You’ve missed your period and your not feeling yourself…could you be pregnant? While some would quickly jump to that conclusion there are many factors that could make your period late. Too much exercise, poor diet and the introduction or re-introduction of sexual activity can all be a cause of our friend being late.
Many of the symptoms that could lead you to believe you are pregnant also happen when you are about to get your period. ie. bloating, tender breasts, cravings and grumpiness.
What is the best way to determine if a little one is in the future? Blood test. Although a quick pregnancy test from the pharmacy can confirm yes or no it could also miss a pregnancy if you are not far enough along. It will only determine if the hormone is present. A blood test will measure the amount of hormone in your system.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone that is produced by the placenta. It is detectable in the blood and urine within 10 days of fertilization (1 to 2 days after implantation). This test can actually measure the exact amount of hCG in the woman’s blood. This measurement can help give a rough estimate of the age of the fetus. It can also help determine if the pregnancy is progressing normally. The test from the pharmacy, described above, is not able to provide this extra information.
