High Blood Pressure And Dizziness During Early Pregnancy
In most cases, high or normal blood pressure will drop in the early stages of pregnancy. This may also cause feelings of dizziness, since your blood vessels are dilated.
High blood pressure as a result of pregnancy is more difficult to determine. Almost all cases of hypertension within the first 20 weeks indicate underlying problems. It may develop during early pregnancy, but it may also be present beforehand.
Your doctor will take your blood pressure during your first visit to help establish a baseline for a normal blood pressure reading.
How To Improve The Accuracy Of Your Home Pregnancy Test
- Wait until your period is one week late
- Read the instructions carefully and follow them to the letter
- Take the urine test in the morning, with your very first urine of the day
- Dont drink large amounts of liquids before the test
- Pee into a clean cup and put the test stick into it for 15 minutes
- Store your test in a cool dry place. Extreme temperatures can damage the test.
- Check the expiration date of the test
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.
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Technology And Allowing Privacy With Limits
In this age of technology, parents must be aware of what their kids are doing online, as our job is to protect them. If we dont know what they are doing online because we allow complete privacy, then we are not protecting them adequately.
Predators online exist everywhere. There is also sexual and violent content that may not be appropriate for our teens to view online. As parents, we need to communicate that while we may trust our teens, there are content and people online that we dont trust, and it is our job to actively protect them. When we communicate this role as a parent, we must also let them know the parameters for checking in on their viewing content. A popular app that many parents like to use for monitoring their teens online activity is Bark.
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
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Homemade Pregnancy Test With Pine Sol
You might know Pine Sol as a home cleaning product. But I bet you didnt know you can use it to confirm your pregnancy status. This anti-bacterial agent has so far, proven to be a reliable pregnancy test method that delivers accurate results. If you have a bottle of Pine Sol lying around, grab it and run through this quick test.
Items you need
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.
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Homemade Pregnancy Test With Mustard Powder
If you are one who loves to bake, then well assume you have mustard powder just lying around somewhere. However, if you do not have one handy, mustard powder is cheap and can be or at the nearest grocery store.
Your mustard powder can provide you with a quick and reliable result for your pregnancy test. You can try this method when youve missed your period.
Items you need
- 1 bowl of fresh mustard powder
- A bathtub of hot water
- Add a bowl of mustard powder to a bathtub of hot water.
- Stir the mixture well.
- Lay in this water for about 40 minutes.
- If you do not still get your period after 1 or 2 days, then you are pregnant.
You Are Sensitive To Smells
If you are noticing the smells in your home and office more, this could be a sign that you are pregnant. Being sensitive to smells is one of the most common early signs of pregnancy. Some researchers believe this may be to protect pregnant women from eating gone-off food that could be harmful to the baby.
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Other Causes Of Bleeding During Pregnancy
Many things can cause bleeding in pregnant women, some of them harmless and some serious. If youre bleeding a lot, with or without pain or cramping at any time, call your doctor.
Continued
If youre pregnant and see blood in your underwear, it may be caused by:
Sex. Hormonal and physical changes may be to blame for this. It should stop on its own.
Fibroids and polyps. Your doctor might do some tests to check for these growths on your uterus.
Cervical problems. Conditions like infection or growths on your cervix can also cause bleeding.
Infection. Sexually transmitted diseases like trichomoniasis can cause light bleeding as well as more serious problems. Starting treatment as soon as possible will keep your baby healthy.
Ectopic pregnancy. This is when an embryo implants outside your uterus. You may have bleeding with pain and cramps. Its dangerous and needs medical care right away.
Miscarriage. About 15% of known pregnancies end during the first few months. Most women bleed and cramp afterward. Call your doctor right away if you know that you’re pregnant and you have these symptoms.
Very Early Signs Of Pregnancy
Think you might be pregnant? Check out these early symptoms of pregnancy that can show up one week before your missed period. If you’ve already experienced a few, it may be time to head to the drugstore to pick up a pregnancy test or schedule an appointment with your OB-GYN.
Your breasts may be extra tender as early as one or two weeks after conception. Youre making so much estrogen and progesterone in early pregnancy that the glands in the breasts start growing, explains Jasbir Singh, M.D., an OB-GYN at Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie in Texas. This hormone surge causes breasts to retain more fluids and feel heavy, sore, or more sensitive than normal PMS tenderness.
Many women mistake these early signs of pregnancy for PMS symptoms, but theyre actually caused by hormonal changes and the growth of the uterus. About 30 percent of women experience cramping after conception, which is triggered by implantationwhen the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall. Your uterus may be stretching a little now to prep for its massive expansion over the next nine months
When a fertilized egg implants into the plush lining of the uterus about six to 12 days after conception, light vaginal spotting may occur. You might mistake this “implantation bleeding” for your period, but it’s generally lighter than menstruation and brown or pink in color.
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Pros Of Blood Testing
- Blood tests can detect pregnancy earlier than a home pregnancy test, about 6 to 8 days after ovulation, or about 7 – 12 days after possible conception .
- This could mean that you get a result as early as 9 days after possible conception, or 5 days earlier than a home pregnancy test would be able to detect .
For most women, it makes more sense to wait and do a pregnancy test at home because of its convenience and low cost, as well as the fact that you’d only find out a day or two earlier with a blood test .
For others, especially those with a high risk for miscarriage or other pregnancy complications, their doctor may recommend getting a blood test.
Can The Exact Date Of Conception Be Determined Accurately
Many women have questions about the date of possible conception, and unfortunately figuring this out is not always so easy. The assumption is that if a woman has pretty regular menstrual cycles, then she will be ovulating during a certain time of the month.
Ovulation is the time when conception can take place because that is when an egg is made available. The problem is that most women do not ovulate on an exact date each month, and many women have a different ovulation day from month to month.
If you also take into account that sperm can live in the body 3-5 days after intercourse has taken place, this can make determining conception very difficult.
Most doctors use the first day of the last period and ultrasound measurements to gauge the gestational age of a baby and determine when the baby was conceived. But these are just tools used to estimate the datesit is very hard for anything to tell what the exact date of conception really is.
Most people do not realize that ultrasounds can be off up to 5-7 days in early pregnancy and up to a couple of weeks off if the first ultrasounds are done farther into the second trimester or beyond.
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Things To Think About
In the early days and weeks of pregnancy, you may not know if you’re pregnant.
But you can do the following things:
- take a folic acid supplement of 400 micrograms a day while you’re trying to get pregnant and until the 12th week of pregnancy
- consider taking a vitamin D supplement of 10 micrograms a day
- avoid some foods to protect against infections
- not smoking is one of the best things you can do for your baby’s health
You can get supplements from pharmacies and supermarkets, or your GP may be able to prescribe them for you.
If you want to get your vitamin D or folic acid from a multivitamin tablet, make sure the tablet does not contain vitamin A .
You can get vitamin supplements containing folic acid and vitamin D free of charge if you’re under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding and qualify for the Healthy Start scheme.
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.
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How Far Along Am I
Knowing how far along you are in pregnancy is useful for both you and your healthcare provider. Your provider will use this information to check on your babyâs growth and development, to keep an eye on your health, and to schedule tests and exams.
The weeks of pregnancy are also grouped into three trimesters:
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First trimester: 0 to 13 weeks
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Second trimester: 14 to 27 weeks
-
Third trimester: 28 to 40 weeks
So that you can see at a glance how far along you are in your pregnancy, and which trimester you are in, check out the illustration below:
Heightened Sense Of Smell
During early stages of pregnancy, you get a new nose. You can smell everything from a distance. You might not be able to bear aroma of cooking food.
This is because your nasal membrane becomes sensitive. It is because of hormonal fluctuations.
Nasal congestion during pregnancy is because of the hormones surging in your blood.
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How Long Does It Take Hcg Levels To Be Detected By Home Pregnancy Tests
Pregnancy doesn’t necessarily start the day that two people have sex. An egg can be fertilized by sperm up to six days after intercourse.5 And then, it can take between six and ten days for the egg to implant itself in the uterus.
The hormone that home pregnancy tests look for starts being released from when the fertilized egg implants itself, which is why you have to wait for them to be effective.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, HCG is made by cells formed in the placenta, which nourishes the egg after it is has implanted itself in the wall of the uterus.4
Levels of HCG can be detected by two kinds of tests:5
- Blood testâaccurate as early as 11 days after conception
- Urine testâaccurate as early as 12 to 14 days after conception
So, if you don’t know when your period is supposed to start and you think you might be pregnant, you should test about two weeks after you had sex and possibly conceived.5
If it’s negative and your period still hasn’t come and you still think you might be pregnant, test again in another week.
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.
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Your Pregnancy Tests Are Negative But You Still Think You Might Be Pregnant
While false positives are very rare, false negatives with pregnancy tests are more common. Here are some reasons you could be getting a negative pregnancy test.
If you’ve gotten negative results multiple times but are experiencing the signs of pregnancy, and especially if you’ve missed your period, then you should see a doctor who will be able to conduct additional tests and see what might be going on.
Too Early To Test But Here’s Why I Know I’m Pregnant
This pregnancy will be my fourth. So I like to think I know my body pretty well. I have never shown any of the early symptoms mentioned in articles like tender breasts so with my first two I just had to wait till I missed my period. But by my third I knew what it felt like to be pregnant and not be pregnant. So after a few months of trying to no avail and one month the extra-heavy ovulation cervical fluid continued past the couple days around ovulation, I knew something was up. Sure enough, I was pregnant.
So this time I was curious if it would happen again. It has! No extra discharge in previous months of trying and this month there is. I was so confident I was pregnant that I didn’t even think to put on a panty liner in anticipation of my period starting today. Guess what, it didn’t! Now I still need to wait just a couple more days to test because my period is always exactly 10 dpo which is earlier than most tests are expecting. So we’ll see in a couple days, but I’m 95% sure I’m pregnant!
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