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.
How Does Your Stomach Feel In Early Pregnancy
Feeling pain in your lower abdomen or feeling like your stomach is hard, swollen, or heavy are not early signs of pregnancy.
To the touch, a person’s stomach and abdomen will not show any noticeable signs of pregnancy until later on, depending on your specific body type. People who are in their first pregnancy usually don’t start showing until twenty weeks or later.1 Those who have already been pregnant might start showing sooner.
How He Knew: Cravings
When asked on Reddit whether he knew if his significant other was pregnant before she did, one guy claimed that it was her cravings that gave it away.
“Yes I did. I was driving home from work and she asked me to pick up ice cream. I can still remember it now like its in slow motion. ‘I want an Orreeooo ffrrreeeezzzzzeee.’ In the three years I knew her at that point I never saw her eat ice cream. The only reason it was scary to me is that we were unwed and I was 20. But luckily it gave me a day to freak out until she found out her self.”
Recommended Reading: Can You Get Lasik When Pregnant
When Should You See A Doctor About A New Pregnancy
If youve taken a pregnancy test and its positive, go ahead and make your first prenatal visit right away.
At the first prenatal visit, youll get a physical exam and other tests to make sure everything is looking healthy, and youll learn about your pregnancy timeline. Youll also get to talk through any expectations and questions you have about your pregnancy.
Questions or concerns about your symptoms? Our 24/7 nurse line is free for our members and patients.
Positive pregnancy test? Schedule a visit.
Third Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms
The physical symptoms got worse during my third trimester. My legs hurt every second of the day. I couldnt walk up the stairs without getting winded and my thighs burning. I had to change up my commute so I could have access to escalators and elevators. This is a common complaint Ive heard from other mothers and pregnant women.
My body felt more discomfort and more cramps with each inch that my belly grew. If I walked for an extended period of time, I would feel the pain in my legs for days.
Those were just part of the physical changes.
Emotionally, pregnancy threw me into a whirlwind. I cried much more than I normally would. I became increasingly anxious. I worried about:
- being a bad mother
- not being able to provide enough security and love
- working and going to school during those nine months
I became more cautious about what I did and what I said, of the places I would go, and how long I would stay there.
On the flipside, I felt more magical. With each passing day, I became more eager to meet my son. I kept my hands on my belly, always protecting him. I would put my hands on my belly for weeks after giving birth.
There was pep in my slow, lumbering step. And I had a glow, according to my family. I was a bit of a contradiction: As overwhelmed as I felt, I was also happy.
Maybe it was because the journey was ending and I would soon get my body back, as they say.
Also Check: Is It Bad To Donate Plasma While Pregnant
Tummy Twinges Pinching And Pulling
Some women experience feelings inside their stomachs in the early stages of pregnancy that replicate the sensation of their muscles being pulled and stretched. Sometimes referred to as abdominal twinges, these tingles are nothing to worry about.
Layla Rumble, midwife at The Portland Hospital, which is part of HCA Healthcare UK, said, Abdominal twinges and mild pains are very common during pregnancy and usually nothing to worry about. Twinges and abdominal pain is usually caused by constipation, ligament pain, or trapped wind all of which are a normal part of pregnancy.
Twinges, and pains can be alleviated by regular light exercise, eating smaller, frequent meals, having plenty of fibre-rich foods such as fruit and vegetables, and drinking plenty of water to help empty your bladder regularly.
If you find that you experience intense and ongoing pains, or pain accompanied by bleeding, it is important to seek medical advice from your midwife or GP to rule out anything serious.
What else could it be?If youve been heavily exercising or straining your muscles, you could be experiencing some tension from that, especially if youve focused on ab workouts. A tight stomach can also be due to other factors such as digestive issues, stress or hormonal changes, and doesnt necessarily mean youre pregnant.
Tingling And Numbness In Your Hands
Carpal tunnel syndrome tingling and numbness in your hands affects up to 60 per cent of women during pregnancy. It is caused by compression of the median nerve due to an increase in the tissue fluids during pregnancy.
Carpal tunnel syndrome may be mild, intermittently painful, or severe, which may cause partial paralysis of the thumb or loss of sensation. Symptoms usually resolve on their own soon after birth.
If you are experiencing tingling and numbness in your hands, inform your doctor or midwife. In very severe cases, your doctor may recommend corticosteroid injections or surgical treatment.
Read Also: How To Calculate Safe Period To Avoid Pregnancy
My Cat Started Acting Weird Around Me
My cat Zeus became extremely clingy and would follow me around wherever I went. He started meowing more, especially at night and started sleeping on my pillow. I took Zeus to the vet and they ran some tests but didnt find anything out of the ordinary. They had joked that maybe I was pregnant. I Googled my cats changes in behavior and kept coming across articles of pregnant women whose cats were also acting strange. I decided to take a pregnancy test just to make sure. We were so excited and surprised! Since I found out very early thanks to my cat, I didnt have any symptoms yet.
Julie Paccamonti, Des Moines, Iowa
RELATED: What Pregnancy Does to Your Health
How Reliable Are Home Pregnancy Tests
According to the NHS, home pregnancy tests are reliable as long as you follow the instructions correctly. It may not be reliable if you didnt follow instructions or youve taken the test too early.
Most pregnancy tests can be taken after the first missed period, with any tests taken before this time running the risk of being inaccurate. Professionals also recommend avoiding drinking too much fluid ahead of doing a test, as it can dilute the level of HGC.
Negative tests may not be reliable if youve taken it too early, as the level of HGC might not be enough at the time of taking it. Tests can also vary in their sensitivity and so its recommended you read instructions thoroughly before using one, as theres no guarantee each one will be the same.
Don’t Miss: Is Vagisil Safe During Pregnancy
Dating Pregnancy Using Ultrasound
Ultrasound in the first trimester is the most accurate method of dating pregnancy. During the scan, baby is measured and the age of pregnancy is estimated by comparing baby’s size against recorded averages. If there is a significant difference between gestational age according to LMP and gestational age according to the ultrasound, you may be given a new gestational age and due date based on the ultrasound measurements.
Your pregnancy may also be dated by ultrasound measurement if an LMP formula was not appropriate for your pregnancy for any reason. LMP formulas are not suitable in several situations including the following: LMP is not known or is not certain, birth control pills were taken in the two months before LMP, the menstrual cycle is irregular, you are carrying multiples .
Although the age of pregnancy based on ultrasound measurements is more accurate than the age of pregnancy based on LMP, both are estimates and not definitive statements.
Early Pregnancy Symptoms Arent Fun
Unfortunately, women arent immediately blessed with glowing skin, glossy hair and a cute little baby bump when they first get pregnant and until some of the more pleasant things about expecting kick in, it can be a heck of a road.
For some, like What to Expect user erica.chavie, an early pregnancy symptom is feeling “hot all the time,” while others wind up incredibly bloated.
“No one tells you how much youll end up bloating!” says What to Expect mom mrsp-123. “Im not even seven weeks along and look like Ive entered my second trimester!”
Some women get hit with the gift of an ultra-sensitive sniffer right away.
“My sense of smell was like a superpower shortly after I found out I was pregnant,” reveals one What to Expect user with the screen name TessiesBB.
Recommended Reading: Can I Use Vagisil Wash While Pregnant
You May Have Spotting
Pregnancy means a temporary end to your period, but spotting in the first trimester is commonand it’s usually no big deal. That said, “anytime there’s bleeding, even if it stops, you should let your doctor know,” says Mary L. Rosser, M.D, Ph.D., an OB-GYN at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. “It’s the most efficient and accurate way to figure out if it’s something to be concerned about.”
Usually, a little blood results from implantation of the embryo in the uterine lining and the formation of the placenta. In some cases, however, spotting can indicate something else, such as a yeast infection. “If spotting is associated with painincluding crampscall your healthcare provider right away,” says Dr. Rosser.
How Far Along Are You At 1 Month Pregnant
At one month pregnant, youâre at the start of the first trimester. Though there is no standard way of grouping pregnancy weeks into months , the first month usually includes week one through week four of pregnancy. The breakdown of weeks into trimesters also varies here is a common method we’ll follow: First trimester: 1 to 13 weeksSecond trimester: 14 to 27 weeksThird trimester: 28 to 40 weeks
Don’t Miss: Is It Safe To Use Vagisil During Pregnancy
How Is Your Baby Developing This Month
After conception, the fertilized egg travels along the fallopian tube to the uterus, where it will implant in the uterine lining. The egg divides into a bunch of cells, some of which become the embryo and some of which eventually become the placenta, which will provide nourishment for your baby during your pregnancy. The umbilical cord also forms between the embryo and the placenta, delivering nutrients and removing waste. The upcoming month is a time of rapid growth for your little one, as internal organs, bones, and tiny limbs are beginning to form.One quick note on the terminology you might see when reading up on baby development: During the first eight weeks, your little one may be referred to as an embryo in medica circles, whereas after this point your baby may be called a fetus until she is born.
Why Pregnancy Is Counted From The Last Menstrual Period
Pregnancy is counted from a women’s last menstrual period because the start of a period is easily observable and usually known to a woman whereas the date of conception is much less likely to be known.
Historically, the first day of the last menstrual period became the date from which pregnancy is counted even though conception occurs about two weeks later.
The LMP formula is good for working out an initial age of pregnancy but ultrasound is more accurate. The age of pregnancy may be revised following your ultrasound scan.
Don’t Miss: Risks Of Donating Plasma While Pregnant
Can It Be A Concern
All the reasons discussed above seems harmless but if you are constantly feeling like you are freezing to the point that you are shivering and getting chills then it is better to raise this with your doctor.? There can be some concerning causes why you might be feeling unusually cold and it is better to get it checked .
But Can You Really Have Symptoms Before You Miss Your Period
So, here’s the problem – pregnancy and period symptoms are often the same. That’s because the hormones responsible for giving you early pregnancy symptoms will also give you similar symptoms to those brought on by progesterone, which rises before your period starts. If you’re experiencing dizziness, nausea and fatigue, how can you tell if it’s because you’re pregnant or just because you’re about to start your period? For me, both times I was pregnant, I experienced symptoms that I don’t normally experience before that start of my period. I always have symptoms beforehand, but these ones were clearly different for me.
Can I tell you for sure if you’re pregnant? No. I’m not a pregnancy test. Is it fun to fixate, obsess and wonder in the two week wait? Absolutely!
In this vid, pediatric occupational therapist and lactation counselor Nekole breaks down her own telltale early clues.
Don’t Miss: Can I Put Braces While Pregnant
Why Do I Feel So Tired
Feeling very tired is another common symptom of early pregnancy. Your body is working hard to adjust to all the new physical changes. This can cause extreme fatigue. You may need to sleep longer than usual at night. If possible, you can take short naps during the day. Your energy will most likely return in the second trimester of pregnancy.
How To Calculate How Many Weeks You Are
Example:count one week to the nextuntil you reach the present date.
LMP = December 2, 2021
1st Wed = December 9, 2021 = 1 Week2nd Wed = December 16, 2021 = 2 Weeks9th Wed = February 3, 2022 = 9 WeeksYou are 9 Weeks and 1 Day pregnant
Another method to calculate how many weeks pregnant you are is to:
How Many Weeks Am I Formula:LMP = Last Menstrual PeriodHow Far Along Am I Formula:LMP = Last Menstrual Period*LMP date may be adjusted if unknown or following ultrasound.
Each of these methods will give you the gestational age of your pregnancy.
Recommended Reading: Can You Donate Plasma While Pregnant
Can You Feel Pregnancy Symptoms Soon After Sex
While some pregnancy symptoms start very early, most of the time, you won’t notice anything right away. Anything that happens immediately after having sex, like spotting or increased discharge, is usually not related to pregnancy.
Other than a missed period, pregnancy symptoms tend to really kick in around week five or six of pregnancy. One 2018 study of 458 women found that 72% detected their pregnancy by the sixth week after their last menstrual period. Symptoms tend to develop abruptly.
This is about two weeks from when you missed your last period . Occasionally you will hear of someone who has symptoms right around their first missed period.
How I Knew I Was Pregnantbefore I Got A Positive
The highs and lows of pregnancy tests can be a killer. We all dream of that big fat positive , but sometimes you can tell the babymakin worked well before even taking a test . Bumpies on the 1st Trimester board shared how they knew :
All of a sudden my dog smelled horrific even though he was clean and all smells/scents were much stronger.” Wildblue22
I had been eating everything in sight! I normally had a pretty good appetite, but when my husband started commenting on my eating saying how can you still be hungry? I knew there had to be a reason for it. shear22
My boobs started hurting and I was so sleepy. I would desperately want a nap at all times of the day, which is weird for me. archyperu
I started gagging while brushing my teeth, the week before I even tested. I just thought well thats new and kept about my business. I also started smelling everything and hating the way certain things smelled. ilovenaps
My boobs hurt so bad and I noticed little stretch marks starting to form on the side of them. My husband also complained about me being irritated over everything and I would cry to sad songs on my iPod I was kind of an emotional wreck. keni9
I stopped liking chocolate! annya26
My husbands Old Spice aftershave started smelling like doughnuts. He smelled soooooo good! Then I noticed that I mysteriously did not have any PMS symptoms when I should have. redheadscu
Did you know you were pregnant before a test confirmed it?
Also Check: Can You Get Lasik Eye Surgery While Pregnant
