"Has anyone settled in the tummy?" All women are concerned about this issue, noting timid signs of an interesting situation. What are the symptoms that a baby will appear in your life in nine months? How does a gynecologist determine pregnancy?
Signs of pregnancy
A lot of women are able even in the early stages to suspect the presence of a future man in the stomach. Although in most cases, visible symptoms appear a little later. So, let's determine what changes occur in the body of the future mother:
- The first and most accurate symptom of pregnancy is the absence of menstruation. However, there can be many more reasons for delaying critical days, from stress to endocrine disruption.
- Toxicosis. In films, women learn about the onset of pregnancy by the first vomiting. Future mothers often feel unwell in the morning, on an empty stomach or in a stuffy room.
- Sensitivity to odors.
- Lack of appetite or a strong craving for food. Extremes in nutrition often indicate an interesting situation. Also, future mothers experience an urgent need for certain products.
- Drowsiness, fatigue and mood swings. Vagaries and ever new desires - this is what pregnancy is associated with. Signs such as these may indeed indicate the birth of a new life in the body of a woman.
- Drawing pains in the lower abdomen.
- Breast swelling.
- Darkening of the nipple halo.
Test dispel doubts
The easiest way to self-diagnose pregnancy is a pharmacy test. It is either a strip of paper or a reagent placed in a plastic shell. When in contact with urine, a real chemical reaction occurs, as a result of which we can observe the long-awaited two strips.
However, the test is unlikely to cope with its task as accurately as a gynecologist. It determines pregnancy with a probability of 80%, although manufacturers promise 99%. False negative, and false positive results are very common. Also note that the test should be performed only after detecting a delay in menstruation, preferably in the morning and preferably several times.
How does a gynecologist determine pregnancy during examination?
If you have crept in the first thoughts about your situation, then it is better to visit a doctor. An experienced gynecologist during a routine examination can diagnose pregnancy with a high degree of probability by the following signs:
- Firstly, the cervical mucosa changes color, turning purple or violet.
- Secondly, the size of the uterus itself is increasing.
- Even with normal abdominal palpation, the doctor may feel a thickening of the walls of the uterus.
In addition to the fact that the doctor will answer the main question, he will still be able to suspect various deviations, determine the presence of tonus, and also conduct an examination diagnosing genital infections.
Ultrasound scan
This is a fairly popular and, contrary to popular belief, a safe way to determine pregnancy. With a conventional sensor, you can notice a fetal egg for a period of 6 weeks. The vaginal sensor is able to recognize a nascent life at all in 3-4 weeks.
How does a gynecologist determine pregnancy using ultrasound? With conventional ultrasound, a special gel is applied to the surface of the abdomen, and the sensor gives an image of the tiny inhabitant of your belly on the screen. The doctor measures the embryo, listens to the heartbeat, which allows to identify pathology.
Blood analysis
A method similar to testing urine at home. It also aims to detect the hCG hormone. However, it is much easier to detect in the blood, and the dynamics are easy to track.
This method of research helps not only diagnose pregnancy, but also draw some conclusions about its course. Your doctor may suggest that you do a few blood tests a couple of days apart. This is necessary in order to analyze the growth dynamics of hCG (a hormone that is produced in large quantities in the body of a future mother). If you know what period of pregnancy you have at the moment, then you can compare your rates with normal ones. In case of deviations, it is better to consult a doctor, since a low level of hCG may indicate an ectopic or missed pregnancy.