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Symptoms
of Pregnancy
This is your first question and a good question.
There are many signs and symptoms of pregnancy. We'll try to cover the
most common of them in this section.
Missed
Period
This is probably one of the more reliable signs
of pregnancy. Although some women will experience implantation
bleeding about the time of their period, it is usually lighter and/or
shorter than their normal period. This is why you are asked for the first
day of your last normal period. There are even a few women who will
have period throughout their pregnancy, although this is rare, it does
happen.
If you've been planning for pregnancy, the day
that you expect your period is probably well marked in your mind.
But if this is an unplanned pregnancy the date of your last period may be
vague. For most home pregnancy tests it is best to wait until you
have missed a period. The Free
lab quality test at ChoiceOne is so
sensitive, it is not always necessary to wait until you have missed your
period.
Pregnancy tests measure the levels of hCG
(hormone secreted during pregnancy) in your urine. The amount of urine
each test can detect varies widely. The amount
of hormone each woman secretes may also vary, but not as widely. The
better tests on the market will measure 25-50 mIUs of hCG, which is
usually the amount found in urine between the 4th and 5th weeks of
pregnancy. ChoiceOne tests reads levels as low as 25mIUs. The levels of
hCG in your urine and blood will be different.
First morning urine will always contain the
highest concentration of hCG. However, most tests do not require
that you use first morning urine. You can help better your chances of
having enough hCG in your urine by waiting two to four hours after you
last urinated to take the test. This will allow hCG to build up in your
urine.
These tests rarely give false results. A negative
answer that is later revealed to be a pregnancy is usually the result of
the test being performed too early. A positive that later turns out the
woman is not pregnant is usually a very early miscarriage. Talk to your
practitioner if you have questions about your pregnancy tests and consider
calling the toll-free number provided by the test manufacturer.
Blood tests are the most accurate and can be
performed 7-10 days post-ovulation.
Morning
Sickness
This lovely affliction affects many pregnant women, but by no means
all. It's estimated that only 50% of women will experience morning
sickness. It is not very well named either. Any variation
of sickness is applicable. Some women are sick only in the night, some are
sick all day, other women it comes and goes with its own pattern. There is
also a difference in whether it's merely a queasy feeling or actual
vomiting. Some women will actually have a severe form of
morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum. This can lead to
dehydration and other problems. Tips
for Morning Sickness - Here are some remedies that worked for your fellow moms-to-be.
Breast
Soreness
Breast tenderness is experienced by many women, both during pregnancy
and prior to their periods. This usually goes away during the second
trimester, or it may be experienced as a heightened sensitivity. This can be
a good thing for some women. Or you can do what I did: poke your breasts
so often to check for tenderness that you can't decide if you caused the
tenderness or not.
Headaches
Headaches are more common in pregnancy due to the changes in hormones.
This may be a pregnancy symptom, but it is not necessarily a pregnancy
sign. There are many things that could cause this, including stress.
Bloating
Some women do begin to bloat nearly immediately. Again, this is a symptom
of pregnancy, but not necessarily a sign. There are also women who will
have bloating prior to a period.
Vaginal
Discharge
Vaginal discharge, without itching or burning, may be a sign of pregnancy.
The cervix is building your mucous plug to block the opening of the cervix
to help protect your baby from infections, etc. You might notice a slight
increase in vaginal secretions. Again, it's shouldn't smell, burn or itch.
These would be signs of infection that would require proper medical
treatment.
The only sure way to know if your are pregnant is
with a diagnosis from a doctor. Your first step is to get to a
ChoiceOne Center located near you for Free
lab quality test . Most women will sail through pregnancy with never
a problem, while others seem to have it all. There are many things you can
do to ease
these symptoms of early pregnancy (and the later ones too!). Most of
these will disappear by the early portion of your second trimester. The
only time you should be concerned about disappearing symptoms is when they
suddenly stop before the 10th week of pregnancy. This may be nothing, or
it could indicate a problem with the pregnancy.
Hang in there!
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1.800.497.TEST
