Many women will need to rely on a pregnancy test at some point in their lives. There are now very inexpensive and easy-to-use tests available, which is good news for women and their physicians alike. Often, a private, inexpensive, and fast test performed at home can help a woman decide whether she needs to seek the care of a physician or not. If symptoms indicate that pregnancy is a possibility, she can take a test to be certain. Some of the most commonly experienced symptoms include a period that is delayed by more than 7 days, breast tenderness, slight abdominal cramping, or increased frequency of urination. Normally, nausea and vomiting are symptoms that come later (usually one month after a missed period), but this can vary by individual. Some women suspect pregnancy precisely because they feel nauseated by everything, while others notice increased urination first. Some women have no indicators at all, save for their delayed menstruation.

Women can use home-based pregnancy tests to check for levels of the hormone associated with pregnancy. If a woman is pregnant, the levels of this hormone will continue to rise until they can be detected in her urine. A dipstick test can be used – this is a chemically sensitive strip at the end of a tester that will be placed into urine as it falls from a woman’s body, or into urine that has been collected in a cup. Different manufacturers have different specifications for their products, but most can detect a true pregnancy within 1-10 days after a missed period. Women who obtain a positive home pregnancy test should note the date of their last menstrual period and the date of their positive test, and then make an appointment to be seen by their ob-gyn within the next few weeks. Some physicians may even require a positive home pregnancy test before they will schedule an initial pregnancy appointment; this is to avoid overcrowding from women who think they are pregnant but actually aren’t.

Some women, (most normally those who are attempting in vitro fertilization or other treatments) may need to undergo a pregnancy test earlier than one week after a missed period. In these cases, the best resource is an ob-gyn, who will normally order a blood test. In early pregnancy, a woman’s body begins to produce greater and greater levels of hormones to support the developing embryo (and the fetus it will eventually develop into). At the very beginning, these hormone levels are so low that they are barely detectable in the mother’s bloodstream. As days pass, however, the levels rise and rise – eventually becoming detectable in the mother’s urine as well as her blood. Therefore the blood test can normally detect pregnancy just after conception – but much earlier than the date a woman would miss her period.

Both the urine test and the blood test are important because they make it possible for women to know right away when pregnancy is confirmed. Improved methods now make it possible to obtain extremely accurate due dates – but only if women are examined early enough in their pregnancy. This is important when a woman isn’t planning a pregnancy or when she doesn’t accurately know her last menstrual date. By visiting an ob-gyn early enough, an ultrasound can determine the approximate date of conception and give a more accurate due date. Early ultrasound exams are also extremely useful for women who don’t normally menstruate on a regular monthly basis. Having an accurate due date is an advantage because it helps avoid unnecessary interventions that can be expensive or even dangerous for the mother. For example, a woman who ovulates irregularly may go three months between her last period and the time she becomes pregnant, and if her due dates are calculated by date of last menstrual period, they may be way off. Inaccurately judging the length of the pregnancy this way can skew test results, etc.

In addition to the health benefits of pregnancy tests, these exams are just plain fun for many women who may enjoy knowing about their pregnancy right away.

To learn more about obgyn jobs, visit PhysEmp.com or call 800-267-6115. You can see opportunities in more than 200 specialties, including hospitalist jobs, family practice jobs, pediatric jobs, and more.

To learn more about great obgyn jobs, visit http://www.physemp.com or call 800-267-6115. You can see opportunities in more than 200 specialties, including family practice jobs, hospitalist jobs, pediatric jobs, and more.

Author Bio: To learn more about obgyn jobs, visit PhysEmp.com or call 800-267-6115. You can see opportunities in more than 200 specialties, including hospitalist jobs, family practice jobs, pediatric jobs, and more.

Category: Womens Interest
Keywords: obgyn jobs, physician jobs, hospitalist jobs, pregnancy, pregnancy test