How To Know If You're Pregnant
- September 8, 2009
- 30,318 Views
Contributor
ShannonH
There are signs you’re having a baby even before you miss a period.
You Will Need
- A knowledge of physical symptoms
- A home pregnancy kit
- Access to a clinic or doctor's office
Step 1: Look for physical signs
Pay attention to your body. Symptoms like fatigue, swollen or tender breasts, and nausea can show up as early as two weeks after conception. Headaches and lower back pain are also early signs.
Step 2: Know the emotional signs
Consider whether you’ve been more emotional lately. Some women find that pregnancy makes them moodier, weepier, or more irritable than usual thanks to the hormonal surge that occurs after conception.
Stress can cause hormones to mimic pregnancy signs like nausea; it can even cause you to miss a period.
Step 3: Take a test
Take a home pregnancy test; it can sometimes detect pregnancy even before you’ve missed your first period. Be aware, however, that taking it early may cause a false negative result.
For the most accurate results, take the test in the morning, when pregnancy hormone levels in urine are highest.
Step 4: Double check
If the home test is positive, see your doctor right away. If it’s negative and your period still doesn’t start, then repeat the test in a few days. False negatives are more common than false positives.
Step 5: Don't assume you've started your period
If you get your period, don’t assume you’re not pregnant. If it’s unusually light, it may be what’s known as “implantation bleeding,” which happens when the embryo attaches to the uterus.
Step 6: Get a blood test
To be absolutely sure, go to your doctor for a blood test. Because pregnancy hormones are easier to detect in blood than urine, blood tests are more accurate than home kits.
Did you know? The most common oddball food combination craved during pregnancy is pickles and peanut butter, followed by Marmite and ice cream, and tuna and bananas, according to an online poll.
Something wrong? Report this How-To
Video is in Mommies to Be (27 videos)
How To Know When You’re Ovulating
- 6,493 views
- pasqualA
How To Trim a Baby's Nails
- 18,663 views
- Janeen
Comments (1)
You know if your pregnant if you miss your period, you get nauseous, your breasts get sore, your stomach normally starts to get big about four months into the pregnancy, and you should take a pregnancy test to see if it is positive. em I right?? hehe...
1 weeks pregnant
http://www.pregnancyweeks.us/
about 1 year ago by Mitchelle_Perez
Sign in or create an account to post a comment. Or, sign in using your Facebook to comment
and share your activity with your friends