Pregnancy Info

Many women “know” when they’ve conceived. The special intuitive feeling is probably due to the very early outpouring of female hormones. First of all, you’ll have prolonged high levels of progesterone (which you don’t experience unless you’re pregnant). Then fetal tissues start to produce human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) as soon as the embryo is implanted in the uterus, about seven days after fertilization.

Suspecting that You’re Pregnant

A few classic signs can make you suspect that you’re pregnant before you do a test to make sure.

Missed period You may miss a period within two weeks after conceiving your baby. Although pregnancy is the most common reason for a missed period, it’s not the only one, so don’t take this as an absolute sign of pregnancy. There are other things, such as jet lag, severe illness, surgery, shock, bereavement, or great stress, that can cause you to miss a period. Periods don’t always stop in pregnancy, though. Some women continue having light periods up to the sixth month, and occasionally all the way through their pregnancies.

Urinating more often As soon as your progesterone levels rise and the embryo starts to produce hCG, blood supply to your pelvic area increases, which leads to pelvic congestion. This affects the bladder, which becomes irritable and tries to expel even the smallest quantity of urine. This is why most women feel like they want to pass urine more often than usual, although it may be in only very small quantities. This can happen as early as one week after conception.

Tiredness The very high levels of progesterone in your body have a sedative effect on your body, and this is one of the reasons for tiredness when you’re first pregnant. Early in your pregnancy, your metabolism speeds up to support your developing baby and your vital organs, which are having to do so much more work than usual. This can cause you to feel so tired that there’s nothing you can do but sleep. If that’s how you feel, you must rest-for your sake and your baby’s.

Odd tastes and cravings Your saliva often reflects the chemical content of your blood and, as hormone levels rise, the taste in your mouth can change-many women describe it as metallic. You many also notice that certain foods taste different from normal, and that you stop liking things you usually enjoy(coffee is a common example)

Some women begin to crave certain foods-and occasionally want to eat very strange things, such as coal. There’s no real scientific explanation for this, but cravings may be the body’s way of trying to make up for a deficiency in certain minerals and trace elements. It’s best to control cravings for inedible substances and for high-calorie foods that are low in nutritional value. Otherwise, there’s no harm in eating what you feel like, within reason.

Morning sickness Although it’s most common in the morning, nausea can come on at any time of day. It’s more likely to affect you if you don’t eat often enough and your blood sugar level is allowed to drop.

Smell You may notice that your sense of smell becomes more acute when you’re pregnant, and everyday odors such as cooking smells make you nauseous. Perfume may also affect you this way, and the way your own perfume smells on you may also change, because your skin’s chemistry alters.

Breast changes Even at the start of pregnancy, you may feel changes in your breasts. They may become quite lumpy and sore to the touch; your nipple area may feel tender and sensitive, and will also deepen in color; and veins in your breasts may look larger and more obvious.

Confirming that You’re Pregnant

Once you suspect that you might be pregnant, you’ll want to confirm it as soon as possible. There are a number of tests that can be done at different intervals following conception. Some are more accurate than others.

Urine tests The pregnancy hormone known as hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) can be detected in your urine. Urine tests can be done at home, at your doctor’s office, at family planning clinics, in a hospital, or at a pharmacy. These tests are more than 90 percent reliable. They can be carried out as early as two weeks after conception, although you’ll get the most reliable result if you wait four weeks longer before taking them.

Blood test This test has to be carried out by your doctor and is usually only done when there’s a problem such as bleeding or pain, or after a cycle of assisted reproduction. The test also accurately detects the hCG in the blood as early as two weeks after conception-about the time your next period is due.

Internal examination At your first prenatal visit, you will probably have blood tests, a pelvic exam, a pap smear, and possibly an ultrasound to confirm fetal viability. A pelvic exam can help the doctor estimate how many weeks pregnant you are.

Home Testing

You’ll probably prefer to find out whether or not you’re pregnant in the privacy of your own home so you’re sure of complete confidentiality. There are a range of pregnancy testing kits available from pharmacies. They’re all simple to use and give immediate results that are more than 90 percent accurate.

How the tests work Urine tests check for the presence of hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin), the hormone that’s made by the developing embryo. Two of the main types, the ring and the color tests, involve mixing a chemical solution with a sample of your urine. The chemicals react according to the amount of hCG in your urine. The reaction is shown by a color change in the tube or window strip, or coagulation is prevented, causing a dark ring to appear in the tube. A third test can be done by simply placing the absorbent part of the test in contact with the urine. Signs of hCG may be detected in urine from two weeks after conceiving. Most kits advise using the test between one and four days after the first day of your missed period. If you do perform the test then, repeat it two weeks later when the hCG is more concentrated and the result will be more reliable. Most kits provide two tests so you can confirm the first result.

Take care Use a sample from the first urine you pass in the morning because it will contain a higher concentration of hCG. Don’t drink anything before the test, because this will dilute the sample. Make sure you collect your sample in a clean, soap-free container. Follow the kit’s instructions very carefully and don’t use the test if it’s been damaged in any way or is past its expiration date. If you can’t do the test immediately, store your urine sample in the refrigerator, but don’t keep it for more than 12 hours. Unexpected result Sometimes you may have a positive first test but a negative second test, followed by your period starting a few days later. Don’t worry. Half of all conceptions don’t become established pregnancies, as the fertilized egg fails to implant in the lining of the uterus and there’s a natural termination. Your first test may have been positive because it was done before the fertilized egg was lost. To avoid this error, do the test around the time of your first missed period. If there’s a weak but positive result, repeat the test a few days later with a fresh sample.

Expected Arrival Date

Once you know you’re pregnant, your next question will almost certainly be “When will my baby be born?” There are usually about 266 days or 38 weeks between conception and birth. This is the same as 40 weeks from the start of your last menstrual period (LMP) because ovulation, and therefore conception, is normally two weeks after the start of your period. You can work out the approximate date of your baby’s arrival calculating from the first day of your last period. The estimated date of your baby’s delivery (EDD) is therefore at 280 days (40 weeks) from the first day of your last period. How accurate this date is depends on whether you have a regular 28-day cycle. If your menstrual cycle is shorter or longer, your delivery date may be earlier or later. If you conceived immediately after coming off the pill, it will be harder for your health care provider to give you a firm date, and they will probably have to be guided by your baby’s growth. Medical staff use the EDD when monitoring your baby’s development and checking the expected rate of growth. Sometimes too much emphasis is put on this date, leading to unnecessary intervention, and doctors may want to induce labor if they believe your baby is overdue. However, risks to you and your baby don’t rise much until after 42 weeks, and most doctors are prepared to let a pregnancy continue, without inducing, if tests show the baby is not at risk.