Am I Pregnant?
The most evident sign of pregnancy is lack of menstrual periods. As soon as the baby is conceived, the mother’s body starts preparing for growth of the baby in the womb. The first observation can be the changes in the mother’s body even before noticing a missed period. These can be:
- Tingling and enlargement of breasts.
- Urge to urinate frequently.
- Irritation or little fluid discharge in vagina.
- Food Cravings
- Nausea
- Irritability
- Slight Dizziness
If a woman has had regular menstrual periods before unprotected intercourse, and notices a missed period, there is a possibility of pregnancy, and appropriate tests should be done for confirmation.
After egg fertilization, the placenta (which completely develops by the 10th day of pregnancy) releases a hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin or HCG and this is also released in urine. Presence of this hormone is detected by antibodies which can react with it. These antibodies are also used in the pregnancy test kits.
How to Test for Pregnancy?
- Pregnancy kits are available at chemists which can be used at home to test for pregnancy.
- Urine Test can be performed at medical labs or clinics to check hormone levels that indicate pregnancy.
- Ultrasound – High pitched sound waves that are reflected by certain body tissues can reflect an image of a developing baby inside the uterus.
Pregnancy tests that are performed at home should not be considered the only source of confirmation for pregnancy. If the kit shows positive, a visit to an obstetrician / gynecologist is a must.
References:
Human Body II, Encyclopedia Britannica
5 comments
Nice article. I am in India and would like to go through a pregnancy test. Do you advise any brand of test kit for domestic test purpose?
Hi Jennie, there are many over the counter test kits available. Some good brands would be Hicks, Velocit, Pregcolor, Cadila or Akon. Buying more than one kit would help if one gets spoiled. And you can also buy two kits of different brands if you wish.
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