Pregnancy test: 7 signs you should take one

     

    Every woman ultimately has a mother inside her. The urge to motherhood is something that she enjoys. Are you waiting to hear the good news? Here are some tips about pregnancy and its signs you should be aware of!


    What is a pregnancy test?


    The pregnancy test is the test taken to find if a woman is pregnant or not. It is either done by testing the pregnancy hormone, human Chorionic Gonadotropin or hCG, or ultrasonography. There are two types of pregnancy tests according to the qualitative method it employs-blood or urine. Most home pregnancy tests use urine to test for hCG levels, while medical tests are often qualitative or blood-based.


    Why the Pregnancy test?


    Pregnancy tests at an earlier stage may induce several positive impacts, including the commencement of pre-parental care, medication changes, reducing chances of child-loss to lifestyle changes for a healthy child. Sometimes, people take the test to get rid of unwanted pregnancies at an earlier stage, although it is not always advised. It is devoid of side effects and can be easily taken at home. It can be availed at a drugstore, supermarket, or even a grocery store without a prescription.


    Pregnancy test: 7 signs you should take one.


    1. A missed period or light bleeding.

    This is the most common indication of being pregnant. The ovulated egg in the ovary is fertilized and is unable to make a period now. However, missing a period cannot always indicate pregnancy as it can occur due to stress, hormonal changes, weight loss or gain, or even PCOS.

         2.Breast changes

    Changes in breasts are common during early pregnancy to late pregnancy and post-pregnancy periods. The breast needs to get ready to feed the child. It shows signs of motherhood by swelling up, being sensitive, tender, heavy, and painful. 

          3. Changes in Bowel movement

    Bowel movements and bathroom habits can change drastically during pregnancy. It is due to the change in the hormonal levels in the body. Frequent urination is due to the increased level of hCG in the blood. Constipation and diarrhea are common in pregnancy. Your stomach might be bloated due to the increased release of progesterone which slows down digestion.


    The only way to ease the discomfort is not to hold in bowel urges. Stay hydrated all day long and have enough fiber and leafy vegetables. Exercise regularly and take medical supplements accordingly.

         4.You may feel different all the time.

     Pregnancy may make you feel a little bit more tired than usual all the time. This means that you’ll feel sick even if you are not. You may have nausea, fatigue, and frequent exhaustion. Certain types of odors and food you actually liked may avert you. These symptoms would be more pronounced even before you miss a period.

          5.Emotional Changes

    Emotional changes, before and after pregnancy, are an important matter to be discussed. A pregnant woman would be easily irritated and depressed. Insomnia and stress are common during pregnancy. She would go through an emotional roller coaster and would need enough love and support from people near her. Staying active, maintaining a social life, eating a healthy diet, etc., can cure this emotional instability to a greater extent.

         6.Cramps

    Not only abdominal cramps, exhausted and painful lower body, along with a headache, can cause you great trouble during pregnancy. At an earlier stage, these cramps may be confused with the onset of menstruation but later proves to be different.

         7.Implantation bleeding and vaginal discharge

    Implantation bleeding happens when the fertilized egg is attached to the lining of the uterus. We can differentiate this from periods as it may occur about 7 to 10 days before your period. 


    How do you self-check for pregnancy?


    You can take a pregnancy test at home or in a hospital. The dipstick is the most common pregnancy testing method used all over the world. It makes use of a pregnancy kit which is available from a pharmacy, and your urine is collected as soon as you wake up.


    The procedure of a test can vary according to the type of kit. Sometimes you may have to collect your urine in a cup and dip the testing stick in it. Otherwise, you’ll have to use an eyedropper to drop a small portion to the testing device. Some tests demand midstream urine during urination.


    The display on the screen would either be a line, a symbol(usually a plus or a minus), the words pregnant or not pregnant, or even a change of color.


     How soon a pregnancy test reads positive?


    A pregnancy test reads most accurately when taken on the day when your period is supposed to commence or at least 21 days after you had sex. Tests taken before the time are usually wrong as the hCG levels in the blood aren’t that high up to show positive signals. The urine used for the test is preferably concentrated. It should be taken early in the morning for accurate results.


    Accuracy of a pregnancy kit


    Although you may know that the pregnancy kit would be most probably right, there would be many questions running on your mind-How many pregnancy tests should I take? Is it always accurate? -and so on. 


    The accuracy of a pregnancy kit is more than 99 percent sure most of the time. However, You can receive a false positive alert depending on your hormonal levels, previous miscarriage, cancer or tumor, ovarian cysts, or urinary tract infections. On the other hand, pseudo-negative results can be wrong if you took the test too early or checked the results too soon before the test kit timer.


    If you doubt the accuracy of the test you’ve taken, you can take the test again the second time. If your results are negative and you missed your period, you can either consult a doctor or take the test again.


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    Medically reviewed by Tina Joy, Pharmacist, Care n Cure Pharmacy