If you think you might be pregnant and feel completely overwhelmed and imagine what your life will be like now, slow down. Take a deep breath. Please know that you’re not alone! We help women every day who find themselves in unexpected pregnancies. Let’s look at what your first steps should be.
First Step: Examine the signs.
Early pregnancy signs can present themselves anywhere from three to six weeks after having sex. Of course the first clue would be a missed period, but if you typically experience irregular periods, that can make it difficult to recognize. Here are several other early pregnancy signs to look for:
- Fatigue
- Breast changes
- Mood swings
- Frequent urination
- Bloating
- Nausea, also known as Morning Sickness
- Sensitivity to smells
- Heartburn
Second Step: Confirm your pregnancy.
When can you take a pregnancy test? We suggest waiting until the week after your missed period for the most accurate result. If you can’t wait, we recommend waiting for at least one to two weeks after you have had sex. Your body needs time to develop detectable levels of HCG, which is often called the pregnancy hormone. This typically takes seven to twelve days after the successful implantation of an egg. If the test is taken too early in your cycle, you may receive an inaccurate result.
If you’ve already taken a pregnancy test, was it lab-quality? If not, we offer a hospital-grade pregnancy test manufactured by McKesson that can detect pregnancy as early as seven to ten days after conception, with greater than 99% accuracy.
In addition to this, we suggest taking it a step further and also having an ultrasound done. Why? Because an ultrasound exam will rule out an unviable pregnancy (caused by miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy), as 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage. An ultrasound can also tell you how far along you are in your pregnancy, which you will need to know if you’re considering abortion.
Third Step: Make an appointment.
When you make an appointment at Mid Cities Women’s Clinic, you will receive accurate medical information coupled with compassionate care. One of our patients said, “They have been helpful and respectful, and it helped me more than I ever thought.” That’s our goal. To help you and give you the information you need to make the best decision for your future. To make an appointment, you can call us at (817) 442-6147 or click here to request your appointment.
We look forward to serving you!