How You Can Tell You Re Pregnant

What Are The Signs Of Pregnancy

The signs of pregnancy vary from woman to woman. Usually the most obvious sign is the absence of menstruation . However, some women continue to have bleeding even while pregnant. The following are the most common first signs of pregnancy. However, each woman may experience the signs of pregnancy differently. These may include:

• Extreme tiredness

• Nausea or vomiting

• Frequent urination

• Certain food cravings or aversions

• Bloating of the belly

• Darkening of the skin around the nipples .

These early signs may not positively indicate pregnancy, but may actually signal another process happening within the body. A pregnancy test can provide more accurate results.

Put A Bun In The Oven

A classic play on words. Tell them to check the timer because you have a bun in the oven. You may have to repeat yourself several times, but hopefully, theyll catch on quickly. Put some real bread in there because pregnancy makes you hungry, and doesnt butter on warm bread sound delicious?

What Are Common Symptoms Of Pregnancy

Everyone experiences different symptoms of pregnancy and at different times. Its important not to compare your pregnancy to someone elses because pregnancy symptoms can vary so dramatically.

There are several signs of early pregnancy that you may or may not have. The most common symptoms include:

Remember, the only way to know for sure that youre pregnant is to take a pregnancy test or have your healthcare provider perform an ultrasound.

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Chances Of Conceiving At Each Phase Of Your Menstrual Cycle

Even though most women ovulate well after their period ends, cycle length and ovulation can vary widely from person to person and even cycle to cycle.

Because it is unlikely that an egg will be released during or soon after your period, there is little to no chance that sperm introduced during your period will result in a pregnancy.

However, it is possible to get pregnant if you have sex around the time of when period and you ovulate very soon after your period ends. Despite the low chances, if you are trying to avoid pregnancy, it is still best to use contraception.

Also, having sex right after your period ends leads to low chances of getting pregnant. An egg is not technically released during this phase but having sperm in the correct place can be helpful if you ovulate earlier than expected.

According to doctors, just before and during your ovulation is the best time to conceive as that is when an egg is released and ready to be fertilized. After ovulation, you only have about one day for the egg to be fertilized.

Once your ovulation is over, the final portion of your cycle beings. Also known as the luteal phase, during this time, progesterone starts to rise. Your cervical mucus will dry up, which makes the vaginal tract less friendly to sperm.

Make Sure Youre Using A Fertility

The kind of lubricant you use during sex can actually make conception more difficult, so much so that the Food and Drug Administration now categorizes certain lubricants as fertility friendly.

This is because the ingredients in many lubricants, such as petroleum, silicone, parabens and glycerin, can harm sperm function. A lubricants pH can also have an effect.

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What Happens During A Pregnancy Test

Home pregnancy tests are quick and easy to use. You can buy a home pregnancy test kit without a prescription. The kits include test sticks or strips that react to hCG in your urine. The steps for doing a test depend on the brand, so it’s very important to follow the instructions that come with your test. For most test kits, you’ll either:

• Hold the test stick or strip in your urine stream
• Collect your urine in a cup and dip the test stick or strip into the cup

After waiting a certain number of minutes, you’ll check your results on the test stick or strip. The instructions will tell you what to look for. In general, to get the most accurate results with any home pregnancy test, you’ll need to:

• Check the expiration date before you use the test.
• Test your first morning urine. Morning urine usually has more hCG than urine later in the day.
• Use a timer. If you guess the timing, your results may not be accurate.

Blood tests are done at your provider’s office or a lab. A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This process usually takes less than five minutes.

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.

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When To Announce Pregnancy To Family And Friends

Dr. Sabato tells her patients they could start sharing the news as soon as they’re comfortable with someone knowing if something were to go wrong.

If, for example, you were to experience a complication like a and would share that with certain friends or family members anyway, then Dr. Sabato says you could go ahead and tell them as early as you’d like.

Around six to eight weeks, ultrasounds are conducted that can confirm there is a heartbeat and that the pregnancy is growing.

For some people, it can be helpful to tell some close family members and friends who can join in on the excitement and provide support in the early days of your pregnancy.

Others may prefer to hold off and announce their pregnancy once the risk of pregnancy loss drops dramatically, later on in pregnancy.

What Is An Irregular Period Exactly

Typically, menstrual cycles can last anywhere between 21 and 35 days, with periods lasting somewhere between two and seven days. And at some point, youll probably experience an irregularity in your cycle. Maybe your period comes earlier or stays a little longer, or perhaps your flow is heavier, or your cramps are more intense some months. Thats progesterone and estrogen, the main controllers of the menstrual cycle, at work.

These hormones can be affected by a variety of lifestyle and health factors, which can cause your cycle or period symptoms to fluctuate. This kind of slight irregularity is considered very normal. But there are some signs of an irregular period that could mean something more serious is going on. Keep reading to learn more.

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Smell Sensitivity And Food Aversions During Early Pregnancy

Smell sensitivity is a symptom of early pregnancy thats mostly self-reported. Theres little scientific evidence about smell sensitivity during the first trimester. However, it might be important, since smell sensitivity may trigger nausea and vomiting. It may also cause strong distaste for certain foods.

You may experience either a heightened or lessened sense of smell during pregnancy, according to 2017 research. This is especially common during the first and third trimesters. Heightened smell is more common than lessened smell. Some smells that never bothered you before may become less pleasing or even trigger nausea.

The good news is that your sense of smell usually returns to normal after delivery, or within 6 to 12 weeks postpartum.

Identifying Your Fertile Window And Ovulation Window

While an egg needs to be fertilized within 12 to 24 hours of its release, sperm can live for up to five days within your reproductive tract. Thats why identifying your fertile and ovulation windows is so important. Knowing this information can help you and your partner time sex for when your chances of getting pregnant are highest.

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Basal Body Temperature Charting

Basal body temperature can predict and suggest ovulation. This only works if you have been taking your temperature in the days prior to ovulation. Temperature elevation begins one or two days after ovulation and persists for several days.

Temperature elevation identifies prior ovulation it does not diagnose pregnancy.

How Soon Can I Take A Pregnancy Test

Pregnancy tests work by detecting a certain level of human chorionic gonadotrophin in your pee. You can take a pregnancy test as soon as youve missed your period. However, its best to wait at least one week after youve missed your period to get the most accurate results. While some tests claim to give you accurate results before a missed period, taking a test too soon can result in a false negative .

Your healthcare provider can take a blood sample to test for pregnancy as early as one week before a missed period.

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Does It Hurt When My Waters Break

The actual breaking of water doesnt hurt. Your amniotic sac does not have pain neurons on it.

However, you may have been contracting prior to your water breaking, and the contractions may feel more painful after the sac is broken.

Think of it as a doll inside a full water balloon and your uterus is squishing it and how much harder it could squish it if the water was all out. Hence, it hurts more.

Often, in the hospital if we think your provider is going to come break your water, we will ask you if you want your epidural before they come do it as it may get more painful after they break it.

That being said, if you hope to labor without pain medication it may be better to wait for your water to break on its own . It seems to be easier to cope with contractions before they break your water.

What Is Pregnancy And Irregular Periods

Irregular periods can make it difficult to know whether youre pregnant. It can make it harder to predict ovulation or determine the best date to take a pregnancy test. Depending on the cause, women with irregular periods may also have greater difficulty getting pregnant.

Most women have menstrual cycles that are about 28 days long, give or take a few days on either end. Their cycles may change from month to month but will usually stay within that range.

An irregular menstrual cycle may be less than 24 days or greater than 38 days. Bleeding that lasts longer than eight days is also abnormal.

If you are concerned about irregular periods and pregnancy, there are signs of pregnancy other than a missed period and additional ways to determine when you are most likely to get accurate results with a pregnancy test.

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When Can I Take A Home Pregnancy Test

Although you may start to feel early pregnancy symptoms before your period, most women have to wait for an average of two weeks from the time they ovulate for a positive home pregnancy test result. Home pregnancy tests measure levels of human chorionic gonadotropin in your urine.

This placenta-produced hormone makes its way into your urine almost immediately after an embryo begins implanting in your uterus, between six to 12 days after fertilization. You can start using most home pregnancy tests as soon as hCG can be detected in your urine and hCG levels usually arent high enough to be picked up by a home pregnancy test until your periods expected.

Cant wait until then? Some HPTs promise 60 to 75 percent accuracy four to five days before you expect your period. Wait until your period and the rate jumps to 90 percent wait another week and the results are 99 percent accurate.

Know that false negatives are much more common than false positives, so if the time for your period comes and goes without your monthly flow, check in with your health care provider. Either way, youll want to get a blood test to confirm your pregnancy status.

No matter what symptoms you’re having, the only way to know for sure that you’re pregnant is to make an appointment with your OB/GYN.

What Are The Early Signs That Your Water Might Break

There is no one definitive answer to this question since everyones experience with breaking waters will be different. However, there are some common early signs that your water might break.

However, most often your body doesnt give you TOO much warning. If it does, these are the things most people mention:

1) Contractions. Sometimes your uterus squeezing that amniotic sac will cause it to rupture.

2) Changes in vaginal discharge. This can be one of the signs of labor. Some people may get a very tiny leak in advance of the entire bag breaking. If your discharge seems more watery its something to keep an eye on.

3) Your mucus plug has come out. This, again, isnt a tell tale sign but it does show that your cervix is softening or that youre in early labor. Your mucus plug does NOT need to come out for your water to break.

4) You are asleep. I dont have any great research, but most of the women whos water has broken have had it break in bed. Often they feel a pop in bed and then when they get-up they have a gush of fluid come out as they stand. Of course, some also feel it when theyre already at the toilet, and a couple while they were in the shower already .

Pro tip: have a waterproof mattress pad on your bed and probably keep some towels handy in your car just in case your water does break in those last few weeks. The waterproof mattress pad will come in hand with kids in general as well.

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Youre Regularly Becoming Nauseous

We arenât talking about that nasty feeling you get after a greasy meal but chronic bloating and/or a recurring upset stomach. Nausea during pregnancy, often referred to as âmorning sickness,â usually starts around a month after you become pregnant. You may also develop intense desires for particular kinds of foods or suddenly become averse to foods youâve historically enjoyed. This nausea may or may not involve vomiting, so itâs important to note both kinds. If youâve been sick to your stomach for several days or nights and you arenât sick, pregnancy could be the reason.

Rise Of Pregnancy Hormone

Adapted from: Gnoth C. and Johnson S. Strips of Hope: Accuracy of Home Pregnancy Tests and New Developments. GeburtshilfeFrauenheilkd 2014 74:661669.

So if you are thinking of testing before your missed period, why not try Clearblue Early Detection Pregnancy Test.

The day of your expected period is the day your period is due to start. If you still havent got your period the next day, this is the day of your missed period. So, if you see instructions telling you to take the test four days before your expected period, this is the same as five days before your missed period.

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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.

Morning Sickness Or Nausea

That telltale, queasy feeling known as morning sickness can hit you at any time of day and it typically begins when you’re about 6 weeks pregnant, though it can vary and strike even earlier. For most women, nausea starts by week 9.

Hormones, mainly increased levels of progesterone , can cause the stomach to empty more slowly, resulting in this early pregnancy symptom resembling seasickness.

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Cramping In The Abdomen Or Pelvis Due To Implantation

Mild cramping in the pelvis, lower back, or abdomen commonly occurs early in pregnancy, as the embryo attaches itself to the uterus.

These cramps should feel more like discomfort than pain, the Cleveland Clinic cautions. Severe cramping or pain mostly on one side of the body could indicate an ectopic pregnancy or other complication. Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience cramps like this.

Implantation Bleeding Or Spotting

When you start searching the internet for all the pregnancy symptoms, you may run across implantation bleeding or spotting. Before you get too focused on this particular possibility, though, lets take a look at how often this actually occurs.

Implantation bleeding may not be all that common, although some sources show up to one-third of pregnant women can experience it.

If they do, its typically a brown spotting 6-12 days after ovulation. The most common time for an embryo to successfully implant is 8-10 days after ovulation. This means that 90% or more of those pregnant will not experience true implantation bleeding.

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