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Pregnancy Symptoms, Pregnancy Tests and Due Dates

Missing your menstrual cycle is the most obvious pregnancy symptom. However, many women have pregnancy symptoms even before they miss their first menstrual cycle. Many women claim that they experience tenderness and sensitivity in their breasts. Some women report that their breasts feel heavy or full. Another pregnancy symptom is spotting. The spotting is very minimal and accompanied with a yellowish colored discharge. Fatigue is also a pregnancy symptom. Many women report that they are very tired and they do not have the energy they did. Frequent urination is also on the top of the list of pregnancy symptoms.

One of the most common pregnancy symptoms is nausea. This nausea is known as morning sickness. It is important to note that morning sickness doesn’t always occur in the morning. It can strike at any time of the day. In fact, some women do not experience nausea in the morning. These women may have trouble with nausea in the late afternoon or evenings. Some women may never experience nausea.

Women usually purchase a home pregnancy test after they have developed pregnancy symptoms. The home pregnancy tests that are on the market today are simple to use and they are fairly accurate. There are tests available that can detect pregnancy within a day, or two, of your missed menstrual cycle. Home pregnancy tests are very popular because they can be taken in the privacy of your own home. It should be noted that you should follow up a home pregnancy test with a doctor visit whether the test is positive or negative. If the test is positive you should start prenatal care immediately. If it is negative and you still have not started your menstrual cycle you should be examined to find out why.

The urine test that is given at the doctor’s office is much like the home urine pregnancy test. It has an accuracy of nearly 100%.  Many doctors will perform a blood test to detect pregnancy. This test can be performed at any time and can detect pregnancy as early as five to seven days after conception. If you suspect you are pregnancy and you are having pregnancy symptoms, you should act as if you are pregnant until it is confirmed or denied by a pregnancy test. Smoking, drinking and illicit drugs and some medications can harm your baby.

Once you find out that you are indeed pregnant you will be given a tentative due date. You should keep in mind that the due date that you are given is a general estimation. This date is based upon the date of your last period. You will take the date you started your last period and add seven days to it. Then, you will add nine months to that for your estimated due date. Another way to calculate your tentative due date is to take the date you started your last period and simply add 40 weeks to that date. These estimations may not work if your menstrual cycle was irregular. However, there are other ways a doctor can go about to gauge a possible due date. This includes the size of your uterus, the first time your baby’s heartbeat is heard as well as a sonogram. Sonograms are usually performed between the third and fifth month and they can more closely pinpoint the age of your baby in the womb.

If you are experiencing pregnancy symptoms you should take the steps needed to find out if you are indeed pregnant. Receiving prenatal care is crucial to your health and the health of your unborn baby.