Video: How To Confirm Pregnancy Without Taking A Test
While pregnancy tests are the sought after option, there are a few ways by which you can know with reasonable certainty that you are pregnant. In this article, we will look at how to confirm your pregnancy without a test, for the benefit of expecting parents.
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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.
What You Should Know About Arrhythmia During Pregnancy
Under the best of circumstances, pregnancy is a time filled with excitement and considerable apprehension as you do your best to ensure a successful outcome for you and your unborn child. As your body undergoes incredible physiological changes, certain conditions can crop up, which just adds to your already increasing anxiety. Heart arrhythmias are a prime example of one of these unwelcome developments, but theyre not necessarily cause for panic.
At Heart Rhythm Associates, Dr. Van H. De Bruyn and our team help patients in all stages of their lives better navigate their heart health. And for women who are building their families, we take extra care to ensure that the journey is a safe one.
Heres what you should know about arrhythmia during pregnancy.
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If You Can Ask Someone Else Even Better
As you can probably guess, asking if someone is pregnant is a risky move. Metaphorically speaking, doing so could blow up right in your face.
Fortunately, there are other ways to find out.
Better ask a close friend or relative of that person.
Hey, I noticed X is a little changed. Do you think shes pregnant?
Keep in mind you dont have to ease into the subject if youre asking someone else. You do have to watch your words. Calling someone fat or heavier isnt going to help your case.
When youre talking about someones physique, keep it vague and go straight to the point.
Ask Instead Of Assuming
Yes, hearing about morning sickness and first kicks can be difficult in some situations, but not all. Your friend might complain about their coworker who talks endlessly about their morning sickness, but they may enjoy hearing all about yours. So, if you’re not sure how much detail they’d like to hear about your pregnancy, ask. That way you can share comfortably.
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Things That Come Out Of Your Body During Labor
So you’ve survived the mood swings and the hemorrhoids, and you think your surprises are over. But the day you give birth will probably hold the biggest surprises of all.
During pregnancy, fluid surrounds your baby in the amniotic sac. This sac breaks at the start of or during labor a moment usually referred to as your water breaking. For most women in labor, contractions start before their water breaks. Sometimes the doctor has to rupture the amniotic sac .
How much water can you expect? For a full-term baby, there are about 2 to 3 cups of amniotic fluid. Some women may feel an intense urge to pee that leads to a gush of fluid when their water breaks. Others may only feel a trickling down their leg because the baby’s head acts like a stopper to prevent most of the fluid from leaking out.
Amniotic fluid is generally sweet-smelling and pale or colorless. It’s replaced by your body every 3 hours, so don’t be surprised if you continue to leak fluid, about a cup an hour, until delivery.
Other, unexpected things may come out of your body during labor. Some women have nausea and vomiting. Others have diarrhea before or during labor, and passing gas is also common. During the pushing phase of labor, you may lose control of your bladder or bowels.
A birth plan can help communicate your wishes to your health care providers about how to handle these and other aspects of labor and delivery.
Food Aversions Or Cravings
Unusual cravings and food aversions are common in the first trimester, though they sometimes persist through the entire pregnancy.
Some people crave nonfood items, such as dirt or ice. This is known as pica. Anyone who craves things that are not food should consult a healthcare professional.
A person may also find they no longer enjoy foods they previously enjoyed or that their taste and smell become more sensitive.
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When To See A Doctor
Feeling out of breath and having a higher heart rate is normal in most pregnancies, Dr. Nguyen says, but its important to get checked if it seems like your pulse is increasing rapidly or if it goes over 100 while at rest.
If you can feel your heart beating fast, have significant shortness of breath or any chest pain especially after resting and drinking water Dr. Nguyen suggests letting your doctor know right away. Some pregnancy-related conditions, such as blood clots and anemia, could be present, she says.
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Cramping And Spotting During Early Pregnancy
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.
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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.
Other Pregnancy Signs And Symptoms
Other less obvious signs and symptoms of pregnancy that you might experience during the first trimester include:
- Moodiness. The flood of hormones in your body in early pregnancy can make you unusually emotional and weepy. Mood swings also are common.
- Bloating. Hormonal changes during early pregnancy can cause you to feel bloated, similar to how you might feel at the start of a menstrual period.
- Light spotting. Sometimes a small amount of light spotting is one of the first signs of pregnancy. Known as implantation bleeding, it happens when the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus about 10 to 14 days after conception. Implantation bleeding occurs around the time of a menstrual period. However, not all women have it.
- Cramping. Some women experience mild uterine cramping early in pregnancy.
- Constipation. Hormonal changes cause your digestive system to slow down, which can lead to constipation.
- Food aversions. When youre pregnant, you might become more sensitive to certain odors and your sense of taste might change. Like most other symptoms of pregnancy, these food preferences can be chalked up to hormonal changes.
- Nasal congestion. Increasing hormone levels and blood production can cause the mucous membranes in your nose to swell, dry out and bleed easily. This might cause you to have a stuffy or runny nose.
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Find Your Missing Puzzle Piece
Here’s a great way to make a group pregnancy announcement. Get a personalised puzzle made up which spells out the new arrival it could be a copy of a scan, a ‘baby arriving soon’ message or ‘two dads/two mums love their new arrival’ sign. Give everyone an envelope with a piece of the puzzle in and then ask them to assemble it.
Leave Out Details And Advice
Hearing about a friend’s pregnancy is often difficult when you are experiencing infertility. Listening to a friend talk about how easy or quickly they conceived is likely worse. If you weren’t planning your pregnancy, or it happened quickly, leave those details out. All it will do is remind them of their own struggles.
Unless your friend asks you, avoid sharing advice on trying to conceive, especially if you didn’t struggle with infertility. As you already know, your friend is doing everything they can. Most likely they are already researching and learning how they can improve their fertility and what treatment options they may have.
Getting fertility advice from you right now could feel insulting. It could feel as if you’re implying they aren’t “trying hard enough.” Even if you have struggled with infertility yourself, resist the urge to give unsolicited advice.
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If You Have Experienced Baby Loss
Some people who have experienced baby loss decide to tell someone about their pregnancy early. This may be because they feel anxious about going through loss again and need some emotional support.
If you do need support but feel uncomfortable telling anyone you know about your pregnancy, you may like to join our Pregnancy and parenting after loss support group. This is a safe space where you can share your news, but also find support from other people who have been through a similar experience.
Ease Your Way Into The Subject
Before you ask someone if theyre pregnant or not, you need to ease your way into the subject. Doing so isnt necessarily hard but its necessary.
So, how can you do that? Its simple! Try:
Hey, Im sorry if Im too nosy, and if Im going over the line, let me know, but
Once you have said that first part, you can ask.
Keep in mind easing into the subject is the polite thing to do but if you ask if someone is pregnant and theyre not, youre not going to sound polite, no matter how hard you try.
After easing into the subject, you can simply ask, Are you pregnant?
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Telling Your Friends And Family About Your Pregnancy
Many people wait until the 3-month mark before sharing their pregnancy news. This is often because the risk of miscarriage goes down from this point in the pregnancy. But when you choose to share this news is completely up to you .
The first trimester can be tricky for many people who experience symptoms such as exhaustion, morning sickness or anxiety. It isnt always easy to manage these symptoms on your own, especially if you are trying to hide them from friends, family or colleagues at work.
It may be important that you get any practical or emotional help you need at this point. You may decide to share the news with someone you trust now, so you get the support you need.
A Final Word On Your Pregnancy Announcement
When letting folk know of your baby news do be mindful of what some people may themselves be going through. There may be loved ones who are dealing with infertility, or the loss of a baby and a little thought into how to tell them will be much appreciated. Try to tell these people separately before your big announcement and when you are on your own with them. Remember their own sadness will tinge the excitement they feel for you.
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When Should I Call My Doctor About A New Pregnancy
If youve missed your period and gotten a positive pregnancy test, your next step will be to call your healthcare provider for your first appointment. While scheduling, your provider may ask if you have already started taking a prenatal vitamin containing folic acid. Prenatal vitamins are important in early pregnancy because they help in the development of your babys neural tube. The neural tube will become your babys brain and spine. Many healthcare providers recommend that anyone who could become pregnant take folic acid at all times.
If youre planning a pregnancy, a preconception appointment with your healthcare provider is a good place to start. A preconception appointment is especially important if you take medication for a chronic illness or have other medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure or lupus.
During this appointment, your provider will discuss any current medical conditions, as well as your general health before pregnancy. This appointment is meant to get you into the best place for a new pregnancy.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 07/26/2022.
References
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Do I Need To Wait Until I’m 12 Weeks To Tell People I’m Pregnant
There’s no right or wrong time to make a pregnancy announcement, and every mother-to-be is going to want to do things differently. Once the news has settled in for you, it’s totally understandable to want to share it, particularly with close friends and family. On the other hand, many women choose to schtum until the end of the first trimester when the risk of miscarriage reduces on the grounds that they would wish to have space and privacy if a miscarriage were to occur.
However, this is not to say that you have to do this and miscarriage is not something you should feel compelled to keep under wraps. With this in mind, some people announce their pregnancy before the first 12 weeks are up so they can be sure that support would be available if things were to go wrong.
Have a think, and do whatever feels right for you there is no right or wrong time to make the announcement, but people might start to think something is afoot if you leave it for eight-and-a-half months. We’re just saying.
I cried like a baby and handed my parents a Granny and Grandad card with a copy of our scan in it.
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What If I Tell People Im Pregnant And Then Have A Miscarriage
Many women choose to delay announcing a pregnancy at least until the end of the first trimester . This is usually because of concerns about the risk of miscarriage during this time.
When deciding the right time to tell people you are pregnant, you might want to think about how you would handle a miscarriage were it to happen. Many people would consider a miscarriage so devastating that they would be too distressed to discuss it with others.
On the other hand, by telling people you are pregnant, support may be available in the event of a miscarriage.
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 .
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What Else Could The Pulsing In Your Stomach Be
While the pulsing sensation might be a result of your own artery pumping blood, thatâs not the only reason youâre feeling what seems to be a heartbeat. âYes, the pulsing could be the uterine arteries or arteries around the umbilicus that flutter or pulsate,â OB/GYN Dr. Kim Langdon, MD, tells Romper. âBut it could also be gas or fetal movement that triggers such sensations.â If thatâs the case, you might find that the feeling stops after you move, or go to the bathroom.
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