I think I’m pregnant
Figuring out if you are pregnant is not always an easy thing to do. If you are not planning a pregnancy you may be worried and scared. These feelings are normal.
When you are pregnant the following things may happen:
- you miss a period
- you are tired and don’t have much energy
- you may vomit
- you may have food cravings
- you need to urinate more than usual
- you have tender or swollen breasts.
It is important to remember that having one or more of these signs does not necessarily mean you are pregnant. There may be other reasons why you are experiencing these things.
If you think you have one or more of these signs it may be helpful to go and see your local doctor, or youth health worker.
What can you do?
Taking the step to test if you are pregnant may be difficult. However, knowing the answer may allow you to move forward in deciding what to do next. Having support from a friend or someone you trust may be helpful while you are working out if you are pregnant.
Home pregnancy test
Home pregnancy tests are available from most chemists. Home pregnancy tests are not 100% accurate, so it is a good idea to go and see your local doctor if you are still unsure. A positive result is more likely to be correct than a negative one.
Seeing your local doctor or family planning centre/clinic
Your local doctor or a family planning centre/clinic will be able to let you know if you are pregnant. They also are able to talk to you about the best ways to look after yourself during the pregnancy. If you are unsure about what to do if you are pregnant they may also be helpful people to talk to about your options.
Contact the Irish Family Planning Association. You can Freetext LIST to 50444 for a list of pregnancy options.
Hi cc85,
Thanks for writing in to us; you sound quite confused and concerned and it's always best to ask for advice when we're feeling concerned about something.
Some of the symptoms you mention like cramping, finding it hard to go to the loo, a headache and bloating could be signs of your period coming, signs of pregnancy or they could be signs of another health related issue.
We’re not doctors here at ReachOut.com, so we would encourage you to speak with your local doctor/GP about how you’re feeling. Since you have previously had two miscarriages, it’s a good idea to talk to your GP if you think you might be pregnant. Your GP will be able to do a pregnancy test to let you know. If you are pregnant, your GP will be able to advise and support you as best as possible. If you’re not pregnant, he or she can help you figure out what’s going on and what’s causing the cramping and bloating.If you don't already have a GP, you can find one on the ICGP website.
You say you've been feeling really stressed lately, so here's some information on ReachOut.com that might be useful to help you deal with that stress. We all need to relax and take time out, so if you find yourself getting stressed maybe try the breathing exercise on our relaxation page, arrange to have a chat with a friend or go for a walk to help clear your head. These things can help us to relax a little bit and deal with the stresses we face.
We hope this helps cc85 and do talk to your GP about what's going on for you.
Take care,
Fenella
So its 4 days before i am due my period,I have very regular and have had 2 misscarriages early in my 20 s..I am now a couple of years older,i feel when i ovualte.i had sex around the time of ovualtion.since then i have had mild cramping on my left abdomal side.i think i would not mild if i am also got a cold this morning..can anyone tell if this is normal or just my mind running away with its self.i have also been very streessed lately.if the cramps get worse is it a bad sign or good??no change in my breasts but one head ache also finding it hard to go to the loo which is normal for me but never this bloated this early..please someone advice
Hi Halley,
There could be a number of reasons that your period is late, the seizure type episode itself could be one. If you think that there is a chance that you might be pregnant really the bets thing you can do is by a test from the pharmacy. They cost between 10 and 20 euro. The kind you buy in the pharmacy are very sophisticated and give results with 99% accuracy. The tests available over the counter to you are of the same type that GPs and doctors use in hospitals.
It would be procedure to ask any woman of child-baring age if she is pregnant before doing an x-ray, but unlikely that they would conduct a pregnancy test without telling you. Were you informed of the tests they did conduct?
You should do a text as soon as possible to ease your concerns.
Take care Halley.
Regards
Naoise
Hi, i was brought into hospital after a having a seizure type episode last week. they put it down to low blood pressure after a number of tests. my period is late and i am worried i might be pregnant as one of the symptoms is low blood pressure. i had several blood tests done in the hospital but no one specified weather a pregnancy test was done. i was kept in for a number of days and had xrays, surely they would of picked up if i was actually pregnant? should i be worried?