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I was never taught much about pregnancy as a teenager. I didn’t learn more about it until I was an adult. Whether you are staring at a positive pregnancy test or not, here are some important things to know about pregnancy and your health.
Let’s start with some signs and symptoms of pregnancy:
If you’re not expecting to be pregnant, it’s common to recognize these signs and symptoms first, before you even think about taking a pregnancy test.
There are a lot of things to know about pregnancy that are really important especially if you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy. Whether you are staring at a positive pregnancy test or not, these are 5 things you should know about pregnancy:
Your period is an indicator of health, so it’s a good idea to keep track of your cycle (you may even use a period tracker). Typically, when you make or go to an appointment for your pregnancy, you are asked when the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP) was.
Some conditions that cause irregular periods can make it difficult to track your cycle, therefore you might not know your LMP.
The good news is that’s okay! An ultrasound would be able to tell how far along you are.
Before making any assumptions or decisions, it’s important to have a medical professional to go over your health history, and for you to know what’s going on in your body. Make your next step a safe step.
In case you weren’t taught: a miscarriage is the sudden loss of a pregnancy. Most miscarriages happen during the first trimester, but they can happen later in the pregnancy as well.
Miscarriages are also common. It’s estimated that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage.
It’s possible to have no signs or symptoms while experiencing a miscarriage. An ultrasound can confirm a miscarriage because there will be no heartbeat.
There are resources available if you are struggling with the loss of a pregnancy.
One of the things to know about pregnancy: You will still have a positive pregnancy test and pregnancy symptoms with an ectopic pregnancy.
In a normal pregnancy, the egg lives and grows inside of your uterus. In an ectopic pregnancy, the egg grows somewhere outside of your uterus like in the fallopian tubes, ovary, or cervix.
Signs and symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy:
As the pregnancy continues to grow, symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy may become more noticeable.
An ectopic pregnancy is considered a life-threatening medical emergency. If you suspect you might have an ectopic pregnancy, go to the ER.
An ultrasound can confirm if the pregnancy is located in the uterus.
In case you weren’t taught: Rh factor is important if you become pregnant. This may be one of the things to know about pregnancy that you’ve never even heard of before!
Rh factor, or Rhesus factor, is a protein found on the outside of red blood cells:
If you have Rh-negative blood, and the developing fetus has Rh-positive blood, this is called Rh incompatibility. If both bloods mix, it can cause your body’s immune system to attack the pregnancy.
Your blood can mix during:
This incompatibility may not cause problems with the baby in the first pregnancy, but it’s important that mom gets treated in the first pregnancy to prevent problems with future pregnancies.
The great news is that Rh incompatibility is preventable! It is treated by a simple shot.
It’s important to find out early on in your pregnancy whether you are Rh-negative or Rh-positive. This can be done by a blood test with your OBGYN.
Just reading this may make you realize there are a lot of things to know about pregnancy. In case no one taught you, your first step is to start with information. Alcove Health Women’s Clinic offers free pregnancy confirmation and ultrasound which can reveal:
Our team of registered nurses and trained client advocates will go over things to know about pregnancy, what it all means for you, and offer you any resources you may need – from OBGYN referrals to shelters, to food and clothing. We have over 400 community resources! We see you and we want to help.
Start small. Start with information. Start with Alcove Health.
Call or click the button below to start the process of making your free appointment.
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