What If You Have A High Risk For Certain Genetic Diseases
Genetic counseling can be beneficial if you are at risk for certain genetic diseases. This type of counseling involves taking an extensive medical history and assessing the health of you, your partner, and your respective families.
Your counselor may recommend that you, your partner, or certain family members undergo blood testing for inheritable diseases.
You may also be offered early pregnancy screening tests, such as ultrasound and amniocentesis, to assess your pregnancy for the presence of a genetic disease.
During your first prenatal exam, your doctor will complete a checkup, which usually includes a physical examination as well as blood and urine tests.
Your doctor may also complete a pelvic exam during your first prenatal visit.
Depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy, your doctor will listen for your babys heartbeat. Oftentimes, the heartbeat cant be heard or seen on an ultrasound until at least 6 or 7 weeks.
How Early Can Home Pregnancy Tests Show Positive Results
Since the earliest recorded history, women have had a strong desire to know whether they are pregnant as early as possible. The body goes through countless changes in the first trimester, and one of the first indicators is a change in the hormones that leave the body through urine.
Ancient Egyptians relied on a form of urine testing to determine pregnancy status way back in 1350 BCE. A woman urinated daily on wheat or barley seeds and if the plants grew, it meant she was pregnant. Modern-day validation suggests that test was about 70% accurate in detecting human chorionic gonadotropin , a hormone produced by a womans body soon after implantation of a fertilized egg inside the uterus.
Thankfully, urine-based pregnancy tests have evolved substantially. Women now have access to advanced tests that can detect a pregnancy as early as eight days after ovulation. But while many home pregnancy tests are marketed as simple and effective, getting accurate results comes down to how early in your ovulation cycle you take the test.
Ovulation generally occurs around day 15 of a 28-day cycle. In a normal pregnancy, an egg is fertilized in the fallopian tube and then travels into the uterus, where it implants in the uterine wall. After implantation, production of hCG starts from cells in the developing placenta . Trace levels of hCG can be detected as early as eight days after ovulation.
When Can I Take A Home Pregnancy Test
Although you may start to feel early pregnancy symptoms before your period, most women have to wait for an average of two weeks from the time they ovulate for a positive home pregnancy test result. Home pregnancy tests measure levels of human chorionic gonadotropin in your urine.
This placenta-produced hormone makes its way into your urine almost immediately after an embryo begins implanting in your uterus, between six to 12 days after fertilization. You can start using most home pregnancy tests as soon as hCG can be detected in your urine and hCG levels usually arent high enough to be picked up by a home pregnancy test until your periods expected.
Cant wait until then? Some HPTs promise 60 to 75 percent accuracy four to five days before you expect your period. Wait until your period and the rate jumps to 90 percent wait another week and the results are 99 percent accurate.
Know that false negatives are much more common than false positives, so if the time for your period comes and goes without your monthly flow, check in with your health care provider. Either way, youll want to get a blood test to confirm your pregnancy status.
No matter what symptoms you’re having, the only way to know for sure that you’re pregnant is to make an appointment with your OB/GYN.
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If You’re Not Sure You Want To Be Pregnant
If you’re not sure about continuing with the pregnancy, you can discuss this confidentially with a healthcare professional. Your options are:
- continuing with the pregnancy and keeping the baby
- having an abortion
- continuing with the pregnancy and having the baby adopted
As well as a GP or a nurse at your GP surgery, you can also get accurate, confidential information from the age of 13 from the following:
- the National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory service website
All these services including community contraceptive clinics are confidential. If you’re 13 or older, the staff won’t tell your parents. They’ll encourage you to talk to your parents, but they won’t force you.
If you’re under 25 and would prefer advice specifically for young people, the sexual health charity Brook provides a range of services for young people. The Brook website contains information on pregnancy choices. You can also use the Ask Brook 24/7 service.
Pregnancy Glow And Acne During Early Pregnancy
Many people may begin saying you have the pregnancy glow. The combination of increased blood volume and higher hormone levels pushes more blood through your vessels. This causes the bodys oil glands to work overtime.
The increased activity of your bodys oil glands gives your skin a flushed, glossy appearance. On the other hand, you may also develop acne.
in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that taking a home pregnancy test at this point will give a more accurate result.
Home pregnancy tests are inexpensive and widely available without a prescription in pharmacies and other stores.
You can take a test earlier than this if you want, but you run the risk of getting a false negative result. This means the test may say youre not pregnant, but in fact you are.
If you take a home pregnancy test too early, there may not be enough hCG in your urine yet for the test to detect it. Home pregnancy tests work by testing the amount of hCG in your urine. This is a hormone thats only present in the blood and urine of pregnant people.
Also, every persons body chemistry is a bit different. One person may get a positive result as early as a day after their period, while another persons positive results may not show up for another week. So, early test results may not be the most accurate.
Unlike at-home urine tests, blood tests are usually done in a clinical setting. Contact your doctor if you want this type of test.
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You Get Inexplicably Tired
Any of us would expect to be exhausted after a long and difficult day. This is totally normal, and, when considered by itself, is probably not a sign youâre pregnant. However, pregnancy causes women to experience fatigue, even when theyâre taking things easy and slow. The hormone responsible for making you tired goes off the charts when youâre expecting a baby, so your significantly lower energy levels may be something to look into. This intense fatigue can begin as early as one week after conception.
When You Can Do A Pregnancy Test
You can carry out most pregnancy tests from the first day of a missed period. If you don’t know when your next period is due, do the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex.
Some very sensitive pregnancy tests can be used even before you miss a period.
You can do a pregnancy test on a sample of urine collected at any time of the day. It doesn’t have to be in the morning.
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When Will You Start Feeling Symptoms Of Pregnancy
Some women experience symptoms of pregnancy very early on, though many women do not. According to one study of 136 women who ended up having babies, 50% had some symptoms roughly eight days after their missed period, 70% had some symptoms roughly two weeks after their missed period, and 90% had some symptoms one month after their missed period.2
Many early pregnancy symptoms are also very similar to PMS, which can be confusing. I go into more detail about the early symptoms of pregnancy below.
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Pregnancy is the number one reason for missing your period.6After youve missed your period, you probably conceived between one and three weeks ago unless there is something else that could be interfering with your menstrual cycle.
It can be possible to have symptoms of pregnancy even before that first missed period. Personally, I knew I was pregnant within two weeks of conceiving on each of the three occasions Ive been pregnant.
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Mood Swings During Pregnancy
The hormones changing in your body mean you will probably have heightened emotions, both positive and negative. And you will probably swing between these emotions.
While you may be overjoyed about having a baby, you may also be stressed and overwhelmed. You may feel worried about whether:
- your baby will affect your relationship with your partner
- you will cope financially
- you will be able to juggle work and parenting
- you will be a good mother
- the baby will be healthy
- your other children will accept and love the new baby.
You may also feel unimpressed with your changing body. You may be worried about putting on too much weight, or not enough. Or not being able to do the physical activity that you usually do. Or not looking attractive to your partner.
Add the hormone-induced fatigue, forgetfulness and moodiness, and you may feel completely out of control. This is all common.
Will You Notice Any Pregnancy Symptoms During Weeks 1 2 Or 3
During weeks one, two, or three, you may not even suspect youâre pregnant and you might not notice any pregnancy symptoms at all, as itâs still very early. Donât worryâthis is common .Missing a period is often the first clue that you may be pregnant, and around the time you miss a periodâor a little laterâyou may start noticing those very early pregnancy symptoms. One common early pregnancy symptom is implantation bleeding, which is light spotting that occurs when the tiny ball of cells attaches to the uterine lining. Not everyone experiences it, but this light bleeding is normal and can sometimes be mistaken for menstrual blood. It usually happens 10 to 14 days after conception.Other signs of pregnancy in the first month can include
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frequent urination.
Morning sickness is another common symptom of early pregnancy, but it usually crops up between weeks 4 and 9.Now that you know these early signs of pregnancy, take our quiz to test your knowledge!
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Week 1 Pregnant Lifestyle
If youre trying to conceive, there are many lifestyle changes you can adopt to improve your chances of getting pregnant. Some of these new habits include:
- Starting a healthier diet: there isnt a specific fertility diet, but eating healthier foods can help you get pregnant faster. Include foods like leafy greens, mercury-free fish, seeds and nuts, complex carbs, fruits, and plenty of water in your diet to prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy.
- Avoid certain substances: even if youre not technically pregnant, staying away from alcohol, tobacco, excessive caffeine, simple carbs, trans fats, and environmental pollutants can improve your chances of having a healthy baby.
- Start exercising: its never too late to get healthy once youve decided you want a baby. Exercising is a great way to reach a healthy weight before a baby!
- Get enough sleep: studies have shown that women who dont get enough sleep can have more trouble getting pregnant.
- Track your cycle: use a menstrual calendar like Flo to determine exactly when your cycle begins, how many days it lasts, and the approximate date of your ovulation.
How Can You Tell If You’re Pregnant
Answering the burning question of whether you are pregnant or not can be easy or difficult depending on how far along you are and how well you know your own body.
Many women can tell if they are pregnant within two or three weeks of conceiving, and some women know a lot sooner, even within a few days. It really depends on your ability to pick up on the changes occurring within your body and how sensitive you are to them.
Of course, you’ll definitely be able to find out for sure once you have missed your first period by doing a pregnancy test . Don’t be tempted to take a pregnancy test too early, though. Doing so can increase your chances of getting an inaccurate result or maybe a faint pregnancy test line.
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Super Early Signs Of Pregnancy How Soon Can I Tell If Im Pregnant
1. Missed Period
Sometimes the very first indicator for many women, a missed period is normally a good sign that a pregnancy has occurred.
However, its also not always the case. Periods can be delayed in general by stress or changes to your diet, and bleeding can even still occur throughout pregnancy.
If you havent yet missed your period, but would like to test early, home pregnancy tests such as First Response can detect pregnancy hormones up to six days prior to a missed period. But this is certainly not guaranteed.
Its better to wait until your period is actually missed so that your body is making enough hormones to detect and you can get an accurate result. You will also need to make sure you take the test properly.
Read the full instructions on how to do this towards the end of this page.
2. Nausea or Vomiting
Nausea is an extremely common side effect of pregnancy, especially early on. If you find yourself feeling nauseous for no reason you can pinpoint, dry retching or unexpectedly over the toilet, you may want to take a test.
3. Spotting
Some women notice very light pink or brown spots of blood around a week two weeks after conception. This is the fertilized embryo implanting into the lining of the womb and is called implantation bleeding.
4. Dizziness
Finding yourself needing to sit down often, getting light-headed or wobbly on your feet, and unable to focus on things you normally can could indicate pregnancy.
5. Headaches
6. Increased Sensitivity to Smells
Is There A Possibility To Get Pregnant Just After My Period Has Finished
Getting pregnant right after your period is unlikely but not impossible. The chances of becoming pregnant are lower immediately following periods than a few days or a week later.
- There is no “safe” time of the month when you can have sex without contraception. However, there are times during the menstrual cycle when you are most fertile and most likely to conceive.
- The fertile days can last for up to three to five days after your period has ended. The likelihood of becoming pregnant immediately following a period is determined by the length of the menstrual cycle and the length of the period. If your period is long, you may only have a few or no days after your period ends.
- You may ovulate just days after your period if your menstrual cycle is short, such as 22 days. Sperm can survive in the fertile cervical mucus for five to seven days. You may be able to become pregnant if you ovulate a little earlier than usual.
- If your cycle is irregular, you may become pregnant right after your period.
How to use this ovulation calculator tool
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What Precautions Should You Take During Early Pregnancy
Even if you havenât spotted any signs of pregnancy very early on, youâll want to do everything you can to stay healthy and safe. In fact, itâs always wise to take some precautions as soon as you start trying to conceive or learn that youâre pregnant.Even simple adjustments can help support you as you start your pregnancy! Though youâll want to consult your healthcare provider to determine whatâs best for you, some worthwhile lifestyle changes and precautions include
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taking folic acid.
When you start trying for a baby or learn that youâre pregnant, folic acid is essential, as itâs a B vitamin that helps reduce the risk of certain birth defects that affect the babyâs brain and spine. Your healthcare provider can recommend a prenatal vitamin that contains at least 400 micrograms of folic acid. Pre-pregnancy is also a great time to eliminate some less healthy habits, including
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exposure to secondhand smoke
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drinking alcohol.
In addition, your provider may recommend limiting your daily consumption of caffeine. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best ways to stay healthy and safe when youâre pregnant. For more general advice, download our pregnancy guide!
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 youre pregnant up to five days before youve even missed your period as soon as 10 days after youve ovulated. Thats 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 youve 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 havent gotten your period a few days later, its a good idea to test again. You likely got whats called a false negative the first time where the test says youre not pregnant, but you actually are.
Copyright 2009
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