Pregnancy takes some women's bodies by storm with a plethora of symptoms ranging from nausea to fatigue. For other women, pregnancy is relatively symptomless, and women are left guessing and testing until they receive confirmation. While symptoms alone can be enough to signal to you that you're with child, at some point you will need confirmation from your doctor, midwife or pregnancy care provider.
Step 1
Track your menstrual cycle so you'll know if you've missed your period. Use a calendar, online menstrual tracking site or cell phone application to record when your cycle starts and when you suspect your next cycle to begin. A missed period is one of the first symptoms of pregnancy, however, it can also be caused by stress, diet, hormone imbalances and a whole host of other conditions. A small percentage of women also menstruate regularly or experience spotting while pregnant, according to the American Pregnancy Association.
Step 2
Check for the physical signs of pregnancy. You may notice breast swelling or tenderness, fatigue, morning sickness, headaches, more frequent urination and a whole host of other symptoms, according to the American pregnancy Association. Many women just have an indescribable feeling that something is different in their bodies. Still, some women have no symptoms at all.
Step 3
Take a home pregnancy test. This is perhaps the most common way women discover they are pregnant. Home pregnancy tests are inexpensive and according to the Mayo Clinic, very accurate. Home pregnancy tests measure the amount of pregnancy hormone in your urine, which increases with every passing day as your pregnancy progresses. They're most effective after a missed period, but some tests claim they can detect pregnancy before a missed period.
Step 4
Have a medical test to confirm pregnancy. Your doctor can order blood tests and ultrasound tests to determine pregnancy. These tests are especially useful for women whose bodies produce lower levels of pregnancy hormones and whose urine tests come back negative. A blood test is the definitive answer for many women, as it can detect level of pregnancy hormones much lower than can be detected in the urine.
Step 5
Have a physical exam to confirm pregnancy. Your doctor can do a physical exam to determine pregnancy. This usually accompanies a urine or blood pregnancy test anyway, so it can be unnecessary. But if your pregnancy tests come back negative, your doctor may want to do a pelvic exam to look for internal signs of pregnancy.
