How Do I Know How Pregnant I Am?
If you suspect you might be pregnant or have received confirmation of a new pregnancy via a home pregnancy test but have not yet booked an ultrasound scan, you might be confused as to how far along you are.
Irregular periods, long or short menstrual cycles, PCOS or similar conditions can make it difficult to track ovulation and menstrual patterns, meaning that, should you discover you’re pregnant, dating it can be sometimes impossible.
Unfortunately, home pregnancy tests don’t tell you how pregnant you are. Some have the ability to predict how many weeks ago you conceived based on the strength of HCG in your urine but are limited in their accuracy and expensive considering how little reassurance they provide.
Furthermore, if you are worried about chemical pregnancy or have a history of miscarriage, a pregnancy test won’t give you much comfort.
That’s why at Bond Radiology, we see women in early pregnancy to give accurate information on how advanced a pregnancy is and the current health of that pregnancy.
While you’re waiting for your ultrasound, which will determine your baby’s gestational age, there are a few methods you can try at home to give yourself an indication as to how many weeks you are.
Always count from the first day of your last period
Some people make the mistake of thinking they need to count the gestational age of their pregnancy from the day they conceive. For example, if they think they conceived on 15th June, they may assume that by the end of that month they are 2 weeks pregnant. This is inaccurate. A pregnancy is manually dated from the first day of your last period. So, in this same example, if the first day of their last period was 1st June, and they conceived on 15th, then by the end of the month they will be 4 weeks pregnant. This is difficult or even impossible if you do not have regular periods or if you have not menstruated for some months, making it even more critical to book an ultrasound as soon as possible.
Monitor your symptoms
You can expect to experience your first wave of symptoms shortly after implantation, which occurs around 10 days after conception. These might mimic premenstrual symptoms like tummy ache, loose stools, headache or nausea. Morning sickness peaks at around 6 weeks post conception and usually fades by week 12, so if you have had bouts of nausea or problems keeping food down, there’s a chance this is a symptom of first trimester pregnancy. Please note however that sometimes pregnancy comes with no symptoms, and some pregnancy symptoms can be caused by another condition such as gastroenteritis, making it important that you have your suspicions confirmed via ultrasound.
Check your contraceptives
Some contraceptives fail, leaving you exposed to a risk of pregnancy. Other times, contraceptives such as the combined pill can be missed, causing ovulation and conception. If you’re unsure of how pregnant you are, check your old pill packets and see if there are any pills leftover. Also, think back to a time when you may have had sickness and diarrhoea, or received medication which may have interfered with the effectiveness of your contraceptives. This might give you a better idea as to how pregnant you are.
Book a scan
An ultrasound gives you reassurance of several things. Firstly, it tells you whether or not you are definitely pregnant. While home pregnancy tests are almost always accurate, there’s room for error. Secondly, it’ll give you an answer as to whether your pregnancy is viable. If you have a complex obstetric history, such as recurrent miscarriage, this can be especially relieving. An ultrasound can tell you whether a pregnancy is viable from about 6 weeks (sometimes a little later) when a heartbeat can usually be detected. Also, if you do receive the sad news that your pregnancy is failing, you will at least be given this knowledge at the earliest possible opportunity rather than waiting for a routine pregnancy scan at a later date. The ultrasound is quick, painless and, apart from needing a full bladder, requires very little preparation. To book yours, click here.