What to Do If You Think You Might Be Pregnant
Are you experiencing some of the tell-tale signs of early pregnancy? Maybe you’re feeling nauseous or overly tired, your breasts are tender, or you’ve skipped a period.
While the symptoms of early pregnancy can differ from one woman to another, if you feel that your body is undergoing changes that are common in the early days of being pregnant, then you need to find out one way or another.
If you think that you might be pregnant and you’re not sure what to do next, then the guide below will tell you everything you need to know.
What are the most common signs of early pregnancy?
As mentioned briefly above, each woman and each pregnancy is different. That being said, there are some common symptoms that many women experience in the early days of pregnancy. These are as follows: · Nausea, more commonly referred to as morning sickness
· Vomiting
· Tiredness and general fatigue
· Breast tenderness
· A missed period
· Headaches
What should you do if you think you are pregnant?
If you think you might be pregnant, then the first thing you should do is take a home pregnancy test. These can be bought over the counter at your local pharmacist, grocery store, or online. There are many different brands of pregnancy tests available, including early pregnancy tests, which may be able to detect pregnancy before you’ve even missed your period. Alternatively, you can schedule a pre pregnancy checkup with your doctor, who can also carry out a pregnancy test if needed. Many sexual health clinics offer pregnancy testing services as well, which can be a helpful resource if you’d prefer not to wait for an appointment with your primary physician.
Alternatively, you can make an appointment with your doctor who will be able to carry out a pregnancy test for you. Some sexual health clinics will also carry out a pregnancy test for you free of charge.
Pregnancy tests are around 97% accurate, so you may want to do more than one to be sure. If you get a negative result, but you still think you might be pregnant, then it can be a good idea to make an appointment with your doctor to be sure. False positives can also occur, so you may want to wait a few weeks or so and then take another test or book an appointment with your doctor.
What to do in the early stages of pregnancy
If you find out that you’re pregnant, then it’s vital that you take care of yourself and your developing fetus in the first few weeks and upcoming months.
Some of the lifestyle changes that you should try and adopt include:
· Avoiding caffeine, alcohol, smoking, and e-cigarettes.
· Drinking plenty of water and water-based drinks.
· Continuing to exercise but avoiding anything too strenuous.
· Following a healthy and balanced diet.
· Avoiding unsafe foods such as raw fish, blue cheese, soft cheese, liver, unpasteurized milk, paté, raw eggs, and undercooked meats.
· Starting to take a daily pregnancy supplement.
You may also want to try and calculate your due date. However, this can be confirmed at your pregnancy dating scan. Once you have confirmation from your doctor or a home test, you should look at booking one of these as soon as possible. While there are online calculator tools that can give you a rough estimate, these are not an exact science, and a scan is the best way to know how far along you are.
What happens next?
If you have confirmed your pregnancy with a home pregnancy test, then your next step is to make an appointment with your doctor so they can advise you on what to do next. Ideally, you should book an appointment with your doctor as soon as you find out that you’re pregnant or at least before you are eight weeks into the pregnancy. During this appointment, your doctor may test your urine to confirm your pregnancy.
If you have any pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy, then you may be referred to a specialist team or clinic to help manage your care throughout your pregnancy.
The bottom line
It can be exciting but also nerve-wracking if you think you might be pregnant. If you were not trying to get pregnant, you might be tempted to bury your head in the sand for as long as possible. However, this isn’t a good idea, either for you or, if you’re pregnant, for your baby.
If you’re feeling upset or worried for any reason, then arrange for someone to be with you when you take a home pregnancy test or visit your doctor. This could be a partner, family member, or friend.
