Pregnancy is an exciting journey, but it can also be a scary time. Many women wonder when they should start to look for signs that a pregnancy has begun. Knowing when you can detect pregnancy can help you plan for the health of your baby and yourself.
The first sign of pregnancy is often a missed period, which normally occurs about two weeks after conception. While this is the most common sign of pregnancy, it doesn't always mean there's a baby on board. So if your period is late or missing, there are other ways to confirm the news.
Home pregnancy tests are one way to detect early signs of pregnancy in as little as one week after conception. These over-the-counter tests measure levels of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. This hormone is produced by the placenta shortly after a fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall. Home pregnancy tests are designed to detect this hormone and can provide an accurate result as early as 10 days after conception.
You may also have other symptoms such as nausea, breast tenderness, fatigue, and frequent urination that point toward being pregnant. However, these symptoms don't usually show up until several weeks after you've conceived.
If you want even more confirmation of the good news, a blood test can detect hCG levels earlier than any home pregnancy test — about seven to 12 days post-conception. Doctors use this test to diagnose and monitor certain pregnancies, such as ectopic.
However, if you are pregnant it’s still important to follow up with a doctor or midwife for further care. An ultrasound can confirm the presence of an embryo in the uterus at around five weeks after conception. This is also when the heartbeat may be detected and pregnancy hormones can be measured more accurately than with blood tests.
No matter how soon you detect your pregnancy, getting regular prenatal care is essential to maintaining your health and that of your baby's. Keeping up with doctor visits throughout pregnancy helps ensure that any potential problems get diagnosed early on so they can be treated correctly.
References:
https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/how-soon-can-you-tell
https://americanpregnancy.org/while-pregnant/early-pregnancy-testing/
https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/signs/symptoms/early-signs-of-pregnancy/#:~:text=2%20Missed%20Period,after%20conception%20(10%20days).
https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/home-pregnancy-tests#1.