What Are the Early Signs of Pregnancy — And When to Consider a Prenatal DNA Test

Are your periods coming late, or are you experiencing minor changes and feeling a little different? Women often encounter a mix of excitement, nerves, or both. If you have been trying to conceive or if this surprise caught you off guard, becoming familiar with the first signs of pregnancy will prepare you for the next steps in testing. Let’s see what your body could mean and when it’s necessary to make the next move.

Is It Possible That Mild Symptoms Show that I Am Pregnant?

Early on in your pregnancy, your body quickly starts to send signals. You may notice some of the following early signs of pregnancy:

• Women are often sent to the drugstore by their missed period: their first clue.
• During breastfeeding, you may notice your breasts are sore, swollen and act as if they’re against wearing a bra.
• I feel ready to sleep anytime, anywhere.
• If only morning sickness were called morning sickness, no one seems to mention that there are nauseous feelings all through the day or night.
• Going to the bathroom a lot: When your bladder is as small as a walnut.
• A change of mood might cause you to cry at any dog food commercial. Perfectly normal. 

People experience different types of pregnancy symptoms. Not all women feel all their symptoms the same way; some may feel them all, some only a few and some nothing at all.

When Can I Begin to See Symptoms of Pregnancy?

Even before you know it, your body begins sending signals that a change is taking place after only a week after conception! Most women notice early pregnancy signs about 2 weeks after conception, but a few have very sensitive bodies that start notifying them much earlier.

Professionals published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism indicate that hormones respond right away after implantation, which happens within the first 6-12 days after fertilisation. 

Changes in hormone levels cause the early signs that leave you questioning if you’re pregnant.

When Should You Consider Taking a Pregnancy Test?

I find it difficult to wait for the first opportunity to arrive. Though home tests may be used before your missed period, the most accurate results come on or just after the first day of your missed period. When testing for COVID-19 early, it can cause people to get a false negative result and wait for more pregnancy symptoms.

Some very sensitive tests will indicate if you are pregnant as early as 5-6 days before your missed period. Always keep in mind that early testing can often result in errors.

What Steps Should I Follow if I Think I Might Be Pregnant?

Breathing deeply is the first thing you should do. If the home test shows a positive result, you have been blessed with this wonderful news. Here’s what you can do now:

• If you haven’t started taking them yet, begin taking prenatal vitamins.
• Go ahead and set up your first doctor visit by calling.
• Examine your daily routines.
• Think about when and who you wish to share the news with

Feeling like you have too much to handle is something many go through. Experiencing pregnancy brings a lot of ups and downs, especially if it wasn’t planned. Whatever decision you make, there are resources and support to help you.

What If I Can’t Find Out Who the Father Is?

This is an important topic that affects numerous women. Should doubt remain around who the father is, remember that many others have faced the same concern, and there are private ways to settle it with dignity. With an at home paternity kit from Choice DNA or you can go with a Face DNA test for confirming paternity from the comfort of your home. 

With advances in modern science, we now have options that were not affordable a decade ago. Prenatal paternity testing options like NIPP tests allow you to be sure about the paternity even before the baby is born. Prenatal DNA testing services can provide results before birth that help you prepare for what’s to come.

What Exactly Is a Prenatal DNA Test, And Can I Take It That Early on?

Prenatal DNA tests allow parents to confirm the biological relationship (fatherhood) before their baby is born. Because of new technology, pregnant people can now have these checks from as early as 7-8 weeks.

The following are the most popular kinds of people:

• NIPPT, which analyses the baby’s DNA from the mother’s bloodstream, is the best early method for prenatal paternity testing. Just a blood sample from mom and a swab from the likely father are needed.
• Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS): Doctors carry out this invasive test at 10-13 weeks by collecting a sample from the placental tissue.
• Amniocentesis: This test takes amniotic fluid from the uterus through a needle that is inserted between 15 and 20 weeks.

Many women who choose to find out early opt for NIPT as it does not harm the pregnancy and can be performed sooner than other methods.

Is Prenatal DNA Testing Safe for Both My Health and the Baby’s?

It makes sense why this is such a common worry. It’s great to know that a noninvasive prenatal paternity test harms neither the mother nor the baby. Compared to other methods, these exams only require a blood test from the mother, so the pregnancy is not affected at all.

Conclusion

From the early days, I wondered if I perhaps had feelings for someone. When it comes to paternity, becoming pregnant is not a smooth, easy process. These days, accurate answers are available at a much quicker pace.

If you need to establish paternity, Face DNA Testing can provide you with reliable, private and kind prenatal DNA tests throughout the process. You can now have your paternity test done from as early as 7 weeks into pregnancy, so you can rest more easily while you wait for the birth of your child.