Question: Can you be pregnant and still get your period?
Answer: Well, no, you can't get your period once you're pregnant — once your body starts producing the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and your pregnancy is established, your menstrual cycle is interrupted and normal periods will stop — but you may have bleeding or spotting during pregnancy that can seem like a period.
Some pregnant women have what's called "implantation bleeding" that can happen around the time their period is due, and they may mistake that bleeding for a period. This spotting may be caused by the fertilized egg burrowing into the blood-rich lining of the uterus (a process that starts just 6 days after fertilization) and it's generally a lot lighter than a typical period — just a day or two of very light spotting.
If you're pregnant and you're not sure when your last period started, this can make establishing a due date difficult for your healthcare provider. If you have any doubts, your practitioner can feel how big your uterus is with a pelvic examination and estimate how far along you are. In most cases, your provider will also order an ultrasound before midpregnancy to measure the size of your developing baby to clarify exactly when the baby is due.
Many women who bleed a little bit in early pregnancy go on to deliver without any complications, but bleeding can also be a cause for concern. It may be the first sign of a miscarriage; if so, your symptoms will probably go on to include heavy cramping and bleeding much heavier than a normal period. If you have sharp pains in your lower abdomen, especially if the pain is only on one side, you should see your practitioner right way to find out if you may have an ectopic pregnancy (also known as a tubal pregnancy). Because of these potential complications, if you bleed at all early in your pregnancy, it's best to notify your doctor or midwife to get specific instructions. She may suggest getting a blood test to check your hCG levels or order an ultrasound to evaluate your condition more thoroughly.
Pregnancy Symptoms — Early Signs of Pregnancy
Pregnancy symptoms differ from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy; however, one of the most significant pregnancy symptoms is a delayed or missed menstrual cycle. Understanding pregnancy symptoms is important because each symptom may be related to something other than pregnancy. Some women experience pregnancy symptoms within a week of conception. For other women, symptoms may develop over a few weeks or may not be present at all. Below is a listing of some of the most common pregnancy symptoms.
Implantation Bleeding:
Implantation bleeding can be one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms. About 6-12 days after conception, the embryo implants itself into the uterine wall. Some women will experience spotting as well as some cramping.
Other Explanations: Actual menstruation, altered menstruation, changes in birth control pill, infection, or abrasion from intercourse.
Delay/Difference in Menstruation:
A delayed or missed menstruation is the most common pregnancy symptom leading a woman to test for pregnancy. When you become pregnant, your next period should be missed. Many women can bleed while they are pregnant, but typically the bleeding will be shorter or lighter than a normal period. This symptom is commonly explained by other reasons. If you have been sexually active and have missed a period, it is recommended that you take a test: Order my pregnancy test
Other Explanations: Excessive weight gain/loss, fatigue, hormonal problems, tension, stress, ceasing to take the birth control pill, or breast-feeding.
Swollen/Tender Breasts:
Swollen or tender breasts is a pregnancy symptom which may begin as early as 1-2 weeks after conception. Women may notice changes in their breasts; they may be tender to the touch, sore, or swollen.
Other Explanations: Hormonal imbalance, birth control pills, impending menstruation (PMS) can also cause your breasts to be swollen or tender.
Fatigue/Tiredness:
Feeling fatigued or more tired is a pregnancy symptom which can also start as early as the first week after conception.
Other Explanations: Stress, exhaustion, depression, common cold or flu, or other illnesses can also leave you feeling tired or fatigued.
Nausea/Morning Sickness:
This well-known pregnancy symptom will often show up between 2-8 weeks after conception. Some women are fortunate to not deal with morning sickness at all, while others will feel nauseous throughout most of their pregnancy.
Other Explanations: Food poisoning, stress, or other stomach disorders can also cause you to feel queasy.
Backaches:
Lower backaches may be a symptom that occurs early in pregnancy; however, it is common to experience a dull backache throughout an entire pregnancy.
Other Explanations: Impending menstruation, stress, other back problems, and physical or mental strains.
Headaches:
The sudden rise of hormones in your body can cause you to have headaches early in pregnancy.
Other Explanations: Dehydration, caffeine withdrawal, impending menstruation, eye strain, or other ailments can be the source of frequent or chronic headaches.
Frequent Urination:
Around 6-8 weeks after conception, you may find yourself making a few extra trips to the bathroom.
Other Explanations: Urinary tract infection, diabetes, increasing liquid intake, or taking excessive diuretics.
Darkening of Areolas:
If you are pregnant, the skin around your nipples may get darker.
Other Explanations: Hormonal imbalance unrelated to pregnancy or may be a leftover effect from a previous pregnancy.
Food Cravings:
While you may not have a strong desire to eat pickles and ice cream, many women will feel cravings for certain foods when they are pregnant. This can last throughout your entire pregnancy.
Other Explanations: Poor diet, lack of a certain nutrient, stress, depression, or impending menstruation.
When can I take a pregnancy test?
The most asked question of any woman who is wondering if she is pregnant or not is “How soon can I test?” The answer to this question varies depending on what kind of test you buy. Before we go into the different types lets go over how they work and what they are looking for.
How do they work?
No matter what kind of Pregnancy test you buy, they are all looking for the same thing: HCG hormone. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or HCG, is a hormone found only in pregnant women and is frequently referred to as the “Pregnancy Hormone”. The purpose of HCG is to keep the estrogen and progesterone at appropriate levels until the placenta has developed enough to take this function over. HCG production begins around 6-10 days after conception, when the embryo starts to implant itself into the uterine lining. Levels of HCG double approximately every 72 hours.
At-Home Pregnancy Tests
At-home pregnancy test are considered to be very accurate with a low occurrences of false positives. If used correctly they are about 98% accurate. The standard pregnancy test is only useful the day of your expected period or sometime after. It is best to use first morning urine since the levels of HCG will be concentrated and easier to detect. If you get a negative result but still not getting your period, you should wait a few days until your HCG levels have doubled and try testing again.
Early Prediction Pregnancy Tests
For the woman more anxious to find out if she is pregnant or not, there are at-home pregnancy test which are more sensitive and can detect lower levels of HCG than the standard at-home test. Most of the time these are more expensive than your standard home pregnancy test.
Since every woman is different and they produce different levels of HCG, there is not an exact day you can test using an early predictor. These more sensitive tests can pick up levels of HCG starting around 8 days after conception. However, HCG is detectible in the blood serum of only about 5% of pregnant women 8 days after conception. So remember, a negative result may in fact be a positive a few days later. Most early predictor tests say they can detect pregnancy about 10 days after ovulation (about 4 days before your expected period). However, the earlier you start testing, the higher chance of getting a false negative.
Blood Tests
Blood tests given by your doctor or lab are the most accurate of all of the tests. They also can detect a pregnancy sooner than any of the home tests. There are a few drawbacks of the blood test however, the results usually take a few days depending on the lab and they are more expensive. Blood tests can usually detect pregnancy about 8 days after ovulation (around 6 days before your expected period). Most doctors wait to give you the blood test until you have received a positive home pregnancy test.
Points to remember when using a home pregnancy test
* Try not to test to early. It is best to test once your period is late.
* The earlier you test, the more likely to get a false reading.
* HCG levels double every two days. If you get an negative test, wait 2 days before retesting. This will help you save on the amount of tests you use.
* Although many test say you can take the test at any time of the day, it is best to use first morning urine. This way, the test will get the most concentrated urine of the day. If you can not do this, try testing at least 4-5 hours after your last trip to the bathroom.
Good luck
2006-07-02 05:09:58
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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