Pregnancy

pregnancy

SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANCY

The first sign of pregnancy is often a missed menstrual period. Other symptoms may include nausea or vomiting, fatigue, tender or swollen breasts, frequent urination, frequent headaches, backaches, food cravings, appetite changes, and a weight gain or loss. Symptoms alone, however, cannot confirm a pregnancy. Some women do not experience any symptoms, yet their test is positive. On the other hand, some women experience many symptoms but have a negative test result. Please keep in mind that sometimes the stress of suspecting you are pregnant can cause pregnancy-related symptoms. If you have exhibited any of these symptoms or if you think you might be pregnant, call PERC to schedule an appointment for a free and confidential pregnancy test 832-559-7817.

ONLINE PREGNANCY TEST

• Have you had unprotected sex?
• Are you late for your period?
• Are you on birth control but have missed a dose?
• Have you and your partner “almost gone all the way” but stopped just before intercourse?
• Have you and your partner done “everything but intercourse”?
• Are you experiencing nausea, breast tenderness, or fatigue?
• Are you feeling overly emotional, stressed or teary?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, contact PERC to speak with a confidential Consultant to schedule a pregnancy test. Remember, at PERC, there are no costs, no hassles, and no judgment.

PREGNANCY TESTING

PERC uses a laboratory urine hCG test. These tests are highly sensitive urine-based tests that can be confidentially used to indicate pregnancy. They are laboratory-quality, with a 99.9% accuracy rate.

What is hCG? Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is a protein hormone produced by the placenta.

What does hCG have to do with pregnancy tests? Urine-based pregnancy tests analyze the presence of hCG, which is released into the mother's circulation almost immediately after implantation (7-10 days after conception). The hCG blood level will initially start off very low (5 IU/L), but then rapidly increase, doubling every 2 to 3 days, so that within a few days to a week or so the hCG level becomes high enough to be detected in the woman's urine, at about 50 to 80 IU/L. Once this level is achieved, a urine pregnancy test will show as being 'positive'. Normal hCG levels vary widely between different women and in different pregnancies for the same woman. Be very careful when trying to 'interpret the numbers'. During the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, the level itself is NOT as important in how much it is rising every few days. Some normal pregnancies will have quite low hCG levels and still progress.

Do all pregnancy tests have the same sensitivity to hCG? No. There are many types of tests on the market for both professional and home use. They have different sensitivity levels for detecting hCG. Some over-the-counter home tests only detect 150 mIU's of hCG. This means they may not pick up the pregnancy until well after the first missed period. Our pregnancy test, one of the most sensitive urine-based tests available, detects concentrations as low as 20 mLU/ml.

I’m worried that I could have gotten pregnant last weekend. How soon after the fact can your test tell me if I’m pregnant? Because our test is so sensitive, it may pick up a positive result as early as 7-10days after conception, depending on when implantation occurs and the client's personal hCG levels. If hCG is detected at this early stage, the test line would be expected to be light as hCG levels are just beginning to build. hCG may also be produced by an EPL or "early pregnancy loss". This is an embryo which fails to implant properly in the uterus, or is rejected by the uterus. It is followed by a normal or slightly heavier than normal menstrual period, which may be 2 to 3 days late. hCG levels may rise in the week following implantation (second week of conception) like a normal-term pregnancy. When EPL occurs, hCG concentration in the urine reaches a peak 2 weeks after conception then rapidly declines.

Are there any other factors that may give conflicting test results at two different times? Yes. Another factor is how diluted the urine is at the time of the test. The more concentrated the urine, the greater the concentration of the hCG. Remember, woman's levels of hCG can vary markedly. If a woman who has low levels of hCG takes a pregnancy test early in her pregnancy using her first morning urine, it may come out positive because of higher concentrations of hCG. If she then goes to a clinic later in the day after consuming liquids, her urine will be very diluted and there may not be a high enough level of hCG to detect. If there is a question about the test results, confirm results by retesting using a first morning sample.

What are some other reasons for a late or missed period?
There are various reasons for your period to be late and the pregnancy test to be negative. As far as your period being late, there are many possibilities for explaining a missed or delayed period. In most women of childbearing age, pregnancy is the first guess. If your pregnancy test is negative and you are sure that you are not pregnant, here are some other causes for missed or delayed periods that you could consider:

• Stress is major cause of missed or delayed periods. Stress interferes with the normal hormonal signals from your brain and it can block ovulation. This causes your cycles to become irregular.
• Being overweight or underweight can also interfere with your normal menstrual cycle.
• If you are on birth control pills or Depo Provera, the medication itself may make periods disappear. It is okay to not have periods when you are taking these medications, but it is not okay to not have periods without any medicines.

If your period does not arrive within a couple of weeks, you can repeat the pregnancy test.   If the test results are still negative, it is important that you make a doctor appointment for a check up.