How to Tell When You are Pregnant

There are many symptoms that can help you to realize when you become pregnant before you take a test. Every woman is unique and every pregnancy is unique. A woman who has been pregnant before may have totally different symptoms the second or third time around. By recognizing the signs that tell you that you could be pregnant, you will be better equipped to take care of yourself and your baby early on.
Early detection is important for preventing Neural Tube Defects in your unborn child. You should be taking a daily multivitamin containing Folic Acid before you become pregnant, ideally, or as soon as possible after becoming pregnant. You may be able to detect some symptoms of pregnancy before you actually miss your first period. You could be about two weeks pregnant before you miss your period, or you may have some spotting and not think that you are pregnant. Since Folic Acid is most important during the first thirty days of gestation, recognizing other symptoms is critical.
Many women experience morning sickness, feel nauseated and may actually experience vomitting soon after becoming pregnant. Some women do not experience morning sickness for the first few weeks or ever at all, so it is not necessarily the best way to tell if you may be pregnant. Remember that nauseation is most common in the morning, hence the name, but can occur at any time.
Some women experience swelling of the hands and feet, headache and rapid weight gain. When you become pregnant, your body quickly produces more and more blood to supply your growing uterus and placenta. This extra blood and hormonal changes can make you feel either very tired or you could experience insomnia. Your blood pressure may rise causing headaches and swelling. The extra blood flow and swelling can disrupt the normal flow of blood around your spine and cause you to experience early pregnancy backaches as well.
Many women notice a constant dull ache or even sharp shooting pains through their breasts. This is a normal reaction to the hormonal changes that your body is going through when you become pregnant. Bending over can intensify the pain because of the extra blood flow to the breasts. Another change in your breasts is areola coloration. Most women will see their areola turn from pink to brown within the first few weeks of becoming pregnant. Some women will see a slight change while others experience a dramatic darkening.
If you suspect that you may be pregnant, the best and most reliable way to find out is to take a home pregnancy test. These tests are very accurate in detecting pregnancy hormones and almost never give a false positive. They can detect pregnancy as early as a week after conception. The pregnancy hormone in your body doubles every other day in early pregnancy, so if you are not sure of the results, wait a day or two and test again. If you do get a positive reading, consult with your doctor for a blood test or ultrasound.

About the Author: Eric Daiter is the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER that offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT. For more information on The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and Dr. Eric Daiter please visit www.drericdaitermd.com.

Ovulation Prediction

Your best chances of getting pregnant are when you’re ovulating. This includes a few days before and after your egg is released. Ovulation generally occurs 14 days before the start of your next menstrual period, but everyone is different, and predicting when you ovulate could get a little tricky.
First, you need to determine when your menstrual period begins. The first day of a menstrual cycle is considered the day that your period starts. The last day of your cycle is the last day before your period starts again. The menstrual cycle is usually around 28 days long, but could be longer or shorter for you. Track your period on a calendar to figure out how long your menstrual cycle is. Ovulation should occur about 14 days before your next period begins.
Accurately predicting ovulation can be a little trickier than figuring out when day 14 is for you. Ovulation can be irregular or it can be affected by diet, stress or illness. There are a few other ways to more accurately predict ovulation. Tracking your basal body temperature is a common way to predict ovulation. Take your temperature every morning before you get out of bed and track the changes. After you ovulate, your body temperature will rise slightly, around a half a degree Fahrenheit. Your body temperature rises to create a more fertile environment for a fertilized egg. Your body temperature should remain elevated from the day after you ovulate until your next period begins due to the increased progesterone in your system.
Another prediction method is the cervical mucus method. Monitoring your cervical mucus levels can help you predict ovulation. This can help you figure out when ovulation is about to happen and increase your chances of getting pregnant. Just before ovulation, your cervical mucus will become thin, clear and slippery. Sperm can live in your body for a few days, so intercourse around this time can increase your chances of having a fertilized egg and achieving pregnancy.
Ovulation prediction kits and tests can be very accurate. When your body is preparing to ovulate, it creates a surge of luteinizing hormone which prompts the ovary to release the egg from the ovarian follicle. Ovulation prediction kits and tests detect the surge of luteinizing hormone and accurately show when ovulation is going to occur. It is very important when using this method to follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly. Unlike pregnancy tests, early morning is not the best time to take and ovulation test. Luteinizing hormone can take until early afternoon to collect in your urine. Take the test at the same time every day for the most accurate interpretation of the results. Like a pregnancy test, you should avoid drinking a lot of liquids for two hours before you take the test, as to not dilute the hormone being detected.
You may need to try different methods while you are attempting to get pregnant. Talk to your doctor about your results and keep track of each method’s results on a calendar. This will help you track your fertility and best figure when ovulation is actually taking place.

About the Author: Eric Daiter is the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER that offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT. For more information on The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and Dr. Eric Daiter please visit www.drericdaitermd.com.