Understanding Early Pregnancy Signs and When to Test
Have you missed your period or noticed some of the early signs of pregnancy, such as morning sickness or cravings? A pregnancy test, which detects the presence of hCG, is the only way to know for certain whether or not you are pregnant. While an online pregnancy test doesn’t exist, you can consider common signs and when to take a home pregnancy test.
When Can I Take a Pregnancy Test?
You don’t need to wait for your missed period before you do a pregnancy test. The Clearblue® Early Detection Pregnancy Test can be used up to 6 days before your missed period. For many women, a late period is often the earliest physical sign of pregnancy. Take a test as soon as possible to find out for sure. Find the right test for you.
Early Pregnancy Symptoms
Early pregnancy symptoms can vary among women, but some common indicators include:
- Breast Changes: During early pregnancy your breasts might feel fuller or more tender than usual, and some women may notice that the area around the nipples (the areola) may get darker. Breast tenderness is one of the more common early pregnancy symptoms, but may be intermittent.
- Nausea and Vomiting: You could start feeling sick, and even vomit, between the 2nd to the 8th week of pregnancy. This usually passes by the 16th week. Although this is often called 'morning sickness' it can happen at any time of the day or night – and can even affect you all the time.
- Fatigue: You are likely to feel unusually tired in the first few weeks of pregnancy. This could be due to the rising levels of progesterone in your body as it maintains the lining of your womb to help support the pregnancy.
- Frequent Urination: More frequent urination can be an early pregnancy sign, but it can also be due to other reasons such as a urinary tract infection. You should see your Doctor if you’re experiencing increased urinary frequency.
- Mood Swings: Your changing hormones may cause some mood swings in the early stages of pregnancy – you could even find yourself crying without really knowing why. Mood changes might also be due to PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome).
- Appetite Changes: You may stop eating or drinking certain things like tea, coffee or fatty food, and might start to crave things you don't normally like. You might even feel queasy when you smell certain things too – like coffee, meat or alcohol.
Birth Control and Pregnancy Risk
No form of birth control is 100% effective at preventing pregnancy, so even if you’ve been using a method, you could still get pregnant.
Birth Control Methods and Pregnancy Risk
| Method of Birth Control | Pregnancy Risk |
|---|---|
| Contraceptive implant (Nexaplanon), Intrauterine system (IUS) or Intrauterine device (IUD) | Very low |
| Birth control pill | Low (if used correctly) |
| Barrier method e.g. condoms | Moderate |
| Other | Varies |
| None | High |
Just over one-third of healthy couples will get pregnant in the first month of trying. If you are concerned about potential pregnancy, the best way to be certain is to take a pregnancy test. Some symptoms might be for reasons other than pregnancy – if you are concerned, speak to your doctor.