If you have been practicing safe sex for a while, then a missed period, lower abdominal cramps, and nausea can make your mind ramble with thoughts of unwanted and unplanned pregnancy. And surely that isn’t a pleasant thought for you to counter, especially if you are not ready for it. But before you jump to the big conclusion it is important for you to listen to your body and do a few tests to settle your doubts about pregnancy.
Watch out for the early signs of pregnancy
Listen to your body intently to know if you are really pregnant. Watch out for the following signs carefully:
Breast changes: During the early days the changes might not be very prominent. But hormonal surges can lead to heaviness, and soreness or make your breast tender to touch, a week or two after you get pregnant. Some women may also notice their areola turn dark.
Fatigue: Pregnancy fatigue is different from the tiredness you feel due to daily wear and tear. This fatigue is triggered due to a high level of progesterone in the body during pregnancy. Also, lower levels of blood sugar, low blood pressure, and a boost in blood production can lead to pregnancy fatigue.
Morning sickness: This is quite common during pregnancy and usually stays till the end of the first trimester. If you feel nauseated throughout the day chances are that it’s indicative of you being pregnant. Sometimes morning sickness might not always lead to nausea or aversion to certain aromas; the taste can also be a part of early pregnancy symptoms.
Missed period: All missed or delayed periods might not indicate that you are pregnant, but surely you can’t sleep over this sign. If you are delayed as long as a fortnight and experience other symptoms too, it’s time you get serious with it.
Frequent urination: Due to altered hormonal levels, there are chances that you reach out to the restroom too often. Though it can be due to a urinary tract infection too, during pregnancy the secretion of hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin leads to this.
Dizziness: It’s a common symptom of pregnancy. Dilated blood vessels, low blood pressure, and blood sugar levels can lead to dizziness and fainting episodes.
Now, with pregnancy, it’s obvious that you might experience one or many of these above-mentioned symptoms. If you do, take the next step to be sure, get tested to know about your pregnancy status.
Test to confirm your pregnancy
Home pregnancy test with urine test: The easiest and safest way to confirm your pregnancy is to do a home pregnancy test. You can get a test kit from your pharmacy nearby and confirm your doubts. A urine test would confirm the presence of hCG in your urine, a hormone that is secreted when a fertilized egg instills itself on the uterus wall. Some amount of this hormone is present in the urine of a pregnant woman. This gives you the result quickly. Try a home pregnancy test after missing your periods.
In either case, if you are not satisfied with the results of your home pregnancy test, seek an appointment with your gynecologist at the earliest.