How To Tell If Woman Is Pregnant

November 27, 2022

Cramping And Spotting During Early Pregnancy

How to Know If You’re Pregnant

From weeks 1 to 4, everything is still happening on a cellular level. The fertilized egg creates a blastocyst that will develop into the fetuss organs and body parts.

About 10 to 14 days after conception, the blastocyst will implant in the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus. This can cause implantation bleeding, which may be mistaken for a light period. It does not occur for everyone. If it does occur, it will usually happen around the time you expect your period.

Here are some signs of implantation bleeding:

Color. The color of each episode may be pink, red, or brown.
Bleeding. Implantation bleeding is usually much less than your usual period. Its often described as light bleeding that never turns into a flow or enough to need a tampon.

Pain. Pain is usually milder than your usual menstrual pain. It may involve some cramping. It can be moderate or severe, but its most often mild.
Episodes. Implantation bleeding is likely to last less than 3 days and does not require treatment. It can sometimes last only a few hours.

How Doctors Test For The Babys Sex

The best opportunity to find out a babys sex is when the doctor carries out an ultrasound scan at 20 weeks.

The doctor will look at the babys genitals during the scan to determine their sex. This is usually accurate but not always, as many things can obscure the ultrasound image.

There are some other procedures the doctor can perform to get a definitive answer, including:

chorionic villus sampling

noninvasive prenatal testing

A doctor will usually only offer these procedures if they are concerned about the health of the baby.

How To Tell If Your Partner Is Pregnant

Brian Levine, MD, MS, FACOG, is board-certified in obstetrics-gynecology, as well as reproductive endocrinology and infertility . He is the director and founding partner of CCRM New York and was named a rising star by Super Doctors from 2017 to 2019.

Being Supportive

If your partner thinks they might be pregnant, you may feel excited by the prospect of parenthood. It’s also possible that either of you might be afraid to take a pregnancy test. If you have been trying to conceive, you might feel anxious about getting a negative result.

If you were not trying to get pregnant, a positive test could be overwhelming for both of you. Here’s how you can support your partner if they think they are pregnant and plan to take a pregnancy test, as well as what to do if your role in your partner’s pregnancy is unclear.

You May Like: When Will I Be 20 Weeks Pregnant

The Odds Of Getting Pregnant

It’s a common question: What are the odds that I’ll get pregnant this month? For most couples trying to conceive, the odds that a woman will become pregnant are 15% to 25% in any particular month.

But there are some things that can affect your chance of getting pregnant:

Age. After you reach age 30, your chances of conceiving in any given month fall, and they decrease as you age, dropping steeply in your 40s.
Irregular menstrual cycles. Having an irregular cycle makes it tricky to calculate when you’re ovulating, thus making it difficult to know the ideal time to have sex.
Frequency of sex. The less often you have sex, the less likely you are to get pregnant.

Amount of time you’ve been trying to conceive. If you haven’t gotten pregnant after one year of trying to conceive, your chances of becoming pregnant may be lower. Talk to your doctor about tests for female and male infertility.
Illnesses or medical conditions can affect pregnancy.

Recognizing Pregnancy Later On

8 Signs of Ovulation to Detect Your Most Fertile Time

1Look at the shape of their abdomen. A person’s body changes a lot during pregnancy, particularly in their abdomen. As the baby grows, the abdomen needs to expand to accommodate. This can sometimes be difficult to differentiate from belly fat in the same area, but a pregnancy has some subtle distinguishing characteristics. Weight gain in the belly area that looks like a well-defined bump, but little to no weight gain in other areas of the body is most likely caused by pregnancy. If you happen to accidentally bump into them, keep in mind that a pregnant belly is also much firmer than belly fat.XTrustworthy SourcePubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of HealthGo to source

2Take note of their breasts. Enlarged, growing breasts are a common physical change because breast tissue is very sensitive to hormonal changes. If you dont know this person, this might not be helpful since you dont have a pre-pregnancy breast size to compare their current size to however, some pregnant people in the later stages of pregnancy have disproportionately large breasts to the rest of their body because they swell with milk production.XResearch source

4Notice how they are moving around. As their body begins to change and grow, many pregnant people also begin experiencing changes to their mobility. Keep an eye out for these common signs:

Recommended Reading: Which Pregnancy Test Shows The Earliest

When Should You Take A Pregnancy Test

Its usually recommended that you take a pregnancy test after youve missed your period. This is because pregnancy tests measure the level of human chorionic gonadotrophin in your body, which is a hormone that starts to build up when you conceive. It can take around three to four weeks from the first day of your last period for there to be enough hCG in your body to show up on a test.

Can I Be Pregnant And Still Have A Period

Pregnant women can have some light irregular bleeding during pregnancy, but it should not be like a normal period. Some women can confuse this for their period because often it can come right around the time she was expecting her normal period.

The irregular bleeding or spotting that can occur during pregnancy is often a dark brown or a light pinkish color. It should not be enough bleeding to fill pads or tampons over a few days. If you are bleeding enough to fill pads and tampons, then this would be a good indication that you are probably not pregnant. Learn more about getting pregnant while on your period.

Don’t Miss: Can You Get Pregnant With Iud While Taking Antibiotics

Round The Clock Peeing Increased Urination

Bolting for the bathroom at every turn is something many women assume happens only in later pregnancy, when the uterus is big enough to press on their bladder. But its also a common symptom in the first few weeks, Dr. Ross says.

Thats because the hormone hCG increases blood flow to your pelvis, and the extra fluid volume can trigger the need to urinate more.

If the urinary frequency is accompanied by pain or cloudy urine, though, its possible you have a urinary infection and should be checked, Taylor says.

Severe Maternal Morbidity In The United States

How can I know if my girlfriend is pregnant?

Maternal morbidity includes physical and psychologic conditions that result from or are aggravated by pregnancy and have an adverse effect on a womans health. The most severe complications of pregnancy, generally referred to as severe maternal morbidity , affect more than 50,000 women in the United States every year. Based on recent trends, this burden has been steadily increasing.

Rises in SMM are likely driven by a combination of factors, including increases in maternal age, pre-pregnancy obesity, pre-existing chronic medical conditions, and cesarean delivery. The consequences of the increasing SMM prevalence are wide-ranging and include higher health service use, higher direct medical costs, extended hospitalization stays, and long-term rehabilitation. The review of SMM cases provides an opportunity to identify points of intervention for quality improvements in maternal care. Tracking SMM will help monitor the effectiveness of such interventions.

Also Check: How To Get Pregnant Fast With One Fallopian Tube

How Accurate Is A Baby Due Date Calculator

A due date calculator is only an estimate. Your healthcare provider will examine you and your developing fetus to confirm your due date.

To get a more accurate idea of when your baby will be born, your provider will perform an ultrasound. During an ultrasound, your provider measures the fetus. These measurements help your provider determine gestational age and confirm your due date.

Going Off The Pill To Get Pregnant

How long does it take for the effects of birth control medication to subside? It’s actually possible to become pregnant immediately after going off the pill — as soon as the pill’s hormones are out of your system — although it may take a few months before ovulation begins normally again.

Is it safe to conceive right after you go off the pill? Yes. Women who conceive immediately after going off the pill are as likely to have a healthy baby as women who waited a few months in between.

Show Sources

Don’t Miss: How To Lose Healthy Weight While Pregnant

Changes In Food Patterns

This can go both ways you might feel cravings towards a particular type of food and aversions towards others. This occurs due to rise in the levels of estrogen in the blood and can happen any time throughout the pregnancy. Food cravings can be satisfied, provided that the items are safe and that you do not overeat.

How Is An Ectopic Pregnancy Diagnosed

An ectopic pregnancy is typically diagnosed during an appointment in your healthcare providers office. Your provider will perform several tests to first confirm a pregnancy, and then look for the ectopic pregnancy. These tests include:

A urine test: This test involves either urinating on a test strip or urinating into a cup in your providers office and then having a test strip dipped into the urine sample.

A blood test: You provider may test your blood to see how much of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin you have in your body. This hormone is produced during pregnancy. You may also hear this called your serum beta-hCG level.
An ultrasound exam: An imaging test, an ultrasound uses sound waves to create a picture of your bodys internal structures. Ultrasound is often used during pregnancy. Your provider will use this test to see where the fertilized egg has implanted.

Once your provider has confirmed the pregnancy and determined where the fertilized egg has implanted, a treatment plan will be created. Ectopic pregnancy is an emergency and treatment for this condition is very important.

If your fallopian tube ruptures, you will need to go to the emergency room and be treated immediately. In those cases, theres no time to wait for an appointment.

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.

Food Aversions And Sensitivity To Smell

Sensitivity to certain smells is a common symptom for pregnant women. You may also find that your tastes have changed for certain types of food.

Any of the above signs can mean youre pregnant, but there are women who conceive and experience none of them. Likewise, you can experience all ten and not be pregnant. The best way to confirm pregnancy is to schedule an appointment with a provider, preferably your gynecologist.

If you notice a few of the early pregnancy symptoms above and think you may be pregnant, wait one or two days after your missed period and take a pregnancy test. If the test is negative, wait a few more days and take another, just in case the first was a false negative. If the test is positive, schedule an appointment with your OB/GYN.

At Baptist Health, were committed to helping women through every stage of their health journeys. If youre trying to conceive or thinking about getting pregnant, read through our preconception to-do list, or if you have an upcoming OB/GYN appointment, learn how you can get the most out of your visit.

Recommended Reading: How Often Can Precum Cause Pregnancy

Weight Gain During Early Pregnancy

Weight gain becomes more common toward the end of your first trimester. You may find yourself gaining about 1 to 4 pounds in the first few months.

Calorie recommendations for early pregnancy wont change much from your usual diet, but they will increase as pregnancy progresses.

In the later stages, pregnancy weight often shows up in the:

Hormones can cause the valve between your stomach and esophagus to relax. This allows stomach acid to leak, causing heartburn.

Is Pregnancy More Dangerous For A Woman

Getting Pregnant: Everything you need to know (tips from a Fertility Doctor)

It is very important for the woman to know if she is pregnant or if her body is going through some type of weight gain. Her monthly cycle is not always reliable and some women will have irregular cycles. This can lead to a time that she may not be expecting to be pregnant or experiencing some type of weight gain. It is important to know the signs of pregnancy. The most common is the sex of the baby. When a woman is pregnant she will begin to produce hormones, and sex hormones can be transferred to the placenta. These hormones can be detected by a blood test. If the woman is pregnant she will also experience some weight gain. This usually is an increase of about ten pounds. The woman will typically have some type of cramps, and the woman may experience some swelling in her body. Another sign of pregnancy is that the womans breasts will begin to increase in size.

Recommended Reading: How To Stop Morning Sickness In Early Pregnancy

From The Early Signs Of Pregnancy To The Best And Most Accurate Tests Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Pregnancy

Whether you’ve waited for this moment or dreaded it, one thing is clear: If you’re searching the term “How do I know if I’m pregnant?” you’re looking for answers. You want to know if you’re “with child.” The good news is we’ve got you covered. From the early signs of pregnancy to the best and most accurate tests, here’s everything you need to know about pregnancy.

Condoms And Other Barrier Methods

Condoms, diaphragms, and sponges are convenient and inexpensive forms of birth control that can be bought without a prescription.

Theyre most effective when used correctly every time you have sexual intercourse. If youre relying on these barrier methods to avoid getting pregnant, also consider using an additional method of contraception such as spermicide or a birth control pill.

Other barrier methods include diaphragms and sponges. They can be bought without a prescription.

Don’t Miss: Where Can I Watch 16 And Pregnant Online For Free

Signs You’re Having A Girl

Your baby’s heartbeat is faster than 140 beats per minute.

You’re carrying all round.

Your left breast is bigger than your right.

You look at yourself in the mirror for at least a minute, but your pupils don’t dilate.

You crave sweet things, such as juice, fruit and sweets.

You tie your wedding ring to some thread, hang it over your stomach and it swings from side to side.

Your skin is soft.

You are more moody than usual.

You’re asked to show your hands and you present them palms up.

You were the less aggressive partner during love-making when you conceived.

You eat a clove of garlic, but you don’t smell of it.

You combine your age at the time of conception with the number of the month you conceived and the resulting number is odd.

You lie on your right side when sleeping.

Your pillow faces south when you sleep.

Your urine is dull yellow.

Your previous child’s first word was “mama”.

In ultrasound pictures, your baby’s lower jaw is rounded and the top of the head is tapered. This is called skull theory, and some mums believe it’s very accurate.

Early Pregnancy Symptoms Vs Pms: Whats The Difference

Some Unpleasant Things about Pregnancy that Women Need to Know

Most early pregnancy symptoms before your period are strikingly similar to the side effects of PMS. However, youll only notice changes in your areolas if youre pregnant. A consistently elevated BBT and creamy vaginal discharge post-ovulation are also both relatively reliable signs of conception, but theyre certainly not foolproof.

Otherwise, the only way to know if other early pregnancy symptoms are due to a baby or PMS is to hold out until you can take a pregnancy test.

Are All Home Pregnancy Testing Methods The Same

Most brands of at-home pregnancy tests are reliable. Although the exact testing method of different pregnancy tests can differ from one type to the other, they all look for HCG in your body. If youre using an at-home test, most will give you the same result. The difference with your at-home tests will be the sensitivity of the test. Some might be more sensitive than others and produce a positive result sooner than others. For the most accurate reading, its still recommended that you wait until youve missed your period. At that point, all tests should be accurate.

Consumer Reports Claims Brands Like Trader Joes Hersheys And Godiva Have Unsafe Levels Of These Metals But Most Chocolate Makers Tell Marketwatch That Theyre Safe To Eat

The Consumer Reports study warned that consistent, long-term exposure to even small amounts of heavy metals can lead to a variety of health problems.

+0.62%

Heres some not-so-sweet news for candy lovers: A new study by Consumer Reports found that several dark-chocolate bars on the market contain levels of heavy metals specifically, lead and cadmium that could pose health risks.

Among the products cited for their high levels of lead and/or cadmium metals are ones manufactured by such brands and retailers as Hersheys HSY, +0.62% , Godiva, Lindt, Theo Chocolate and Trader Joes, according to Consumer Reports, which used Californias maximum allowable dose level for lead and cadmium as the basis for its report.

Consumer Reports stated, We used those levels because there are no federal limits for the amount of lead and cadmium most foods can contain, and CRs scientists believe that Californias levels are the most protective available.

So for example, the Trader Joes Dark Chocolate Lovers Chocolate bar had 127% of the maximum allowable dose level of lead and 229% of the level of cadmium. In a similar range, Theo Chocolates Organic Extra Dark Pure Dark Chocolate had 140% of the level of lead and 189% of the level of cadmium.

CR explained that theres less of an issue with milk chocolate because dark chocolate, by nature, has a higher cacao content and the presence of the metals is connected with cacao.

You May Like: What’s Safe To Eat While Pregnant