Pregnancy Info

Many women may be asking, am I pregnant? Whether your pregnancy is planned or unplanned you may be anxious to determine if you are pregnant. This article contains signs and symptoms that may indicate you are pregnant. Early detection is essential to a healthy pregnancy.

Many women notice changes in their bodies and wonder, am I pregnant? Whether you are trying to get pregnant, or whether you are wondering if you are pregnant after an unexpected and unprotected coupling, your body will offer indications that may mean that you are pregnant. Pay attention to your body, and the clues it gives when you start wondering, "Am I Pregnant".

Signs to look for when asking "Am I Pregnant?"

The first thing to ask when considering "am I pregnant: is if you have had unprotected sex. This will increase the chances that you could be pregnant. If you haven’t had sex at all, then you are not pregnant. Unless you are artificially inseminated through a medical procedure, intercourse is required for pregnancy.

Next, if you have had protected sex, it is important to consider that you might be pregnant anyway. Condoms can be very effective, but they are not full proof. Other methods of birth control, including the pill, patch and ring, can also fail. Other than abstinence, there is no way to completely prevent pregnancy 100% of the time. Even with the most sophisticated methods of birth control, there is a chance that you could get pregnant if you are sexually active, unless you have had parts of your reproductive system removed surgically. In such cases the question of "am I pregnant" isn't really a valid question.

When questioning "am I pregnant" consider the following early pregnancy symptoms:

• Missed period. You might wait at least five to seven days to really worry if your period is generally unreliable.
• Unusual period. In some cases, your bleeding may come late, and be very light. If your period is unusual, and you normally have a regular period, this could be a sign of pregnancy.
• Tender breasts: During pregnancy, your breasts often feel tender. Soreness in the breasts, and swelling or enlargement, can indicate pregnancy.
• Nausea: If you feel sick, especially in the morning, it could be sign of pregnancy. If nausea is recurring, it could be an indication of pregnancy, and a sign that you are carrying a child.
• Increased urination: You may feel the urge to go to the bathroom more often when you are pregnant.
• Tiredness: Many women in their first trimester of pregnancy feel tired. Fatigue could be a sign that you are pregnant.
• Changes on your skin: Some women see darkening patches of skin with pregnancy. If your skin is changing, or if you notice stretch marks, this could be a sign of pregnancy.
• Swelling abdomen: If it appears that your abdomen is getting larger, you might be pregnant. Some women in the early stages of pregnancy think that they are experiencing bloating, when they are actually pregnant.

If you wondering, am I pregnant, and believe that enough signs point to pregnancy, you can get a home pregnancy test. These are generally fairly accurate, especially if you wait until your period is five days late to take them. You can increase the accuracy of the test by taking it in the morning. These tests work by detecting the presence of a particular hormone in the body. If it is present, the pregnancy test will detect it and let you know. Realize, though, that even if a pregnancy test says that you are not pregnant, you still might be.

After you get a positive on the pregnancy test, or if you are certain you are pregnant even with a negative on the home pregnancy test, you can arrange to see your health care provider, or go to a clinic to get a definite answer to your question of am I pregnant. There are more advanced tests that health care professionals can do to confirm your pregnancy. It is a good idea to see a health care professional as soon as possible when you are fairly sure you are pregnant.

Once you know that you are pregnant, you can decide how to proceed. There are many options, and if you plan to have your baby, it is important that you start or continue prenatal care of yourself to ensure that you have a healthy pregnancy.