Introduction:
The signs of pregnancy can vary among each person. Some notable signs and symptoms associated with pregnancy include missed periods, breast changes, mood swings, and tiredness. If the period is missed and few signs are noted, it is better to confirm the pregnancy using pregnancy tests or consult the necessary healthcare practitioner.
How Early Can Pregnancy Be Detected?
When a woman is pregnant, she might start experiencing a few early signs of pregnancy. Some of these signs include the following:
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A Missed Period - One of the first signs of pregnancy is a missed period, especially for a sexually active person. Most of the time, pregnancy tests taken after a week of the missed period are usually correct. But in very few people, the HCG hormone levels might not be enough to show a positive result. So if a period is missed and tests show negative, it is better to repeat the test after a few days.
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Tiredness - Tiredness or fatigue is a common symptom. An increased need to rest or take a nap happens during pregnancy. This happens due to changes in a hormone called progesterone. Tiredness usually goes away by the second trimester.
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Breast Tenderness - Breast changes occur, like breast tenderness, nipples, and the areola region becoming darker or slightly larger, and breasts become swollen. These changes in the breasts happen due to hormone changes that start preparing the body for lactation.
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Light Bleeding - Light bleeding or spotting can happen around 6 to 12 days after conception and a few days before the beginning of the usual menstrual cycle. This is called implantation bleeding. This happens when the embryo attaches to the uterus wall, causing some blood vessels of the uterine lining to burst causing light bleeding. Implantation bleeding does not necessarily happen to every pregnant woman; some women might not experience this spotting.
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Vomiting or Nausea - Morning sickness, nausea, or vomiting can happen with pregnancy. Nausea is not felt just in the morning; it can be felt throughout the day.
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Headaches - Hormonal changes can cause headaches during the early stages of pregnancy.
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Food Cravings or Aversions - Unusual cravings or aversion to certain foods and their smell are very common during the first trimester. For some people, it may persist throughout the pregnancy. The taste and smell of a pregnant person tend to become more sensitive, and there are chances that the person might no longer enjoy the foods they used to like before.
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Mood Swings - Psychological and hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy can cause a person to feel different causing mood swings.
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Changes in Bowel and Bladder Habits - Bowel and bladder habits change from the beginning of pregnancy. The pregnant person may have constipation or can experience a frequent urge to urinate during the day and night. In the early stages of pregnancy, the hormone HCG levels increase the blood flow to the pelvic area, thereby increasing the urge to urinate.
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Abdominal Cramps - During menstruation, some women may face cramping during the implantation process. If cramping occurs before the period is due along with lighter than usual bleeding or no bleeding, it is a sign of pregnancy.
If a person notes these early pregnancy signs, they can confirm pregnancy using pregnancy tests.
What Is a Pregnancy Test?
Pregnancy tests are tests done to determine pregnancy. If the pregnancy tests show positive results, the person is pregnant. If pregnancy tests show negative results, the person is not pregnant.
How Do Pregnancy Tests Work?
A pregnancy test checks for the presence or amount of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the body. HCG Is only found in pregnant women in both their urine and blood. The amount of HCG increases every day during pregnancy. Therefore, as weeks increase, the presence of HCG increases and pregnancy tests taken in the later weeks can show positive results. However, if the test is taken too soon, the chances of false negatives are high.
What Are the Different Types of Pregnancy Tests?
The two different types of pregnancy tests are urine and blood tests.
Home Pregnancy Tests or Urine Tests:
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Urine tests or at home pregnancy tests are usually done at home.
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We can buy an at-home pregnancy test kit from a medical store.
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They are usually not much expensive and are very easy to use.
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Before taking a test, it is important to read the instructions given on these tests.
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This test usually uses the urine of the possible pregnant person and it contains special strips to check for the presence of the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG).
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A missed period usually happens after 14 days of conception.
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In a pregnancy test, the HCG present in the urine can be detected ten days after conception.
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So there are chances of a false negative result if the test is taken before the period due date.
Before taking a home pregnancy test, a few things must be kept in mind. They are
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Try checking the pregnancy test using the first-morning urine.
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HCG levels are most concentrated in the morning after waking up, so the HCG levels can be easily detected with the morning urine.
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If the test is taken at another time of the day, then make sure the last urination was done about 3 hours before the test.
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Do not drink excessive amounts of water before taking the test, as this can dilute the HCG levels, causing alteration in the pregnancy tests.
Blood Tests:
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Blood tests are done using blood samples obtained from the arm's vein.
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This checks the presence of HCG in the blood and the exact amount of HCG in the blood.
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Blood tests are more sensitive than urine tests and can detect HCG, even if it is in small amounts.
When Should a Pregnancy Test Be Taken?
It is ideal to wait until a week after your missed period to take the pregnancy test. This will show an accurate result. If the tests are taken before the missed period, it should be at least one or two weeks after sex. A pregnant body takes time to develop HCG levels. So there are chances of a false result if the pregnancy test is taken too early.
How Long Does It Take To Get Results in a Pregnancy Test?
Every home pregnancy tests are different. But, in most cases, results can be obtained within three minutes.
Can Pregnancy Tests Be Wrong?
Pregnancy tests are about 99 % correct if they are used in the right manner. However, the chances of false positives are possible. This might happen when the pregnancy is lost after the embryo attaches to the uterine wall (early miscarriage).
Conclusion:
Some of the earliest signs of a pregnancy can be a missed period, breast tenderness, and tiredness. These signs can appear during the first weeks of pregnancy. Therefore, it is important for a sexually active person to do a pregnancy test, especially those who have had sex without protection or appropriate birth control and are experiencing few early signs of pregnancy.
