When you think you might be unexpectedly pregnant, you want results you can trust and you want them quickly. At Women’s Center of Ohio, we offer free and confidential services and support to women facing unplanned pregnancies. We know the result of a pregnancy test is life-changing, so we understand how important it is to receive accurate information as early as possible. Here are our suggestions for the best ways to confirm your pregnancy.
Early Signs You Might Be Pregnant
The first step to detecting pregnancy is to look for the early signs. During the early stages of pregnancy, your body can exhibit certain symptoms that let you know that you could be pregnant. However, not all women experience early pregnancy symptoms, or they associate these symptoms with other causes. In any case, let’s review some of the typical early pregnancy symptoms:
- Missed period
- Cramping or spotting
- Backaches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Nausea (morning sickness)
- Frequent urination
- Tender or swollen breasts
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, especially a missed period, you could be pregnant and should move on to the next step of pregnancy detection – a pregnancy test.
In-Clinic, Lab-Quality Pregnancy Testing
Home pregnancy tests have improved over the years, but they cannot beat a lab-quality pregnancy test administered by a medical professional. Someone who is trained and knowledgeable is able to reduce the user-error related false results and let you know if it may be too early to get an accurate result.
Confirmatory Ultrasounds
After a positive pregnancy test, there is still a small chance that you might not be pregnant. We always suggest an ultrasound to confirm the result. We know you don’t want to leave anything up to chance. By locating the pregnancy during an ultrasound, you can be absolutely sure that you are pregnant.
An ultrasound can also give you valuable information about your pregnancy that can help guide your decision-making process. Your technician will be able to estimate how far along your pregnancy is by measuring your pregnancy. How long you have been pregnant can influence the options available to you and this is something that a home pregnancy test just cannot tell you.
During your ultrasound, your technician will see if there is a detectable heartbeat. If there is no heartbeat, it is still very early in your pregnancy and it is likely you may still naturally miscarry. Lastly, your technician will ensure that your pregnancy has implanted in the uterus. If your pregnancy is located outside of the uterus, it is considered an ectopic pregnancy, which can harmful to your health. Ectopic pregnancies cannot be safely carried to term and are therefore not viable.
There is so much more critical information you can gain from using in-clinic pregnancy testing and ultrasounds to find out if you are pregnant than at-home pregnancy testing. You can have confidence that the results you receive in the clinic are accurate.
If you think you may be pregnant, Women’s Center of Ohio offers pregnancy testing and ultrasounds at no cost to you. Click here to find the location nearest to you and schedule an appointment.
