pregnancy test what to do and how to know you're pregnant

Discovering You\"re Pregnant 

You missed your period last month, and thought maybe it was stress, or just you being stir occasionally busy. However, this month things have calmed down, but you\"re a day late, then a week late and you start thinking – am I pregnant? There are a lot of things to consider when you think you\"re pregnant, from how can you be sure you are pregnant to what you need to do next.

Diagnosing Pregnancy

First, you need to figure out whether or not you really are pregnant. There are a variety of different tests that can be conducted to determine if you are pregnant and sometimes, how far along you are. These include the home pregnancy test, an in-office urine test, a blood test and a medical exam.

 

Home Pregnancy Test

 

The most common test for pregnancy is the home urine test. Many women select this option prior to having another test done by their doctor. Home pregnancy tests can be purchased at your local pharmacy or supermarket. Here\"s what you need to know about home pregnancy tests.

 

A home pregnancy test is a urine test, similar to those conducted by physicians, wherein the test determines whether or not you are pregnant by measuring the level of the hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) hormone, also known as the

pregnancy hormone, levels in your urine. Typically, home pregnancy tests are completed in a few minutes and can be conducted within 14 days of conception using urine at any time of the day.

 

However, it is recommended that you test your urine using a home pregnancy test first thing in the morning and wait until you are about one week late with your period. When it comes to accuracy, a home pregnancy test can be as accurate as one conducted by your doctor, as long as it was performed correctly.

 

Home pregnancy tests offer two different advantages – privacy and immediate results. Further, because you typically take a home pregnancy test sooner than you would make an appointment with your physician, you can begin getting the proper care you need faster.

 

On the other hand, home pregnancy tests can be expensive and are not covered by medical insurance. Also, depending on how you feel about the test, you may not be confident in the results and want to re-test, spending even more money.

 

Probably even more important when it comes to the drawbacks of home pregnancy tests is that they can often produce false negatives. This means that the test can read negative but you are actually pregnant, which could postpone the time it takes you to get to a physician and obtain proper prenatal care.

 

When using an at-home pregnancy test, it is important that you understand that it is not designed to take the place of a test conducted by your physician. You should always follow up with your physician after taking an at-home pregnancy test, whether the test is positive or negative. This means that if the result is positive, you should check with your physician about confirming the pregnancy and begin prenatal care, starting with a checkup. In the event that it reads negative, you should still consult with your physician, to make sure that it is not a false negative, stir occasionally that you still get the prenatal care you need.

 

Further, while you are waiting to meet with your physician to confirm whether or not you are pregnant, it is a good idea to avoid things that can harm an unborn child. This includes cigarettes and alcohol, to name a few.

 

Physician-Conducted Urine Pregnancy Test

 

The second type of test used to determine whether or not you are pregnant is similar to the first, except the urine test is conducted in your physician\"s office. It also detects the levels of hCG in your urine, but does so with near 100% accuracy, and can be conducted anywhere between 7 and 14 days following conception. 

 

Different from the home pregnancy test, the physician-conducted urine pregnancy test is theoretically more accurate, as the person performing the test is a professional. A pregnancy urine test conducted by a physician\"s office does not require that your urine be from the first pee of the morning. You can urinate at any time of the day for this test to be conducted.

 

While this type of urine pregnancy test does cost more than an at-home test, it is often covered by your health insurance. Further, the physician-conducted urine test is less expensive than a blood test, but does not provide as much vital information about your pregnancy.

 

Blood Pregnancy Test

 

The blood pregnancy test can determine whether or not you are pregnant with nearly 100% accuracy as early as one week after conception. The blood test is conducted in the same manner that any other type of blood test and is taken from the veins in the arm.

 

Unlike urine pregnancy tests, the blood pregnancy test can give your physician more information about your pregnancy, such as the exact date of conception, which enables the physician to determine a more exact due date. This is done by calculating the exact hCG levels in the blood, which change as your pregnancy progresses. In many cases, a physician will order both the urine pregnancy test and the blood pregnancy test. This enables them to be sure they are making the correct diagnosis of pregnancy.Medical Exam

 

Whether you choose an at-home pregnancy test, a physician-conducted urine pregnancy test or a blood pregnancy test, the validity of the diagnosis can become more concrete through a medical exam. There are physical signs of pregnancy, such as a softened uterus and a change in the texture of the cervix, that are apparent to many physicians during a physical medical exam. This can take place and be accurate anywhere from 4-6 weeks of conception.

 

When your physician conducts the medical exam, he/she is looking for a few particular signs and symptoms of pregnancy. This includes changes in the color of vaginal tissue, softening of the cervix and/or uterus, an enlarged uterus and abdomen, and a palpable uterine artery pulsation. These signs are what lead to a diagnosis of pregnancy as the result of a medical exam.

 

As is the case with pregnancy tests, the physician\"s diagnosis of pregnant is more likely to be correct that a diagnosis of not pregnant. With that said, you should know that statistically, false negatives are very rare when a full medical exam is conducted.Signs & Symptoms of Pregnancy 

Aside from missing your period, there are several other signs and symptoms of pregnancy that can occur at different times during the pregnancy. It is important to understand that these are just some signs and symptoms commonly experienced during pregnancy. 

 

This does not mean, however that if you have none of these symptoms that it is safe to assume that you are not pregnant. Further, it also does not mean that if you have all of these signs and symptoms that it is safe to assume you are pregnant.

 

Every pregnancy is different and every person is different. Therefore, it is obvious that every sign and symptom for each individual will be different. With that said, it is important that you pay attention to these common signs and symptoms and discuss any symptoms that you experience with your physician.Possible Signs & Symptoms of Pregnancy 

 

For many, about 50% of women to be exact, morning sickness is a common symptom during the first 2-8 weeks after conception. You may experience nausea, with or without vomiting. Further, although the name has been given to this symptom of morning sickness, this can actually occur at any time during the day.

 

As you progress through your pregnancy you will likely experience frequent urination. This can happen as early as two weeks after conception and typically continues or becomes worse as you reach childbirth.

 

Other symptoms you may experience include tingling, swollen, tender breasts, as early as a few days after conception. You may also notice, sometime during the first trimester of pregnancy, that the area around your nipples has become darker, and you will likely notice elevation of tiny glands around the nipples.The first trimester has some other symptoms that may appear as well. For instance, you may begin noticing blue and pink lines underneath your skin near your breasts, which can later progress to your abdomen. Also, during the first trimester, you may experience food cravings, which could be your body telling you that you are lacking certain vitamins and minerals.

 

Lastly, sometime around the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy, you may begin to notice a line developing from your bellybutton to your pubis. This line is known as linea nigra, and is often very dark.

 

Probable Signs & Symptoms of Pregnancy

 

Aside from what your physician looks for during a medical exam to conclude a diagnosis, there is one more sign that is almost always related to pregnancy – fluttering in your abdomen. This is a result of the fetus moving around in your uterus. If you are feeling these types of sensations and have any of the other signs and symptoms of pregnancy, you should discuss this with your physician if you have not.Positive Signs & Symptoms of Pregnancy

 

There are some things that everyone will experience during pregnancy and are 100% related to and can only be caused by pregnancy. This is a visualization of the embryo developing in the uterus, which is done by an ultrasound conducted by your physician as early as 4-6 weeks following conception.

 

The other 100% positive sign of pregnancy is hearing the heartbeat of the fetus. The heart is typically able to be heard anywhere from 10-20 weeks of pregnancy. 

 

There are no other explanations for these two signs and symptoms of pregnancy, and therefore, mean that you are indeed pregnant!Pregnancy Timeline 

Typically, it is said that you are pregnant for nine months, but a healthcare professional actually classifies pregnancy time based on weeks, not months. This is because you are typically pregnant for 40 weeks, which could technically be considered 10 months. This is where it also gets confusing.

 

The 40 weeks take into account the first day of your last period. However, ovulation and conception don\"t actually occur for another three weeks, meaning you actually become pregnant in the third week of your pregnancy.

 

Although this can be very confusing, as you are not actually pregnant when the pregnancy clock starts, as you progress through your pregnancy, things may begin making a little more sense. You will reach certain milestones based on the number of weeks you are pregnant. For instance, the baby\"s heartbeat can be heard around 10 weeks and the top of the uteruswill be near your bellybutton around 20 weeks.

 

Further, there are three different sections, called trimesters, of pregnancy. The first trimester takes into account activity during the first 1-13 weeks, the second trimester accounts for weeks 14-27 and the third trimester makes up for weeks 28-40. Each trimester brings about different experiences during pregnancy, which will be discussed in later chapters.Calculating Your Due Date 

If you or a healthcare professional have determined that you are pregnant, one of the first things women think about is their due date, so they can begin planning for the arrival of the baby. There are a few different ways a healthcare professional can calculate the due date, meaning when the baby will be born.

 

Unfortunately, it is important that you realize that the due date is only an estimate and babies come when babies want to come. This is probably why the due date is also known as the EDD – estimated date of delivery. 

 

With that said, if this is the first time you are pregnant, your due date is typically set somewhere between week 40 and week 41 of your pregnancy. Your healthcare professional will calculate the due date using a simple calculation – subtract three months from the date of your last menstrual period and then add seven days. That willprovide you with the due date for your baby.

 

To help you understand this a little more, if the first date of your last menstrual period began on April 10, you would count backwards three months, landing on January 10. Then, you need to add seven days, bringing your due date to January 17.

 

Unfortunately, not every woman has regular periods and not every woman keeps track of their menstrual cycles – although they should. Therefore, this method of calculation is not always an option. However, because an EDD is an important part of your pregnancy, for both you and your healthcare physician, there are other methods that provide clues to this day.

 

First, is the size of your uterus, which will be determined during your internal physical exam conducted when you discover you are pregnant. The size of your uterus should match up with what you believe is the date of conception and how far along you are in your pregnancy.As you progress through your pregnancy, other milestones typically occur at certain weeks of the pregnancy, helping to secure the pregnancy timeline to your due date. For instance, the baby\"s heartbeat is typically heard between week 10 and week 12 using a Doppler device, and can then be heard using a stethoscope around 18 to 20 weeks.

 

Further, you will begin to notice the baby moving about in your uterus at about 20 to 22 weeks, causing a feeling of butterflies in your stomach. Also, at around 20 weeks, the top of your uterus, known as the fundus, will be at your bellybutton. This is not something you will necessarily notice or realize, but your healthcare professional will.

 

If these instances occur in line with the due date you and your practitioner have calculated, it is safe to assume that your due date is pretty close to accurate. However, this does not mean that the baby will definitely, positively, 100% come on the due date. This is an estimated time of delivery, and many factors can change when ababy is born.

 

With that said, your physician can and may conduct an ultrasound around 12 weeks to further determine if the chosen due date is still correct. This is done by taking a look at the size of the fetus. Also, as you progress closer to the end of your pregnancy, other clues can lead your physician to agree to or alter the due date.

 

For instance, minor contractions, the fetus dropping into the pelvis, which is known as engagement, your cervix becoming thinner, which is known as effacement, and the dilation of your cervix. As these symptoms develop, you can be sure you are closer to delivery. However, as was said before and often needs to be said again, no one knows with 100% guarantee when your delivery date will be, except your baby.