How To Know If I Might Be Pregnant

You Have Exaggerated Symptoms

The symptoms of pregnancy are wide-ranging: Morning sickness, food cravings, fatigue, frequent urination all are commonly experienced by pregnant women. It might not come as a surprise that the presence of two babies exacerbates these symptoms.

Some pregnant moms of multiples report intensified symptoms of nausea, fatigue, breast tenderness, food cravings, or the like. It’s more common in women who have experienced a previous pregnancy and thus have a basis for comparison.

You Have Characteristics That Increase The Odds

While sometimes a twin pregnancy just “happens,” there are some characteristics that increase the odds that a woman will have twins or multiples, including:

• Conception while breastfeeding or on birth control pills: Hormone fluctuations may affect your odds of having twins.
• Family history: Having “the twin gene” makes a woman more susceptible to having a fraternal twin birth, in which more than one egg is released at once. There may also be genetic associations in some identical twins, where one embryo divides.
• Fertility treatments: As hormonal treatments such as in vitro fertilization become more common, the frequency of twin births increases, as well, thanks to the resulting ovarian stimulation that may release more than one egg at a time.
• Higher body mass index : A BMI above 25 is associated with an increased probability of having twins.
• Maternal age: The probability of having a twin pregnancy increases with maternal age.

However, many incidences of twins are random and not attributable to any specific cause or characteristic. For many families, their double blessing is simply a result of luck!

Am I Going Into Labor Should I Call The Doctor

Still feel like you wont know when to announce Its time! and get ready to meet your baby? Try not to stress about it. Youll be seeing your doctor or midwife frequently now, and she will help you spot all the important clues.

If you think you’re going into labor, your doctor has likely advised you on what to do when your due date is near and you think you’re experiencing regular contractions .

Labor contractions wont all be exactly spaced, but if they’re becoming pretty consistent, more painful and longer , its time to check in with your doctor.

If you think you might be in labor but aren’t sure, get on the phone. Your provider can explain whats going on and have you come in if there’s any uncertainty.

Dont feel embarrassed or worry about calling outside of office hours, either: Your practitioner knows it comes with the job.

You should always call your doctor or midwife if:

• You experience any bleeding or bright red discharge .
• Your water breaks especially if the fluid looks green or brown. This could be a sign that meconium, or your baby’s first stool, is present, which can be dangerous if your baby ingests it during birth.
• You experience blurred or double vision, a severe headache or sudden swelling. These can all be symptoms of preeclampsia, which is characterized by pregnancy-induced high blood pressure and requires medical attention.

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Do You Have Food Cravings

• A: I cant resist egg and cheese sandwiches and coffee milkshakes! And my period is due.
• B: I haven’t noticed any appetite changes or unusual cravings.

If you answered A: Food cravings and insatiable hunger are a pretty solid PMS sign, so theres probably no baby yet, unless your period is also late. During pregnancy, appetite changes or cravings tend to emerge at the end of the first trimester.

If you answered B: Of course, not all women have noticeable cravings before their period is due, but if your period is late and you aren’t experiencing some typical PMS symptoms you otherwise would, take a home pregnancy test.

How Do I Know If I’m Pregnant

Wondering if youve got a bun in the oven? Here are some telltale ways to determine whether youre expecting a baby, from very early symptoms to home pregnancy tests.

The first signs of pregnancy are different for every woman. While some have telltale symptoms , others dont know theyre expecting until they receive a positive pregnancy test. If youre wondering, How do I know if Im pregnant? read on to learn three ways to determine if a baby is in your future..

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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.

How Soon Can I Take A Pregnancy Test

You can take a pregnancy test from the day your period is due. Most pregnancy tests are sensitive enough to detect the pregnancy hormone in your wee at this stage.

Although you may be anxious to find out if youre pregnant, testing too early may not give you a reliable result. You may need to test again if your first test is negative but your period still doesnt arrive.

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How To Tell If Your Cat Is Pregnant Without A Vet

Your How to tell if your cat is pregnant without a vet images are ready. How to tell if your cat is pregnant without a vet are a topic that is being searched for and liked by netizens now. You can Download the How to tell if your cat is pregnant without a vet files here. Get all free vectors.

How to tell if your cat is pregnant without a vet. How to know if your cat is pregnant without visiting a vet. Experienced veterinarians who regularly palpate the abdomens of pregnant cats can often get a rough idea of whether or not a cat is pregnant and/or just how advanced a cat pregnancy is by feeling the cats abdomen. An experienced veterinarian can gently press on the cats abdomen and feel the cats fetuses as early as the 20 th day of pregnancy. Your veterinarian may be able to feel your pregnant cats fetuses by palpating and gently pressing on her abdomen.

How To Deal With It:

Youll probably want to invest in some different kinds of bras, which could be larger, made out of cotton, and underwire-free. Wearing a bra to bed might help ease the pain as well. Though your larger twins might look enticing to your partner, make sure you let them know that they are welcome to look, but touching should be kept to a minimum.

If you’re pregnant, your body is working hard to make another human, so you’re feeling tired for many reasons!

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Early Changes To Breasts: Tingling Aching Growing

Breast changes can occur between weeks 4 and 6. Youre likely to develop tender and swollen breasts due to hormone changes. This will likely go away after a few weeks when your body has adjusted to the hormones.

Nipple and breast changes can also occur around week 11. Hormones continue to cause your breasts to grow. The areola the area around the nipple may change to a darker color and grow larger.

If youve had bouts with acne before your pregnancy, you may experience breakouts again.

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:

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Take A Home Pregnancy Test

The cheapest, easiest, most accessible way to confirm youâre pregnant is with a home pregnancy test. This form of testing can identify a positive pregnancy result as early as two weeks after fertilization, making it one of the fastest ways to learn more about your situation. Youâre probably familiar with how the little stick you buy at the supermarket or convenience store worksâyou bring it to the restroom with you, urinate on it, and wait for the results.

The test works by looking for human chorionic gonadotropin in your urineâa hormone your body starts to crank out in large quantities shortly after conception. If you test negative on the first try, many pregnancy tests recommend you check again three to five days later. Why? Because hCG can take several days to build up in your body, the first test may accidentally give you a false negative!

This retest is really important. If your first test suggests youâre not really pregnant , you may not know to reach out to your doctor or physician to get the checkups, vitamins, or medications you need to ensure you and your baby remain healthy. If/when you get a positive resultâwhether itâs on the first, second, or eighth timeâmake sure you take the next step by scheduling a medical visit!

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

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Unusual Feelings And Emotions

If your emotions feel a little out of balance in early pregnancy, the reason is once again hormones. Its most common in the first trimester, so the feeling of being on an emotional roller coaster will likely settle down after a little while.

As with other early pregnancy symptoms, you may find that staying active, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining a social life can help you deal with these symptoms.

You Have Elevated Hcg Or Afp Levels

Early in pregnancy, doctors or midwives may perform common screenings to check hCG levels, a hormone produced during pregnancy. If the levels are high or accelerated, it may indicate a multiple pregnancy.

An AFP screening occurs later in pregnancy and tests for the proclivity of chromosomal abnormalities or birth defects. This type of testing may be referred to as maternal serum screening, triple screen, quad screen or penta screen.

Based on the screening result, doctors may recommend further testing. An abnormally high result could be caused by the presence of multiple babies such as twins.

In either case, unexpected results are cause for further investigation, which could confirm the presence of twins.

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Changes In Urination And Bowel Movements

Beginning about six weeks into the first trimester and throughout her pregnancy, a woman may need to pee more frequently.

Frequent bathroom visits happen in early pregnancy because the kidneys are working harder to filter the extra fluids in the body, such as an increased volume of blood. As the months pass and the fetus grows and develops in a woman’s uterus, it can put pressure on her bladder, causing a need to urinate more often than usual, according to the .

Constipation may be caused by extra progesterone, which can slow down the digestive system so that more nutrients can reach the fetus. Pregnancy hormones can also relax muscles that push waste products through the intestines. Being physically active, drinking lots of liquids and increasing dietary fiber can all help ease constipation, according to the Mayo Clinic.

When To Take A Pregnancy Test

A pregnancy test measures the amount of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin hormone in the urine. This hormone is only present when a woman is pregnant. As the egg grows into an embryo, the cells that surround it and later become the placenta produce hCG.

Planned Parenthood indicate that it is best to take a pregnancy test as soon after a missed period as possible. A pregnancy test may return a positive result as early as 10 days after a person has had sex without contraception. However, it typically takes about 3 weeks before theres enough hCG in the urine to produce a positive pregnancy test.

There are many affordable and reliable pregnancy tests available over-the-counter or online. A home pregnancy test can tell whether you are pregnant in a few minutes, with most claiming to offer almost

1 week after a missed period. Results of a pregnancy test are either positive or negative.

If a woman takes the pregnancy test earlier than 1 week after a missed period, it may give a negative result, even if the person is actually pregnant.

If a person believes they are pregnant despite a negative test result, they should repeat the test after 1 week.

To avoid a false negative result, check the pregnancy tests expiration date, and carefully follow the written directions.

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Two Babies Are Visible On An Ultrasound

Ultrasound uses sound waves to create an image of the womb. A transducer sends high-frequency sound waves into the body as the sound waves bounce off organs and structures, they produce electrical signals that are converted into images. This peek into the womb can clearly show the presence of two fetuses, or even two embryos early in the pregnancy.

In the past, ultrasound scans could potentially miss a twin pregnancy, for example, if two embryos were close together and one embryo was obscuring the other. But the clarity and precision of modern imaging, as well as more frequent use of ultrasound during pregnancy, makes it less likely that a twin would remain hidden.

Will You Notice Early Signs And Symptoms When You’re 1 Week Pregnant Or 2 Weeks Pregnant

Your journey through pregnancy has officially begun, but as mentioned above, youâre not actually pregnant yet. Remember that healthcare providers calculate your pregnancy as 40 weeks, or 280 days, from the start of your last period. So, if you have a typical 28-day menstrual cycle, the first two weeks are mainly just Aunt Flo doing her thing.

But after two weeks, other things start to happen.

• One of your ovaries will release an egg around 14 days after the first day of your last period.

• The egg will travel down one of the fallopian tubes where it may unite with sperm.

Itâs worth noting that sperm can live inside your body for up to five days, and your egg has a lifespan of up to one day. This means your window of fertility is about five days before you ovulate to one day after.What this all means is that you wonât feel any of those very early signs of pregnancy in weeks 1, 2, or possibly even 3. If you have yet to conceive, then it makes sense that you wouldnât notice anything!

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Changes In Cervical Mucus

Have you become a student of your cervical mucus? Then check it out now: If it becomes creamy and stays that way after ovulation, its a good sign youll have a positive pregnancy test.

As your pregnancy progresses, youll also notice increased vaginal discharge, called leukorrhea. This thin, milky-white discharge is normal and healthy, but speak to your practitioner if it appears lumpy or thick.

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

• 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

• smoking

• exposure to secondhand smoke

• 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!

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