How To Know You Are Pregnant

4 min read

Written by Gayathri Lakshminarayanan

Gayathri Lakshminarayanan

CA, B.Com

Gayathri’s passion for writing had its foundation at the very early stages of her life when she was on her college editorial board and also won several awards for writing events and book review competitions. She combines her corporate experience with her writing skills and her experience as a homemaker makes her an empathetic contributor in the parenting domain . Her shift from full-time accounting professional to a homemaker gave her career a new direction.

Know You Are Pregnant

How will you know you are pregnant? Women go through many hormonal changes during pregnancy, and these changes give us specific symptoms to identify if you are pregnant. But would you be surprised to know some women cannot feel any of the symptoms and still be pregnant! Yes, and it is possible.

In this article, let us discuss the signs and symptoms of pregnancy. We shall also look at how you can check your pregnancy at home and answer a few of the questions that popped up in your mind while waiting for that all-important big news. Let us get started.

In This Article

Are You Pregnant? – The Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy?
How Can You Check Pregnancy at Home?
FAQ’s

Are You Pregnant? – The Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy

Pregnancy signs and symptoms

The hormonal changes in our body give us certain signs and symptoms of pregnancy. The early signs of pregnancy include

1. Nausea

Nausea or “Morning Sickness” is the most common and one of the early symptoms experienced by all pregnant women. You might feel nauseous, vomit, and lose appetite. The symptoms not only affect you in the morning but keep you feeling sick throughout the day. The symptoms begin to show from the fourth to sixth week of pregnancy and may continue till the twelfth week. Some women experience nausea even until the last trimester.

2. Missed Periods

Missed Period is the first and foremost sign of Pregnancy. Sometimes women might have light bleeding around the expected period time.

3. Getting Pregnant And Increased Urination

The kidneys’ efficiency grows during pregnancy as the body creates more fluids due to increased blood supply. Further, when the uterus expands and creates pressure against the bladder, women might face frequent urination during the early weeks of pregnancy.

4. Being Pregnant And Tender Breasts

The breasts become more tender, swollen, and tender during pregnancy. While this discomfort may be similar to the one you notice before your period, you will also observe that the nipples become darker, and the veins become visible during pregnancy.

5. Fatigue

During pregnancy, the progesterone levels go up to maintain the pregnancy and help the baby grow. The higher progesterone levels slow down the metabolism and create tiredness which is quite common in pregnancy. You can try to get more rest during the early pregnancy days. Fatigue and tiredness during pregnancy can also be due to anaemia and the body’s increased need for iron to support the little bean in the womb.

How Can You Check Pregnancy at Home?

Before checking with the doctor, your heart may pound to check the pregnancy in natural ways. The following are some of the effective ways of checking pregnancy at home.

Name of The Test	Things Needed	Method	Positive Sign	Negative Sign
Toothpaste Pregnancy Test	Clean Bowl, two tablespoons of white paste, and Urine (first urine of the day).	Take the bowl and mix two tablespoons of toothpaste and one tablespoon of Urine.	The toothpaste becomes blue and bubbly.	There is no reaction between the toothpaste and urine.
Soap Pregnancy Test	Wide Bowl, soap, and urine (First Urine of the day).	Keep the soap inside the bowl and pour two tablespoons of urine onto the bowl.	The soap reacts with the urine and creates bubbles and foam.	No reaction
Shampoo Pregnancy Test	Water, two drops of shampoo, clean bowl, and Urine (First, Urine of the day).	In a clean bowl, mix two drops of shampoo and water. Whisk them well to Avoid frothing. Now, add the urine.	The shampoo reacts with the urine to create bubbles and foam.	No reaction
Dettol Pregnancy Test	Clean Glass. of Dettol and Urine (First urine of the day)	Mix the Dettol and urine in ratio. 1:3 and wait for five to seven minutes.	The urine does not mix with the Dettol and forms a separate layer.	Urine mixes with the Dettol.
Vinegar Pregnancy Test	White Vinegar, Clean glass, and Urine (First Urine of the day)	In a clean glass, take a few tablespoons of vinegar and mix the urine sample.	The colour of the solution changes.	No change in the colour of the solution.
Bleaching Powder Pregnancy Test	Bleaching Powder, Clean glass and Urine (First Urine of the day).	Put a few tablespoons of bleaching powder in the glass and mix it with a few drops of urine.	The urine and bleaching powder react and creates froth immediately.	No reaction.
Salt Pregnancy Test	Pinch of salt, clean glass, and urine	In a clean glass, place a few drops of urine and add a pinch of salt.	Creamy white plumps form	No Reaction
Sugar Pregnancy Test	Sugar, Clean glass and Urine	Put some sugar in a clean bowl and pour a few drops of urine.	The sugar forms clumps in the urine.	Sugar dissolves in urine.
Wine Pregnancy Test	Clean cup, wine, and Urine.	Pour urine and wine in equal amounts in a cup.	The colour of the wine changes.	No change in colour.

So, is it possible to know you are pregnant without getting tested at the lab? Try out our tests and check them out for yourself.

Pregnancy is a wonderful phase, and many couples eagerly wait for that positive result. It may not be always immediately possible to see a doctor to confirm if you are pregnant. Sometimes, you may want to wait for a week or more before you go to the doctor. In such cases, you can make use of the above tests to know if you are pregnant or not.

All The Best!!

FAQ’s

1. What Is a False Period?

The false period is also known as spotting or implantation bleeding. It refers to vaginal bleeding that is not due to the menstrual cycle, but rather due to the embryo implanting into the uterine lining resulting in a small amount of bleeding which may be brown or sometimes red in color. The bleeding, in this case, is not very heavy, but quite light.

2. How Long Can You Be Pregnant Without Knowing?

Some women might not have any symptoms or have minimal pregnancy symptoms that they do not notice the changes. Women can go as far as 30 weeks pregnant without knowing.