How To Find Out Your Pregnant

What’s The Soonest You Can Find Out If You’re Pregnant

The only way to know for sure that you’re pregnant is through a positive pregnancy test. The earliest home pregnancy test is accurate up to six days before the day of your missed period for 76% of women who take the test .1

So, the soonest you might be able to find out for sure that you’re pregnant is by testing with a First Response home pregnancy test no earlier than six days before the day of your missed period.

So if you’re expecting your period on a Saturday, you would be able to test the Monday before .

How Do Homemade Pregnancy Tests Work

Homemade pregnancy tests work the same way as any over-the-counter pregnancy test by detecting the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin . If you test positive, you may observe a chemical reaction between hCG in your urine and the substance you are using to test.

Your cells start to produce the hCG hormone when they start creating the placenta. This hormone increases rapidly early in pregnancy and enters your bloodstream and urine, confirming conception .

I Know My Lmp Do I Need A Dating Ultrasound

Nope! You can rely on the due date suggested by your last menstrual period, but your healthcare provider may schedule one anyway. Your doctor may do it for other reasons, but for figuring out dates, its really not necessary if she isnt concerned and theres nothing odd happening, says Scurfield.

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What Other Tests Might Be Offered

Health care providers might order other tests during a woman’s pregnancy based on such things as her personal medical history and risk factors. It’s important to speak with a genetic counselor if your baby is at risk for hereditary conditions.

Screening or diagnostic tests offered include tests for:

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.

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Metallic Taste In Mouth

The experience of constantly having a metallic taste in your mouth is a pregnancy sign that I am familiar with. It’s difficult to describe, but your mouth feels like you have been sucking on a coin.

It’s a pregnancy symptom that is very common and is unmistakable

You may also experience other strange flavors in your mouth, like saltiness, rancidness, or just a bad taste in general.8

Tests Done Early In Pregnancyexpand All

• What tests are done early in pregnancy?

  Several routine lab tests are done early in pregnancy, including

• complete blood count

• blood type and Rh factor

• urinalysis

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What Are The Signs Of Pregnancy

The signs of pregnancy vary from woman to woman. Usually the most obvious sign is the absence of menstruation . However, some women continue to have bleeding even while pregnant. The following are the most common first signs of pregnancy. However, each woman may experience the signs of pregnancy differently. These may include:

• Extreme tiredness

• Nausea or vomiting

• Frequent urination

• Certain food cravings or aversions

• Bloating of the belly

• Darkening of the skin around the nipples .

These early signs may not positively indicate pregnancy, but may actually signal another process happening within the body. A pregnancy test can provide more accurate results.

A Personal Note: What My Pregnancy Symptoms Were Like

Some of these pregnancy symptoms are hard to quantify, especially when it’s something like “feeling different.” But, you may well feel different somehow even though you can’t explain how you feel different.

In my first pregnancy, the earliest signs for me were the enlarged nipples and breasts and breast tenderness as well as feeling dizzy, sick and extremely tired. And yesâI did feel different!

During my second pregnancy, the most noticeable early symptoms were a metallic taste in my mouth, an aversion to drinking tea and a heightened sense of smell. This last symptom got worse and worse throughout my pregnancy and it became difficult to manage all of the smells that made me either feel sick or actually be sick. Smells I couldn’t handle were anything soapy such as body wash and deodorant, perfume, aftershave and alcohol. There were a lot more, but these were the main ones.

For my third pregnancy, me, my husband and our daughter were away traveling around Europe in our motorhome. We’d stopped to work on a farm for a few weeks, when I started to feel incredibly tired.

I couldn’t work out why I felt that way after a good night’s sleep and I had no other symptoms of illness, so I tried drinking extra coffee to keep me awake . Then a few days later I started feeling really unwell to the point I spent around four days laying down resting, but no real symptoms as suchâI might describe them like the flu without the sore throat and cough.

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How Long Does It Take Hcg Levels To Be Detected By Home Pregnancy Tests

Pregnancy doesn’t necessarily start the day that two people have sex. An egg can be fertilized by sperm up to six days after intercourse.5 And then, it can take between six and ten days for the egg to implant itself in the uterus.

The hormone that home pregnancy tests look for starts being released from when the fertilized egg implants itself, which is why you have to wait for them to be effective.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, HCG is made by cells formed in the placenta, which nourishes the egg after it is has implanted itself in the wall of the uterus.4

Levels of HCG can be detected by two kinds of tests:5

• Blood testâaccurate as early as 11 days after conception
• Urine testâaccurate as early as 12 to 14 days after conception

So, if you don’t know when your period is supposed to start and you think you might be pregnant, you should test about two weeks after you had sex and possibly conceived.5

If it’s negative and your period still hasn’t come and you still think you might be pregnant, test again in another week.

How Soon You Can Take A Pregnancy Test

Step back from the supermarket shelves you should wait until the first day of a missed period before you do a pregnancy test . This is usually about two weeks after you think you conceived. So get your diary out and start counting.

Too keen to wait? Some tests are more sensitive than others and can be taken earlier . This might be four or five days before your period is due .

If you can though, its most reliable to wait for the first day of your missed period. And that way you wont get any upset from an inaccurate result.

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When Does Implantation Bleeding Happen

After a sperm fertilizes your egg, the combination becomes an embryo. It travels to your uterus, where it implants itself into the lining.

Sometimes, as the embryo attaches, it causes a little bleeding. This usually happens about the time you would have your period. You may even confuse it with your period and not realize youre pregnant. Implantation bleeding is normal and doesnt mean you or your baby will have problems.

Lungs Heart Breasts And Abdomen

Your doctor will listen to your heart and lungs with a stethoscope. They may suggest additional tests, such as an electrocardiogram or chest X-ray, if any abnormalities in breathing or heart rate are detected.

Your breasts will be examined for the presence of lumps. If a lump is found, your doctor may perform an ultrasound, mammography, or biopsy.

During an examination of the abdomen, your doctor will gently press on your liver and spleen to determine whether they are of normal size. An enlarged organ can be a sign of a serious medical condition.

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How Far Along Am I

If you are wondering how many weeks pregnant am I? nows the time to find out! Learn how far along you are in your pregnancy and estimated due date with the First Response pregnancy calculator. Starting with the first day of your last menstrual period it is easy to calculate when you conceived. Find out your baby’s due date so you can start planning key milestones.

How Pregnancy Tests Work

Think you might be pregnant?

Even with the most effective birth control methods, theres always a chance for error. After all, it takes just one sperm to fertilize the egg. Finding out whether or not thats happened is as easy as taking an over-the-counter pregnancy test.

OTC pregnancy tests typically test your urine for a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin . HCG is only present if youre pregnant. The hormone is only released if a fertilized egg attaches outside the uterus or to your uterine lining.

There are different ways to collect your urine for the test. Depending on the test you choose, you may have to:

• collect your urine in a cup and dip a testing stick into the liquid
• collect your urine in a cup and use an eyedropper to move a small amount of fluid into a special container
• place the testing stick into the area of your expected urine stream so that it will catch your urine midstream

According to Cleveland Clinic, most tests are 99 percent effective if taken after a missed period. The best part is that you can do it in the privacy of your own home. Simply open the test, follow the instructions, and wait for the recommended amount of time to view the results.

After the recommended waiting time has passed, the tests will display your results in one of the following ways:

• a change in color

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Your Pregnancy Tests Are Negative But You Still Think You Might Be Pregnant

While false positives are very rare, false negatives with pregnancy tests are more common. Here are some reasons you could be getting a negative pregnancy test.

If you’ve gotten negative results multiple times but are experiencing the signs of pregnancy, and especially if you’ve missed your period, then you should see a doctor who will be able to conduct additional tests and see what might be going on.

What Are Five Common Signs Of Pregnancy

There are several signs of early pregnancy that you could experience. Not everyone will have all of these symptoms, and some women may not feel any of these things. Pregnancy symptoms throughout the entire pregnancy can vary dramatically between women. Its important not to compare your pregnancy to someone elses.

Common early pregnancy symptoms can include:

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Start Taking A Prenatal Vitamin

Obviously, good nutrition is vital in pregnancy. But if youre suffering with morning sickness, thats not so easy! So its vital to take a prenatal supplement.

What I found when I took my prenatal vitamins was to take them at night instead of the morning. The morning was a challenging time in my first trimester pregnant with twins.

I was still working so I had to eat something to calm my nauseousness. And taking a prenatal vitamin on an empty stomach or on a stomach with very little food in it only contributed to this feeling.

But by evening, my stomach calmed, I had food in it and it was no problem taking my prenatal vitamin.

Now would be a good time to take advantage of , so you dont have to worry about running out.

Key Indicators Of A Possible Pregnancy

Many women experience one or more pregnancy symptoms during a normal menstrual cycle, so you shouldnât panic if youâre a little nauseous, tired, or experiencing cramping. If youâve noticed several of the indicators below over the last few weeks, however, itâs worth a closer look. These signs often signal a pregnancy, but only an official pregnancy test or doctorâs visit will be able to tell you for sure.

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Your First Prenatal Appointment May Not Be For A Couple Of Months

Save for some cramping and possibly morning sickness, you dont always feel pregnant when you first find out youre expecting and it can make a mom-to-be a little impatient for the “fun” things like telling friends, going to the doctor and having an adorable baby bump.

In fact, that first prenatal appointment feels very far away to some eager moms-to-be, since it may not happen until eight or 10 weeks into the pregnancy .

“I was surprised at how long it took for my first doctors appointment after finding out I was pregnant,” says What to Expect user inkedmom252. “Eight to 10 weeks before seeing your doctor or getting your first ultrasound!! What?!”

Another user who calls herself JenP1986 agrees: “I cant believe how long you have to wait for your first appointment! My anxiety is driving me nuts! All I do is wonder if everything is going in there!”

Are Home Pregnancy Tests The Best Way To Check For An Early Pregnancy

Home pregnancy tests are generally very reliable. These tests involve urinating on a small test strip and then waiting for a symbol to appear in the result window. This window will usually show a test image . This symbol appears first and means that the test is working. Always check the packaging and instructions of your test to make sure it is working correctly. Within a few minutes, the test will show either a positive result or a negative result. Some digital tests will display a word or phrase .

Blood tests for a possible pregnancy are done in your healthcare providers office. This version of the test looks for hCG in your blood. You still need to wait for hCG to build up in your body before taking this type of pregnancy test. Your healthcare provider may recommend this option in some cases. Call your provider if you suspect youre pregnant and discuss the best type of test.

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Benefits Of Natural Pregnancy Test

There are only a few of us who would turn to home-made tests, but those who hesitate to take up the natural route may miss out on some of the benefits like:

• This method can come in handy when you suspect an unplanned pregnancy and wouldnt want others to know about it.
• Disposing of a pregnancy test can be difficult to hide but not when you use natural ingredients.
• All the ingredients required are on your kitchen shelves.
• You can take the test in the comfort of your home instead of the pharmacy.
• Natural pregnancy tests are cost-effective.
• You dont have to worry about the expiry date as the natural ingredients used do not have a shelf life.

Whats Next If The Results Are Negative

If your test results are negative, but you want to have a baby, keep trying to get pregnant. Also make sure that you begin taking folic acid supplements, if you havent already. You wont always get pregnant from sexual intercourse depending on your menstrual cycle, so use an ovulation calculator or track your cycle on a calendar to decide when the best times are for you to get pregnant.

Learn more: Ovulation: When am I most fertile? »

If youve tried to become pregnant multiple times, consider getting a fertility test or asking your partner to get a fertility test. It can reveal whether either of you might have fertility issues that are affecting your ability to get pregnant. If youre infertile, consider other options for becoming pregnant, such as artificial insemination.

If your test results are negative and you didnt plan to get pregnant, take a second test to make sure the results are accurate. If you took the test because you were concerned that you might have gotten pregnant after unprotected sex, make sure to use any birth control necessary to prevent any future pregnancy scares.

If your results are negative but youre still experiencing pregnancy symptoms, such as a missed period, see your doctor to find out if another condition is causing your symptoms. Symptoms such as exhaustion, nausea, and vomiting are common to other conditions. Heavy exercise or excessive stress can cause missed periods as well.

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