How To Know If You Re Actually Pregnant

Paying Attention To Other Symptoms

How I knew I was pregnant before testing positive! BOTH times! Early pregnancy symptoms
  • 1Look for morning sickness. Morning sickness can strike early in a pregnancy. Despite its name, morning sickness doesn’t just happen in the morning. You may have an upset stomach any time of day. Your may also experience some vomiting. This symptom can strike as early as 2 weeks after conception.XResearch sourceXTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to source
  • 2Pay attention if smells or foods bother you. You may start noticing you suddenly don’t like certain foods or smells. It will come out of the blue, and you may have been just fine with them before. In fact, these foods or smells may make you nauseated.XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to source
  • 3Notice how hungry you are. Often, you will find you are much hungrier if you are pregnant. If you notice you are eating more than normal and still find yourself hungry, you may be pregnant. Some people describe this symptom as a constant hunger.XTrustworthy SourceCleveland ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to source
  • 4Watch for a metallic taste. Sometimes, people experience having a metallic taste in their mouths. This symptom is especially prevalent in the early stages of pregnancy.XTrustworthy SourceCleveland ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to source
  • What Is A Due Date

    It takes about 38 weeks for human babies to develop fully in the womb. Your due date is the day youre expected to give birth based on this 38-week gestation process.

    But keep in mind that healthcare providers consider a pregnancy to be full-term anywhere between 37 and 42 weeks. Babies can be born at any time, and many factors play a role in determining when you go into labor and when your baby will actually enter the world.

    How Do I Calculate My Due Date

    You can calculate your due date by using:

    The date of your last period

    You can calculate your due date if you know the first day of your last menstrual period before you got pregnant. Your due date is 40 weeks after the day you started your last period.

    This method is a good way to estimate when your baby is due because many women remember the day they started their period. But it might not always be accurate, especially if you have an irregular menstrual cycle or are on birth control.

    The date you conceived

    If you know the exact day you conceived, you can use that information to figure out when your baby is due. Count ahead 38 weeks from the day you got pregnant. That day is your due date.

    This method is only accurate if youre sure about the day you got pregnant. You may only know the specific day you got pregnant if you know when you ovulated. Ovulation happens when your ovaries release an egg. Usually, women ovulate about 14 days after the first day of their period. You can track your ovulation by:

    • Taking your basal body temperature around the time when you think you might be ovulating.
    • Tracking your ovulation symptoms, such as ovulation pain and cervical mucus.
    • Using an ovulation predictor kit. These kits use your urine to detect when youre ovulating.

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    Why Is It Important To Calculate My Due Date

    Its important to know your due date for planning purposes knowing your expected delivery date helps you prepare to welcome your baby. Youll have time to pack for the hospital and get the things you need for the baby, like a car seat. If you have other children, counting down the days until the new baby arrives can help siblings prepare for a new family member.

    Knowing when youre due also allows you to get appropriate prenatal care. This includes taking prenatal vitamins and getting prenatal screenings at the right times during your pregnancy. Your provider will also measure your babys size and position throughout your pregnancy to ensure that your baby is growing properly.

    What Happens During Week 1

    How to Tell if You

    These are the first 2 weeks of your menstrual cycle. You have your period. About 2 weeks later, the egg thats most mature is released from your ovary this is called ovulation. Ovulation may happen earlier or later, depending on the length of your menstrual cycle. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days.

    After its released, your egg travels down your fallopian tube toward your uterus. If the egg meets up with a sperm, they combine. This is called fertilization. Fertilization is most likely to occur when you have unprotected vaginal sex during the 6 days leading up to and including the day of ovulation.

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    Contact Your Obgyn As Soon As You Think You Are Pregnant

    Call your OBGYN clinic as soon as you find out youre pregnant. When you call in, your provider will review your medical history to determine the timing of your first prenatal visit. If you are a woman with no medical problems and under the age of 35, your first prenatal appointment will likely be 3-4 weeks after your missed period.

    Some women should be seen sooner than others. For instance, if a woman has a history of ectopic pregnancy , she should be seen within a couple of days. Certain other medical conditions warrant an immediate visit with the provider.

    Note: Ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus, such as in the fallopian tube. The earliest symptom of ectopic pregnancy is typically light vaginal bleeding soon after a positive pregnancy test. If this happens, call your OBGYN to schedule an ultrasound right away. The ultrasound will identify if the fertilized egg is growing in the uterus or if it has attached somewhere else.

    An ectopic pregnancy cannot be moved to the uterus and requires treatment such as medication or surgery. If the ectopic pregnancy continues growing to 5 or 5.5 weeks after conception, it could cause more serious complications, such as a ruptured fallopian tube, which can result in life-threatening internal bleeding. Symptoms of a ruptured fallopian tube include sudden and severe pain, abnormal bleeding, lightheadedness, and shoulder pain.

    How To Know If You Are Pregnant

    The only way to know answer the question Am I pregnant is to take pregnancy test. Many early pregnancy symptoms such as nausea and fatigue may be signs of other conditions. Women and men from over 40 countries call or chat asking our nurses and pregnancy educators how do I know if Im pregnant?

    Here are some of the most frequently asked questions pregnancy symptoms:

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    What Is Implantation Bleeding

    Implantation bleeding is light bleeding from the that happens in some women 10 to 14 days after conceiving a baby.

    You may think its just a light period, but its an early sign of pregnancy. Its not dangerous, and you dont need treatment.

    But heavy bleeding can be a sign of a problem. Call your doctor if you bleed a lot, with or without fever, chills, or have cramps that get worse.

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    Learn About Your Companys Policies

    How soon can I know that I’m pregnant?

    Consider talking to HR to learn more about your companys maternity leave policies. You can also check your employee handbook, which should include all the information regarding best practices and policies about your pregnancy announcement and maternity leave. Find out who you need to tell in order to process your leave. For example, you may need to notify a certain HR professional in addition to your direct supervisor.

  • How Soon Can You Get Symptoms of Pregnancy? Center
  • Early symptoms of pregnancy are usually different for every woman. Some women might experience the first symptoms a week or two after conceiving, whereas others dont feel anything for months. Many women may 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 a womans ability to pick up on the changes occurring within the body and how sensitive they are to them. Doctors may always run a blood test, which can typically detect pregnancy as early as one week after conception.

    As per the research done on 136 women who were trying to get pregnant, they kept daily records of their symptoms from the time they stopped using birth control until they were eight weeks pregnant . The results were as follows:

    Some pregnancy symptoms can begin a just few days after conception, even before a positive pregnancy test, which may include:

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    When To Take A Pregnancy Test

    A home pregnancy test may show up positive as soon as one week after ovulation . However, we recommend you wait for your missed period. Some of these very early pregnancies do not continue. They are termed chemical pregnancies. If you have been trying for a long time to become pregnant, it may be especially beneficial for your mental health to wait for a more reliable test result.

    Take a pregnancy test:

    • When you are one week past your missed period and have been sexually active.
    • When using hormonal birth control ” rel=”nofollow”> hormonal IUD) and your period flow is different than usual.
    • When you experience pregnancy symptoms while using birth control if you have been sexually active.
    • If you have an IUD and you cannot feel the strings when you were previously able to feel the strings.

    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!

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    When Can You Confirm Your Pregnancy

    If you think you might be pregnant because you missed your period or are experiencing some of the early symptoms of pregnancy listed above, you can take a home pregnancy test.These tests can confirm a pregnancy by checking your urine for the presence of a hormone called hCG.

    If you think you may be pregnant, but the test says otherwise, test again after a few more days or speak to your healthcare provider. You can also ask your provider to confirm your pregnancy with a blood test. Think you might be pregnant? Take our Am I Pregnant quiz. It wonât tell you for sure, but itâs all good fun!

    Are There Any Medications That Can Change The Result Of My Pregnancy Test

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    For the most part, medications do not change your pregnancy test results. Antibiotics, birth control, alcohol and many other drugs do not impact your test results. The main reason for a false-negative is testing too early. You might also get a false-negative if you use a home test incorrectly. Its important to follow the directions on your test kit to make sure you get an accurate result.

    However, fertility drugs are one exception. These medications can sometimes cause a false-positive on your pregnancy test. If youre taking fertility medications, reach out to your healthcare provider about your results to make sure they are accurate.

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    Morning Sickness Nausea And Vomiting During Early Pregnancy

    Nausea and morning sickness usually develop around weeks 4 to 6 and peak around week 9.

    Although its called morning sickness, it can occur anytime during the day or night. Its unclear exactly what causes nausea and morning sickness, but hormones may play a role.

    During the first trimester of pregnancy, many women experience mild to severe morning sickness. It may become more intense toward the end of the first trimester, but often becomes less severe as you enter the second trimester.

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

    Pregnancy doesnt 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 dont 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 its negative and your period still hasnt come and you still think you might be pregnant, test again in another week.

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    Check If Your Period Is Late

    • Did your last period start more than four weeks ago?
    • How far apart are your periods usually? .

    Tip: Even if your cycle is inconsistent or longer than 32 days from one period to the next, if you are more than one week past your expected period, and you have been sexually active, there is a chance you could be pregnant.

    Could I Have The Symptoms Of Early Pregnancy And Not Be Pregnant

    What To Do When You Find Out Youâre Pregnant – “Take A STEP”

    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.

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    Can The Exact Date Of Conception Be Determined Accurately

    Many women have questions about the date of possible conception, and unfortunately figuring this out is not always so easy. The assumption is that if a woman has pretty regular menstrual cycles, then she will be ovulating during a certain time of the month.

    Ovulation is the time when conception can take place because that is when an egg is made available. The problem is that most women do not ovulate on an exact date each month, and many women have a different ovulation day from month to month.

    If you also take into account that sperm can live in the body 3-5 days after intercourse has taken place, this can make determining conception very difficult.

    Most doctors use the first day of the last period and ultrasound measurements to gauge the gestational age of a baby and determine when the baby was conceived. But these are just tools used to estimate the datesit is very hard for anything to tell what the exact date of conception really is.

    Most people do not realize that ultrasounds can be off up to 5-7 days in early pregnancy and up to a couple of weeks off if the first ultrasounds are done farther into the second trimester or beyond.

    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.

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    What Happens During Week 3

    The fertilized egg moves down your fallopian tube and divides into more and more cells. It reaches your uterus about 34 days after fertilization. The dividing cells then form a ball that floats around in the uterus for about 23 days.

    Pregnancy begins when the ball of cells attaches to the lining of your uterus. This is called implantation. It usually starts about 6 days after fertilization and takes about 34 days to be complete.

    Pregnancy doesnt always happen, even if an egg is fertilized by a sperm. Up to half of all fertilized eggs pass out of your body when you get your period, before implantation is complete.

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