Have you ever had this kind of doubt? Many women find themselves in this dilemma, especially when they are trying to get pregnant and having intercourse for that purpose. The problem is that not all cases of pregnancy are obvious. That’s why some women may wonder: how can I know if I’m pregnant with so many symptoms or even with none at all? What should a woman take into consideration when she wants to know if she’s carrying a new life?
First of all, to know if you’re pregnant with apparent symptoms, a woman should know that not every symptom similar to those of pregnancy is actually an indication of pregnancy. As mentioned in this post, a woman may have various symptoms similar to pregnancy due to the significant increase in hormones that the body experiences after ovulation. For this reason, the so-called post-ovulation symptoms can give the impression that there is, in fact, a baby on the way, but that’s not always the case. To really know if a pregnancy is on the way, other factors should be taken into consideration, and this applies both to women trying to conceive and to women who do not want to get pregnant and are experiencing symptoms.
Besides the symptoms we will discuss next, if you want to be more certain in confirming a possible pregnancy, pregnancy tests are essential.
For women hoping to be pregnant, symptoms may be the most concrete way to detect pregnancy, even if those symptoms indicate ovulation. However, for women without symptoms, knowing if you’re pregnant can become more complicated. Before a missed period, symptoms should not be taken into consideration in any way, and therefore, even women who show no symptoms can still have a high chance of being pregnant. Some common symptoms of pregnancy include:
- Nausea
- Bloating
- Lower abdominal pain (cramps)
- Appetite changes (lack or excess)
- Breast pain
- Bitter taste in the mouth or excessive salivation
- Frequent urge to urinate
Not every symptom is a sign of pregnancy, but the absence of them also doesn’t mean much. What really is worth considering is a missed period. If this happens, there is a possibility that a pregnancy is underway. However, in the early stages, pregnancy will not be detected that quickly. It’s not uncommon for women to take pregnancy tests soon after a short delay and still get a negative result. Only some time later does the positive result appear.
How can I know if I’m pregnant before a missed period:
Few women are able to find out they’re pregnant before a missed period. It’s possible to feel a difference in the body, but the HCG hormone may not be high enough for a blood test or pharmacy test to detect yet. If it is detected, a quantitative test may be inconclusive with low values like 10, 15, or even very close to the minimum value of 5 or maximum of 25, which are the reference levels in most labs. However, if these values happen, it is possible the woman is pregnant. In this case, it’s recommended that she repeat the test at the same lab in 3 days to monitor the rise in HCG levels.
So, does that mean I can start taking a quantitative beta HCG test even before the delay? To avoid disappointment and unnecessary expenses, it’s better not to do so. Similarly, it’s suggested not to test too early to avoid anxiety and also to catch HCG already at a more advanced stage, so you don’t have to monitor constantly. What you can do to really know if you are pregnant are the pregnancy tests, as already mentioned. Some of them, with sensitivity starting from 10mUI, can detect pregnancy with greater precision than some laboratories that do the qualitative beta HCG.
How can I know if I’m pregnant after a missed period:
Now you might say: “Of course! After a missed period, it’s easy!” But it’s not always that way, did you know? Some women have late ovulation, and there may also be delayed implantation of the baby. So, even if the cycle is regular—28, 33 days or more—you might only get a positive result after a period of more than 10 days late. This is why some doctors recommend testing only after 15 days or more.
The implantation of the embryo in the uterus (implantation) can happen from 7 to 15 days after fertilization. If we consider 15 days, even after 16 days of the luteal phase, there still might not be enough hormone to detect pregnancy. In this case, the chance of confirmation would be almost 0%. That’s why, from personal experience, I set a safe limit of 5 days of delay. If implantation happens at 15 days after fertilization, there would already be some level, even if minimal, of HCG in the body. The problem is when late ovulation happens together with late implantation. You should wait a while longer, about a week, for example, and then repeat the test. This is true regardless of whether there are pregnancy symptoms or not.
Some conditions are important to check when there’s a probability of ongoing pregnancy, such as if you are breastfeeding, taking medication, using contraceptives, or had a recent miscarriage. Know that a pregnant woman does not menstruate, and that blood you noticed might not be implantation either. You should take a test soon after a missed period before taking any other measures.
So, in conclusion, you should take the missed period into consideration. If this is more than 5 days, I advise you to try a quantitative beta HCG or a pregnancy test. I hope your delay and symptoms turn into a pregnancy (if that’s what you want, of course)! For those who don’t want a pregnancy but see the symptoms as a significant possibility, you should evaluate your individual condition.
Also see: Explanation for the Main Pregnancy Symptoms (Without Pregnancy)
