you get an accurate result and what might cause a false positive?
What about super early symptoms, like before implantation? Is that even possible?
We answer all your questions below.
What If I Notice Some Cramping During Pregnancy
Pregnant women may experience some light cramping early in pregnancy. The cramping is often like light menstrual cramps through the lower abdomen or on one side or the other. It is often a result of all the changes that are occurring in the uterus as the implanted egg begins to grow and develop. Also, a cyst, called the corpus luteum cyst, can develop on the ovary at ovulation.
This cyst forms in the spot on the ovary where the egg comes out before making its journey to the uterus. It then produces progesterone until the placenta has formed enough to begin producing its own progesterone. The cyst can cause some discomfort for women in early pregnancy.
You May Like: How To Check Your Stomach For Pregnancy
Basal Body Temperature Charting
Basal body temperature can predict and suggest ovulation. This only works if you have been taking your temperature in the days prior to ovulation. Temperature elevation begins one or two days after ovulation and persists for several days.
Temperature elevation identifies prior ovulation it does not diagnose pregnancy.
Having Sex Getting Pregnant
Here’s another common question from couples trying to conceive: How often should we have sex? In short, the answer is often.
A lot of couples trying to conceive spend a lot of energy timing sex, with mathematical precision, to calculate when a woman is prime for ovulation. Theoretically, the approach makes sense. Recent studies have shown the window of opportunity for a sperm to fertilize an egg is pretty small: Essentially, it’s only 3-5 days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation itself. Your best chances are 1-2 days prior to ovulation. Doctors recommend intercourse every other day starting the week before ovulation or beginning after the end of your period.
Continued
But while timing your lovemaking exclusively to those few days makes logical sense, it also has some drawbacks — primarily because your body doesn’t always behave with clockwork regularity. Even if your cycle is regular, ovulation can occur at any time during the cycle. If you’re having sex on the day you think you’re ovulating, and you’re off by a few days, you may be out of luck.
So the expert advice is to hedge your bets: Have sex at least two to three times every week. As long as the man has a normal sperm count, having sex every other day further increases your chances of getting pregnant.
Recommended Reading: Is It Safe To Donate Plasma While Pregnant
How To Tell If You’re Pregnant Right Away
The only way to tell if youre pregnant right away is by taking a home pregnancy test according to its instructions. Waiting can be difficult, but you can usually take a test three to four days before a missed period though youre more likely to get a false negative if you test too soon. If its negative, wait a couple more days and test again if Aunt Flo doesnt come to visit.
Be sure to test first thing in the morning, when your urine and the hormone that the test is measuring are most concentrated. If you see a line indicating a pregnancy, youre almost certainly pregnant . Pregnancy tests with false positives are rare.
What Are Some Less Common Signs Of Early Pregnancy
There are some additional signs of early pregnancy that arent as common. Just like with the most common symptoms, these signs of pregnancy may or may not happen. Its important to remember that everyone is different and will experience unique symptoms.
Less common signs of early pregnancy can include:
Also Check: Vagisil While Pregnant
Q: I Think I Might Be Pregnant How Soon Can I Use A Home Pregnancy Test To Find Out
A: Drugstore shelves today are packed with tests with labels like “early result” or “early response,” some of which may be able to tell you’re pregnant up to five days before you’ve even missed your period — as soon as 10 days after you’ve ovulated. That’s because these tests may be more sensitive than others at detecting levels of human chorionic gonadotropin in your urine. hCG is a hormone that your body starts producing shortly after you’ve conceived. You should always read the label information to get a true sense of how accurate it is, and when. Even “early result” tests are more precise the later you use them , since hCG levels may be tricky to detect so early into pregnancy. If you get a negative test result but still haven’t gotten your period a few days later, it’s a good idea to test again. You likely got what’s called a “false negative” the first time — where the test says you’re not pregnant, but you actually are.
Copyright 2009
How Accurate Are Urine Tests
Urine tests or home pregnancy tests are around 97% accurate when done correctly. Home pregnancy tests are great to use because they can be done at home, they are usually low in cost , private, they give a fast result, and are easy to use.
However, if done incorrectly or taken too early, the result can be inaccurate. If you get a negative result and still have symptoms of pregnancy , wait a week and take another test or contact your doctor so you can have a blood test done.
Don’t Miss: Vagisil Safe For Pregnancy
Why Do I Calculate From The First Day Of My Last Period Not Conception
Before we understood the physiology of ovulationand that women dont ovulate until a couple of weeks after their period, so they really cant get pregnant until that timethe only thing that primitive physicians and midwives knew was that from the first day of the last period, it was about 280 days before a woman gave birth, says Scurfield. All of the research and medical literature have been based on that formula being used.
What To Do In Different Scenarios
| If You Had Sex… | ||
|---|---|---|
|
And your period doesn’t come, test again in three days |
||
|
And you haven’t missed your period |
And your period doesn’t come, test again in three days |
|
|
And you don’t know when your period is supposed to come |
Wait at least two weeks before taking a test |
And your period doesn’t come, test again in a week |
Keep track of the date when you may have conceived as well as when you are expecting your period.
Recommended Reading: Vagisil And Pregnancy
Get A Preconception Checkup
Before you officially start trying, get a checkup. Ask your doctor aboutprenatal vitaminsthat havefolic acid, which helps protect against some birth defects, such asspina bifida. Folic acid works during the early stages of pregnancy, so that’s why it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough folic acid even before you get pregnant.
“Do this the cycle before you start trying,” says Paula Hillard, MD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University. “If you have any underlying medical problems, they need to be under control before you can safely become pregnant.”
You Missed Your Period
You should take a pregnancy test. If it’s positive, you’re pregnant. If it’s negative, wait a few more days and retest. If it’s another negative, you’re still not experiencing any symptoms of pregnancy, and you’re sure you’re taking the test correctly, then you’re probably not pregnant and you’ve missed your period for another reason.
Don’t Miss: Can You Get Braces While Pregnant
Early Signs Of Pregnancy Before A Missed Period
While pregnancy tests and your practitioner can offer definitive answers, these early pregnancy symptoms may be clues that you’re expecting.
Keep in mind, just because youve experienced some of these symptoms doesnt mean youre pregnant. You could also have none of them at all and still go on to have a perfectly healthy pregnancy.
Although every woman is different, these early symptoms can first appear before you even miss your period.
Where Can I Get A Pregnancy Test
You can buy a pregnancy test at your local pharmacy, drugstore, grocery store, and some convenience or dollar stores. Pregnancy tests are usually inexpensive they can cost as little as a dollar. Sometimes you can get a free pregnancy test at certain health centers.
You can also get a pregnancy test from your nurse or doctor, community clinic, or local Planned Parenthood Health Center. Most health centers use the same urine pregnancy tests that you can buy in stores. Sometimes they use a blood test to test for pregnancy, but thats usually only under special circumstances.
But be careful when looking for a reliable health center, because there are fake clinics out there called Crisis Pregnancy Centers. Crisis Pregnancy Centers give free pregnancy tests and claim to offer information and help. But theyre run by people who may not be medical professionals, and dont believe in giving you honest facts about pregnancy and all of your options. Crisis pregnancy centers are often located very close to Planned Parenthood health centers or other real medical centers, and have similar names they do this to confuse people and trick them into visiting their center instead.
Your nearest Planned Parenthood health center can help you find a safe place to get a pregnancy test in your area.
Read Also: Lasik Eye Surgery While Pregnant
How Soon Can I Take A Pregnancy Test
You can take a pregnancy test anytime after your period is late thats when they work the best. Its a good idea to take a pregnancy test as soon as possible if you miss your period or think you might be pregnant.
The earlier you know youre pregnant, the sooner you can start thinking about your options and get whatever care you need to stay healthy.
Many pregnancy tests say they work a few days before a missed period, but the results are usually less accurate then. Read the label on your pregnancy test to find out when to take a pregnancy test and how accurate itll be.
Sometimes a pregnancy test is able to find pregnancy hormones in your urine as early as 10 days after unprotected sex. But these results arent super reliable, and you may get a false positive or false negative test result.
If your periods are very irregular, or you dont get periods at all for one reason or another, your best bet for accurate results is to take a pregnancy test 3 weeks after sex.
If I Have A Negative Pregnancy Test After I Have Missed My Period Does That Mean I Am Not Pregnant
A negative result can mean that you are not pregnant, you took the test too early, or you took the test wrong. Pregnancy tests vary in their sensitivity , and you may not have given your body enough time to produce enough hCG hormones that will show up on the test.
Also, if you let a test sit for too long , the test is invalid. It is best to follow the instructions and wait until you have missed a period before taking the test. Some women show up accurately on a test the day they miss a period, while others may not show up positive until 3-4 weeks after a missed period.
We encourage women to test after a missed period if the result is negative they should wait a week and test again if a normal period has not started.
Want to Know More?
Don’t Miss: Braces While Pregnant
My Stomach Feels Weirddoes Your Stomach Hurt In Early Pregnancy
It depends on what you mean by hurt.
In general, the kinds of pain youll experience in your belly or lower abdomen in early pregnancy are related to:
- Nausea usually happens between two and eight weeks after conception2
- Cramping these can feel similar to pre-menstrual cramps and can be a sign of implantation2
- Bloating and abdominal discomfort similar to PMS symptoms
Below I talk a little more about nausea, which is common in early pregnancy .
So in the sense of feeling nauseous, yes, your stomach can hurt. Some women also feel some light cramping at the very beginning of their pregnancy, which may or may not be accompanied by spotting . This usually occurs around the predicted time of the period or a couple of days before.
What Is The Best Way To Confirm Pregnancy
The best way to confirm pregnancy is to do a blood test measuring the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone. Women can also take a home pregnancy test. Home pregnancy tests are fairly reliable but may occasionally be a false-positive. This can occur for a number of reasons, including having a chemical or ectopic pregnancy or even taking certain medications. Following a positive home pregnancy test with a doctors visit for a urine or blood test to confirm the pregnancy is the best way to confirm a pregnancy.
Don’t Miss: Can I Donate Plasma While Breastfeeding
Could I Have The Symptoms Of Early Pregnancy And Not Be Pregnant
Many of the symptoms of early pregnancy overlap with other medical conditions, as well as your typical menstrual cycle. Premenstrual symptoms can be very similar to pregnancy symptoms. This can make it difficult to tell the difference. You can also miss a period without being pregnant. This can happen when you exercise in extreme amounts, lose or gain a lot of weight, or even are stressed. Breastfeeding can also cause your period to stop for a while.
The best way to know youre pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. If you have missed a period and think theres a chance you could be pregnant, consider taking a test.
