You will want to know if you are pregnant as soon as possible. The earlier you know, the sooner you can begin healthy behaviors and activities that may make your pregnancy easier and promote better health for your baby.
So, are you pregnant? Many women often wonder if they are pregnant in the first couple of weeks after ovulation, if their period does not start. A missed period may signal - conception (fertilization of the egg) and implantation (the embryo attaching to the uterus) has occurred, thus causing an elevation in pregnancy hormones resulting in you skipping your period.
"What can cause spotting early in pregnancy?" You may not get your period again for over nine months, but you may expierence some slight spotting or brownish discharge early in your pregnancy. Spotting sometimes happens after the egg is fertilized. As the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus, around six to eight days after fertilization, it can cause a light bleeding referred to as “implantation bleeding.” This is not to be mistaken for your menstrual bleeding which is normally heavier and lasts for a longer period of time.
"What are the early symptoms of pregnancy"? By the time you realize you have missed a period you will start feeling some of the early pregnancy symptoms.
Nausea and vomiting - This is a common complaint of pregnancy. You may begin feeling nauseous right away. Some women may experience both nausea and vomiting.
Breast sensitivity and enlargement - Your breasts may become tender, tingle, swell, feel sore, and have a heightened sensitivity to touch.
Overall fatigue - An extremely common symptom that you will experience early in pregnancy is increasing fatigue. You will become tired easily and need more rest.
Feeling bloated - You will have a sense of bloating that is similar to the feeling you have during menstruation.
Urinary frequency - You may begin to urinate more frequently soon after you become pregnant.
Lack of energy - Your energy level will be low as your body adjusts to all that is changing and the hormone increases that are happening.
"Are home pregnancy test kits accurate?" Pregnancy tests measure a pregnancy hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin or HCG in your urine sample. The pregnancy test kits you buy at the pharmacy can be used as early as the first day of a missed period. If you get a negative test result and your period is still late, wait a few days and perform the test again.
