Recognizing pregnancy symptoms
Are you tired all the time, or perhaps you find yourself unable to sleep? Are you feeling nauseous, constipated and bloated, maybe even a little gassy? Sure it could be what you had for lunch, or it might be something a lot smaller and cuter! You might be pregnant!
There are many signs of early pregnancy. Some women experience many of them and some have very few. The most common sign of pregnancy is missing a period. But even this is not an absolute sign for every woman.
Many women have irregular periods making it difficult to predict when your missed period would have been. Also, vaginal bleeding is common in early pregnancy. A study found that almost 1 in 10 women have light bleeding in the first eight weeks of pregnancy, which can easily be confused for a period.
Common signs of pregnancy
- Missed period
- Nausea with or without vomiting
- Breast tenderness or swelling
- Frequent urination
- Poor sleep
- Back pain
- Food cravings or aversions
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Mood changes
- Skin changes (darkened skin on the face, abdomen or nipples)
Pregnancy tests
The first step is to take a pregnancy test. There are two basic ways to diagnose early pregnancy: a urine test or a blood test. They both measure the same hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG is produced in pregnancy and can be detected in your circulation and urine as soon as 10 days after conception. The HCG level should double every two days in early pregnancy.
Home urine pregnancy tests
Home urine pregnancy tests can be very accurate (97 to 99 percent) at detecting HCG. However, if a urine test is done very early you may get a “not pregnant” result. If this is the case, you can recheck with a urine pregnancy test at home in one week or contact your doctor for a confirmation test in the office.
HCG blood tests
HCG blood tests tend to pick up a “pregnant” result earlier then a urine test, but are not required for everyone. If you are having signs of pregnancy, missed your period, or if you have recently had a positive pregnancy test at home, you should call your doctor’s office and make an appointment. We are here to help you have a healthy and successful pregnancy.
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Posted In Health Information, Pregnancy, Women's
