Am I Pregnant? Signs, Testing, and Next Steps

According to the Mayo Clinic, here are a few of the more common signs of pregnancy:

If you have missed a period (it’s been more than a week since you should have started)* – *though if you have an irregular cycle, this may not be true

• Tender or swollen breasts due to early hormonal changes 
• Nausea with or without vomiting (morning sickness) 
• Increased frequency of urination 
• Fatigue 
• Moodiness 
• Bloating 
• Light spotting about 10-14 days after conception (known as implantation bleeding) 
• Uterine cramping 
• Constipation 
• Food/odor aversions
• Nasal congestion 

Know that signs of a potential pregnancy are not universal – some women will experience more or less of these. If you think you are potentially pregnant, give us a call or chat online to set up an appointment for  free pregnancy testing. 

There are four basic types of pregnancy tests. All of them rely on detecting the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the body.

Home Pregnancy Test (HPT)
These can be bought at many stores and administered by a woman on her own. A chemical in the “stick” changes colors when exposed to hCG in urine. When administering a HPT, it is important to wait long enough after becoming pregnant, or you increase the risk of obtaining a false negative result.

Clinical Urine Pregnancy Test
This is essentially the same as a home pregnancy test, as it is urine-based. However, it comes with the added confidence of knowing the test is administered by licensed medical staff according to manufacturer specifications.

Blood Test – Qualitative 
Urine-based pregnancy tests work because hCG from the blood is secreted in the urine. By drawing a small blood sample from the mother, a lab can determine whether or not the hCG level in the blood is above the threshold that indicates the presence of a pregnancy. 

Blood Test – Quantitative 
A quantitative blood test only differs from the qualitative in how specific it is. A qualitative test will determine if hCG is present, whereas a quantitative test will determine an actual value of how much hCG is present in the mother’s blood. 

The greatest benefit to having your test done in an office with a trained healthcare professional at Ava is confidence in knowing that the test is done right. The tests themselves are 99% accurate if done correctly. 

Our tests are laboratory rated and 99% accurate. Urine-based pregnancy tests detect the hCG hormone in a pregnant woman’s system. Since the production of hCG can vary greatly from woman to woman, sometimes as much as 20-fold, time periods when a “positive” test occurs can also vary. Our pregnancy tests can detect some women’s hCG level as early as 7 days after conception (21-24 days after the first day of your last period), although some women’s hCG level is not detectable until at least one week after a missed period. 

Yes, you may be rescheduled for another test. The hCG hormone concentration doubles approximately every 2.2 days during the first 3 months of pregnancy.

If you have any medical concerns, you should see your health care provider for assessment.  If you need resources for health care, Ava can provide you with referrals.