The onset of pregnancy is one of the most exciting moments in a woman's life. In an effort to quickly find out about their situation, expectant mothers begin to listen to themselves, often passing off the desired signs as valid ones. But diagnosing pregnancy, even in the early stages, is not so difficult.
Instructions
Step 1
A woman's body begins to prepare for pregnancy a few weeks before pregnancy occurs. In the ovary, under the influence of hormones, a follicle with an egg matures, and the endometrium (the inner lining of the uterus) grows so that a fertilized egg can implant. On about the 14th day of the menstrual cycle, a woman ovulates, and if on this day the sperm fertilizes the egg, pregnancy occurs. Within two weeks, the fertilized egg exists autonomously, moving along the fallopian tube towards the uterus. And only after 10-14 days, it is implanted into the uterine cavity. From this moment on, under the influence of hormones, changes begin to occur in the woman's body, thanks to which it becomes possible to diagnose pregnancy.
Step 2
The first sign of pregnancy is a missed period. But, unfortunately, it can be caused by other reasons as well. However, pregnancy diagnostics can be carried out from the first day of the delay. The most affordable and simplest way to determine pregnancy is an express test. It is done at home and usually gives an accurate result. The principle of its action is that after the implantation of a fertilized egg, a special hormone, chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), begins to be produced in a woman's body. It is found in the blood and urine of a pregnant woman. It is to him that the test reacts when determining pregnancy. If a woman has hCG in her urine, the test will give a positive result. In the absence of the hormone, the answer will be negative.
Step 3
A more accurate way to diagnose pregnancy is to determine the level of hCG in a woman's blood. This analysis is done in antenatal clinics and most private laboratories. By its result, one can judge not only the presence of pregnancy, but also its duration.
Step 4
An ultrasound examination allows you to see the ovum. The advantage of this diagnostic method is that you can not only confirm the presence of pregnancy, but also make sure that it is uterine. But it is possible to detect pregnancy using ultrasound no earlier than 3 weeks after conception.
Step 5
An obstetrician-gynecologist can diagnose pregnancy during an examination, but even the most experienced doctor will not do this earlier than 3-4 weeks after conception. It is by that time that the uterus will increase in size so that the doctor can feel the changes.
