During this time the egg undergoes many changes, splitting into several cells and even changing it's name a few times. While the egg is busy making these transformations your body needs additional vitamins and some extra tender loving care. For this reason, if your menstrual cycle is late or you are experiencing any pregnancy symptoms, and have had sexual intercourse since your last cycle you should get a pregnancy test as quickly as possible. - even if were using a form of birth control, as they do occasionally fail.
Feelings of nausea, tiredness, swollen or tender breasts, sensitivity to or cravings for particular foods and smells are all signs of pregnancy. Morning sickness (nausea, often accompanied by vomiting in the waking morning hours) is also associated with pregnancy. And some women report having what they suspect to be a 'light period' for a day or two, when on the contrary, the light spotting is actually an indication of the egg implantation (the point in time when the embryo adheres to wall of the uterus); this spotting is normal.
Home pregnancy tests (HPT's) are widely available and generally quite accurate. It is recommended to wait at least one to two days after your missed cycle to take a home pregnancy test to ensure accurate results. These tests check your morning urine for the presence of a hormone that is created by the developing placenta, called HCG, (Human Chronic Gonadotropin). Early in your pregnancy this hormone is very low but it doubles each day. The urine based pregnancy tests typically require use of the morning urine because it allows this hormone to build up in your system overnight, whereas later in the day it will be more diluted as you ingest and expel fluids. More sensitive blood tests are available by physicians and can be given a little earlier.
The pregnancy tests measure the HCG in mIU, (measured International Units). When selecting the test that you want to use, assuming that you are picking a home pregnancy test, evaluate the mIU sensitivity. The lower mIU that a test will detect, the sooner it will recognize a pregnancy. Err with caution testing too early though, as a test might give a 'false negative' (a negative result when you are pregnant), caused by too low of levels of HCG at the time of testing or a 'false positive' (a positive reading when you are not pregnant), this is rare but can be caused by an array of factors. False-negative results are more common that 'false positive' results for the mere fact that women are often too eager to wait long enough to test and the HCG levels are too low for the test to detect it.
If you suspect that you are pregnant and get a negative result, it is suggested to wait two days and test again. False positive results are quite rare, but happen from the test being contaminated either by using a cup that still has soap residue remaining in it (on the dip tests) or from waiting too long to read the results. Other causes of 'false-positive' results can be attributed to medication or simply misreading the test - mistaking an evaporation line for a positive line. It is generally accepted that any type of faint line displaying positive should be read as a positive result; the faintness of the line is usually attributed to the low level of HCG; again, in a case like this, testing again in a couple of days is recommended. And, it's pertinent that you thoroughly read the instructions prior to taking the test.
Make sure that you make an appointment with your OB/GYN as soon as possible, and take the information about your last menstrual cycle with you so he can help guide you through your pregnancy.
Other Articles :
Unusual Pregnancy Signs
