How to identify pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a time of excitement, joy, and anticipation. However, it can also be somewhat confusing. There are so many symptoms that may or may not indicate pregnancy. It can be difficult to know which ones are accurate and which ones are just PMS or menstrual irregularities.

Some of the most frequently reported symptoms of pregnancy are nausea and vomiting, breast tenderness, fatigue, frequent urination, backaches and food cravings. However, these symptoms may simply be signs of other health problems and should not be taken as indications that you are pregnant.

Another way to find out if you might be pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests are available in home test form which allows users to collect their urine at home and then dip the strip into it for analysis. Alternatively they can be purchased as a clinical test which requires visiting a doctor's office for analysis or as a drugstore test which is similar to the home version but uses a digital reader instead of a paper strip.

The clinical test is performed in a doctor's office. The first step is to give a urine sample which is sent to the lab for analysis. Then the doctor will do a physical examination of the patient and may offer additional tests if he feels they are necessary.

The drugstore test is performed at home after following the instructions contained on the package. Then a digital reader is used to determine whether your urine contains hCG hormone, which indicates pregnancy.

Hormones are commonly used in pregnancy tests, and for that reason they are referred to as 'hCG' or 'human chorionic gonadotropin'. Hormones are proteins, produced by your body, that control the development of your baby. When pregnant women produce the hCG hormone in their blood, it causes the lining of their uterus (uterus) to grow. This causes the pregnancy to develop. The hCG hormone is most likely to be detected around 6-8 weeks of pregnancy. It is also present in other forms at different times.