Pregnancy

The Signs of Pregnancy

Every woman is different, but these are the most common signs of early pregnancy:

• Missed Period
• Sore or Swollen Breasts
• Weight Loss or Gain
• Frequent Urination
• Nausea or Vomiting (Sometimes Smells Can Set This Off

A Missed Period

You can miss your period for many reasons — some are physical, others are emotional. Some physical reasons include a major change in diet or exercise or a thyroid condition. Some medications can also affect your menstrual cycle, especially birth control pills, injections like Depo-Provera, and Plan B. You can also miss your period if you are under a great deal of stress or are feeling anxious, depressed, or worried.

Take a Pregnancy Test

While home pregnancy tests are very accurate (when performed according to the manufacturer’s guidelines), they can also be very costly. We offer free pregnancy tests that will give you a sure answer.

An Ectopic or Tubal Pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy is one in which the fertilized egg becomes implanted outside of the uterus instead of in the wall of the uterus. About 1 in 100 pregnancies will begin growing outside of the normal place, and most commonly occurs in women between the ages of 20 and 29. Ectopic pregnancies are almost always found in one of the fallopian tubes (called a “tubal” pregnancy), but can also occur in the abdominal cavity, ovary, or cervical uteri. Women who have had an abortion, a sexually transmitted disease, narrow tubes, tumors in their pelvic organs, or endometriosis are at greater risk of having an ectopic pregnancy than other women.

The Symptoms

Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy include abdominal pain that can be sudden and sharp, remaining continuously or coming and going, as well as shoulder pain that may occur as blood from the area where the tube has ruptured builds up in the abdomen under the diaphragm. Also, vaginal bleeding can be scant or heavy, and it can last for days or come and go for weeks. Other symptoms include weakness, headaches, dizziness, or not feeling well. It is very important that you call your doctor if there is any unusual pain or bleeding, even if you do not think there is a problem. If an ectopic pregnancy is left untreated, it will rupture, causing internal bleeding.
Diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy can be difficult, as many of the symptoms can be confusing. The doctor may perform some tests that will help confirm a suspected ectopic pregnancy.

Treatment

If an ectopic pregnancy is confirmed, there are a few options available. Some chemotherapeutic drugs have recently been used to treat early ectopic pregnancies — when successful, surgery is not necessary.

Get the Help You Need

If you suspect that you have an ectopic or tubal pregnancy, see a doctor immediately. If you have been diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy, it is normal to have many confused feelings. You may have been hospitalized so fast that you didn’t have the chance to think about what was happening to you. You may feel sadness or even anger at the loss of your baby. You may even feel guilty and blame yourself for something you think you may have done wrong. You may feel overwhelmed and unable to cope with these feelings.

This is a common side effect. As time goes by and your body begins to heal, your feelings will also begin to improve. If you need help dealing with your feelings or would like to talk to someone about your experience, please feel free to contact Real Choices Chula Vista — we’d love to help you through this loss.