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Signs of Pregnancy / The Pregnancy Test
What are the signs of pregnancy?
The signs of pregnancy vary from woman to woman. Usually
the most obvious sign is the absence of menstruation (amenorrhea).
However, some women continue to have bleeding even while pregnant.
If bleeding continues, the woman should contact her physician
or nurse midwife. The following are the most common initial
signs of pregnancy. However, each woman may experience the
signs of pregnancy differently. These may include:
- fatigue
- sore and swollen breasts
- nausea or vomiting (also called morning sickness)
- frequent urination
- certain food cravings or aversions
- bloating of the abdomen
- darkening of the skin around the nipples (also called
the areola)
- bluish-purple vaginal and cervical tissue, due to blood
engorgement, which can be detected during a pelvic examination.
These early signs may not positively indicate pregnancy,
but may actually signal another process occurring within the
body. A pregnancy test can provide more accurate results.
What is a pregnancy test?
Pregnancy is confirmed with a pregnancy test. A pregnancy
test can be performed on either urine or blood. Pregnancy
tests detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin
(HCG), a hormone produced by the placenta about 10 days after
fertilization. Levels of the HCG hormone double every two
days during the first 60 days of pregnancy. Pregnancy tests
that are performed using the woman's blood are done by a physician
or certified nurse midwife and are usually performed to obtain
a very early diagnosis of pregnancy or also to confirm an
at-home pregnancy test. Blood tests are almost 100 percent
accurate and can detect pregnancy approximately one week after
conception.
Women can conduct an at-home pregnancy test by testing a
sample of urine. Home pregnancy tests have become more accurate
in the last decade. Urine tests, in general, are usually 97
percent accurate if the result is positive, indicating that
you are pregnant. However, if the test result is negative
and no menstrual period resumes, a pregnancy test should be
repeated one week later.
Always consult your physician or certified nurse midwife
to confirm a positive at-home pregnancy test with a more reliable
pregnancy test and physical examination.
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