How Do I Tell Someone Whos Infertile Or Lost A Baby
When you tell people you are pregnant, your friends and family will almost certainly be very happy for you. But if they have lost a baby, cannot conceive or they are having trouble getting pregnant, its important to remember they may be sad for themselves. They may also not be able to show their happiness as enthusiastically as your other friends.
It will help to tell these friends in private and before you tell others, letting them know you realise your news may not be easy for them.
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is here to support you. Call 1800 882 436 for information and advice on any aspect of your pregnancy from our maternal child health nurses.
I Have To Go To The Toilet More Often Is That A Sign
Oh yes, dashing to the loo more than often can be early sign that youre pregnant. During pregnancy your body increases the amount of blood it pumps around the body. That means the kidneys process more fluid than usual which leads to more fluid in your bladder . For more information on early pregnancy signs and symptoms.
Pregnancy Tests That Your Doctor May Do
Your GP will probably do a urine pregnancy test to detect whether you are pregnant.
It is always a good idea to bring a sample of urine to the GP surgery with you if you think you may be pregnant. This will mean your appointment is not delayed.
It will also avoid the ‘stage fright’ that can occur when you are trying to pee and you know someone is waiting on you.
The pregnancy testing kit that your GP will use is like the kits that you can buy over the counter.
Your doctor may perform a blood test to check the level of hCG in your blood. This test is done if you have had some bleeding from your vagina or if you have severe pains in your tummy. Your GP may also carry out a blood test if you have severe morning sickness.
Recommended Reading: Can You Still Get Pregnant If Your Period Is Irregular
Are There Things Your Partner Can Do To Help Improve His Sperm
Yes. Your partner may be able to make his sperm healthier and to make more sperm to help you get pregnant. Heres what he can do:
- Get treated for health conditions. Having diabetes, kidney problems and being obese, may affect his sperm.
- Talk to his provider about any medicines he takes. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicine, supplements and herbal products. Ask your partner to talk to his provider to make sure the medicine he takes doesnt affect his sperm.
- Stop smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs that can affect his fertility . Drugs that can affect your partners fertility include and cocaine.
- Talk to his provider about chemicals that can affect fertility, including metals and radiation and chemotherapy for cancer.
What Is The Best Way To Confirm Pregnancy
The best way to confirm pregnancy is to do a blood test measuring the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone. Women can also take a home pregnancy test. Home pregnancy tests are fairly reliable but may occasionally be a false-positive. This can occur for a number of reasons, including having a chemical or ectopic pregnancy or even taking certain medications. Following a positive home pregnancy test with a doctors visit for a urine or blood test to confirm the pregnancy is the best way to confirm a pregnancy.
Recommended Reading: Can You Be Pregnant On Birth Control
Pregnancy Tests And Accuracy
A positive pregnancy test is almost always correct. Some negative tests may not be correct if you tested too early.
This is called a ‘false negative’ result. The result will present as negative, but you are actually pregnant.
This happens for a few of reasons, because:
- you did the test too early
- you didn’t wait long enough before checking the result
- your urine is very diluted because you have been drinking a lot of water
- there is a fault with the test
If the result of the test is negative, and you think you might still be pregnant, repeat the test a few days later. If symptoms persist after a few negative tests, make an appointment with your GP.
The Most Common Sign Of Early Pregnancy A Missed Period
Your menstrual cycle is your bodys way of preparing for a possible pregnancy each month. Part of that is the thickening of your uterine lining, which is where a fertilized egg would implant to begin a pregnancy.
If youre not pregnant, your period is how your uterus sheds that extra lining. If you are pregnant, that lining stays put and you dont get your normal flow. This is why a missed period is often the earliest sign of pregnancy.
Of course, a delayed or missed period doesnt always mean youre pregnant. If your body is under a lot of stress or you have a hormonal imbalance, you could be experiencing an irregular menstrual cycle.
Read Also: How Would You Feel If You Are Pregnant
First You’ll Have Circle Time Then Work Time And Then You’ll Play On The Playground
Talk your child through the daily schedule at school, including as many details as possible. Talk about what will happen when you drop them off, what kinds of work they will do, when they will eat lunch and play outside, and who will come to get them in the afternoon.
It can help to do this many times so that they become comfortable with the new daily rhythm.
I’ll Pick You Up After Playground Time
Give your child a frame of reference for when you will be returning.
If your child can tell time, you can tell them you’ll see them at 3:30pm. If they’re younger, tell them what will happen right before you pick them up. Perhaps you’ll come get them right after lunch, or maybe it’s after math class.
Giving this reference point can help reassure them you are indeed coming back and that there is a specific plan for when they will see you again. As the days pass, they’ll realize that you come consistently every day when you said you would and their anxieties will ease.
Also Check: What To Pack For The Hospital When Pregnant
Early Changes To Breasts: Tingling Aching Growing
Breast changes can occur between weeks 4 and 6. Youre likely to develop tender and swollen breasts due to hormone changes. This is likely to go away after a few weeks when your body has adjusted to the hormones.
Nipple and breast changes can also occur around week 11. Hormones continue to cause your breasts to grow. The areola the area around the nipple may change to a darker color and grow larger.
If youve had bouts with acne before your pregnancy, you may also experience breakouts again.
Things You Can Do To Increase Your Chances And Decrease Your Stress Level:
- Track your ovulation Use tests . Pin pointing the date you ovulate helps you know when you need to do the deed.
- Use an app To track symptoms, ovulation, periods, tests I used Ovia Fertility but there are a multitude of free apps out there. I was trying to conceive for 12 months and only used the app for 2 months before I succeeded.
- Remember that sperm can survive for an average 4 days and you release 1 egg on the day that you ovulate. The egg only lives 24 hours so there has to be alive sperm already in the fallopian tube. Sperm takes a day to travel to the tube. So do the deed as much as you can in the 4-5 days before ovulation and the 1-2 days after.
- Stay away from Google Once you have the basic information from this blog you will not gain any extra knowledge or peace of mind.
- Join a birth community such as BabyCenter the forums allow you to chat with women in exactly the same scenario as you and its great to have support and someone to talk with. It can also distract you during the two week wait and remind you at times that there is always someone worse off than you are.
You May Like: How To Get Your Abs Back After Pregnancy
Checking For Hormonal Changes
Pregnancy Glow And Acne During Early Pregnancy
Many people may begin saying you have the pregnancy glow. The combination of increased blood volume and higher hormone levels pushes more blood through your vessels. This causes the bodys oil glands to work overtime.
This increased activity of your bodys oil glands gives your skin a flushed, glossy appearance. On the other hand, you may also develop acne.
Don’t Miss: What Is Safe To Take For Constipation While Pregnant
What Other Symptoms Can Be Early Signs Of Pregnancy
Every person and every pregnancy is different. So, if you are pregnant, youll likely experience a unique combination of common, not-so-common and sometimes overlapping symptoms. And, they may show up earlier or later than expected. Here are more than a dozen possible symptoms of early pregnancy.
1. Spotting or light bleeding
Many women are surprised to learn that spotting or light bleeding can be an early sign of pregnancy, but about one-third of women experience it. This is often called implantation bleeding because doctors believe it occurs as the fertilized egg attaches itself into the uterine lining.
Implantation bleeding typically occurs 10 to 14 days after conception, which is just before or right around the time your period is due. So, you may think youve gotten your period.
But implantation bleeding is a light flow, which may start and stop over a couple days. And while it can take on a range of colors, its more likely to be pink, brown or light red.
Your period, on the other hand, may start off light in flow and in color but after a couple days becomes heavier, changes to a crimson red color and lasts up to a week or so.
2. Lower abdominal pain or cramping
While cramps and lower-abdominal pain can signal a coming period, they can also be a sign of egg implantation.
But menstrual cramps can often feel like a throbbing or dull ache, and typically start a day or two before your period.
3. Higher basal body temperature
4. Changes in cervical mucus
6. Fatigue
My Pregnancy Wasnt Expected How Do I Tell People
If you have a partner, the decision about who to tell, as well as when and how, is best made with them.
If your pregnancy is unplanned, you and your partner may need to deal with your own feelings before letting others know. If you are not with a partner, you may wish to avoid unwanted comments early in your pregnancy.
Don’t Miss: How Soon Can You Get Pregnant After Getting Off Depo
What Should I Do If I Am Pregnant
Once you get a positive pregnancy test, make an appointment to see your doctor or a midwife.
Tell the doctors surgery when you are making the appointment that you have had a positive pregnancy test result as you might need a longer appointment.
Review dates
Last reviewed:Next review:
Read more about getting 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.
Don’t Miss: How Do You Know Pregnant
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 To Tell If You’re Pregnant Right Away
The only way to tell if youre pregnant right away is by taking a home pregnancy test according to its instructions. Waiting can be difficult, but you can usually take a test three to four days before a missed period though youre more likely to get a false negative if you test too soon. If its negative, wait a couple more days and test again if Aunt Flo doesnt come to visit.
Be sure to test first thing in the morning, when your urine and the hormone that the test is measuring are most concentrated. If you see a line indicating a pregnancy, youre almost certainly pregnant . Pregnancy tests with false positives are rare.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Best Day To Get Pregnant After Period
How Reliable Are The Symptoms
Pregnancy symptoms vary for everyone. They also are easy to confuse with PMS. Thats why its impossible to tell whether youre pregnant on symptoms alone.
Your best bet is to take a home pregnancy test or see a doctor if you suspect youre pregnant and have already missed your period.
Home pregnancy tests are fairly reliable. But you may occasionally get a false-positive test. This can occur for a number of reasons, including having a chemical or ectopic pregnancy, or even taking certain medications.
Follow a positive home pregnancy test with a doctors visit for a urine or blood test to confirm the pregnancy.
Cramping And Spotting During Early Pregnancy
From week 1 to week 4, everything is still happening on a cellular level. The fertilized egg creates a blastocyst that will develop into the babys organs and body parts.
About 10 to 14 days after conception, the blastocyst will implant in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus. This can cause implantation bleeding, which may be mistaken for a light period.
Here are some signs of implantation bleeding:
- Color: The color of each episode may be pink, red, or brown.
- Bleeding: Bleeding is usually compared to your regular menstrual period. Spotting is defined by blood present only when wiping.
- Pain: Pain may be mild, moderate, or severe. According to a , 28 percent of women associated their spotting and light bleeding with pain.
- Episodes: Implantation bleeding is likely to last less than three days and doesnt require treatment.
Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, or using illicit drugs, which are associated with heavy bleeding.
Also Check: What Is The Medicine To Prevent Pregnancy
Pcos And Pregnancy Tests
Menstrual irregularity is often due to an imbalance of hormones. Some women with PCOS can have a period that lasts three weeks. Others may not get a period for three months, never knowing when or if it will show up. Some women may get no periods whatsoever.
Only a small percentage of women with PCOS will have a regular menstrual cycle.
A woman with PCOS who is trying to get pregnant could face the problem of not knowing if she is pregnant or not. She and her partner could attempt to conceive for months, trying to have sex at the most likely time of ovulation, when an egg is released.
Then, one month, she may miss a period. Since she always has an irregular menstrual cycle, however, this may or may not mean she is pregnant.
She and her partner might get their hopes up, thinking she is pregnant. But then she could take a pregnancy test and have it be negative. This scenario can repeat month after month and be a frustrating, emotional experience.
Or, in another month, a home pregnancy test could finally have a positive result. Then, at her first OB/GYN appointment for her pregnancy, she may learn that she was already 10 weeks pregnant. This is because the previous results were wrong, something that is also common with PCOS.
What Is Implantation Bleeding
Implantation bleeding is light bleeding from the vagina 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.
Read Also: What Are The Odds Of Getting Pregnant With An Iud
