Pregnancy Tests
e-mail
There are many different types of tests which can be performed in order to confirm pregnancy. You may have already noticed a variety of signs and symptoms, including a possible missed period, which could have alerted you to the fact that you might be pregnant. However, it is still a good idea to confirm it with a pregnancy test.
Almost all pregnancy tests, with the exception of ultrasounds, are based on testing for the presence of a specific hormone. This hormone is human chorionic gonadotropin, often referred to simply as hCG. The hormone is also known as the pregnancy hormone and it shows up in a woman's body when a fertilized egg has become implanted in the uterus. This typically occurs within about a week after conception. It may occur somewhat later in some women. The amount of pregnancy hormone increases significantly as each day passes in the pregnancy, which can help to determine the length of the pregnancy.
The simplest, fastest and least expensive pregnancy test is the home pregnancy test. It is a urine based test that detects the presence of hCG in the woman's urine. Many tests advertise that they can detect pregnancy on the first day of a missed period and some tests claim to be even more sensitive, but waiting until about one week after a missed period will provide the most accurate response. This is because most home pregnancy tests are designed to only measure a specific amount of hCG. If you test too early then there may not yet be enough hCG to measure. This is why it is important to keep in mind that a single negative response does not necessarily indicate that you are not pregnant.
In addition to the urine pregnancy test there are also two types of blood pregnancy tests. Blood pregnancy tests must be conducted in a medical office. A small amount of blood is drawn and the blood sample is tested to detect the presence of hCG. One type of blood pregnancy test only detects the presence of hCG. The other blood pregnancy test measures the amount of hCG in the blood and as a result can provide a fairly good idea of how long you have been pregnant. This is because hCG typically doubles about every two days of the pregnancy.
Along with these types of pregnancy tests there are also other ways of confirming a pregnancy as well. If you think that you may be pregnant and you have received a positive pregnancy test result, your physician will likely perform a pelvic exam to confirm the pregnancy. Throughout pregnancy, the uterus expands in size. The doctor will usually be able to determine pregnancy by detecting an enlarged uterus.
Another way to confirm a pregnancy is with an ultrasound. At some point in the pregnancy, the doctor will typically perform an ultrasound to ensure that the baby is developing as it should. Seeing the presence of the baby inside the womb via an ultrasound is proof positive for most women that they are indeed expecting a baby even if they have already received a positive pregnancy test. The time at which the ultrasound is performed will vary, based upon a woman's age, medical history and the degree of risk related to the pregnancy. If a woman is older than 35, has had a history of problems related to pregnancy and/or is suspected of carrying multiples then an ultrasound will typically be performed sooner than in a pregnancy in a younger woman with no history of problems and who is thought to only carry a single baby.
To learn more about the types of pregnancy tests currently available, check out:
