Home pregnancy tests – how to determine if you are pregnant at home?

If there are thoughts about pregnancy, the first thing every woman goes to the pharmacy. Modern tests determine the “interesting position” with an accuracy of 99%. True, not early. And not everyone has the opportunity to quickly purchase such a test.

What to do in this case?

The content of the article:

The body will not deceive: how to determine pregnancy by its condition

Pregnancy affects every woman in its own way.

But its signs are usually the same for everyone …

• The breast is enlarged. This is due to the action of sex hormones. The mammary glands “wake up” for a future meeting with the baby – the breast is filled and becomes especially sensitive, and the nipples become brighter and painfully sensitive (although this may be before menstruation). If your period has passed, and your breasts are still unusually enlarged, there is reason to think.
• Heaviness in the lower back and lower abdomen. Again, in addition to pregnancy, these signs are typical for premenstrual days.
• Weight gain.
• Nausea. Especially in the morning. The most striking sign of the 1st trimester. But toxicosis is not typical for all expectant mothers. At the same time, if it occurs simultaneously with other signs of pregnancy, then morning sickness may well indicate that another life has arisen inside you.
• A sharp exacerbation of the sense of smell. Expectant mothers, as a rule, begin to react sharply to smells. Even those that have long become familiar. May irritate the smell of fried food, store fish, etc.
• Changes in taste preferences. Craving for salty is not at all necessary: ​​changes can be completely unexpected. For example, you want chalk, coffee grounds, or herring with jam.
• Mood swings. They are also characteristic of expectant mothers: gaiety suddenly turns into tearfulness, that – into hysterics, hysteria – back into gaiety, then into anger, etc. True, it is worth noting that stress, dissatisfaction and fatigue, sometimes, even outside of pregnancy, work similar “miracles” with women (especially before menstruation).
• Increased drowsiness, weakness, periodic dizziness. When a new life is born, the mother’s body begins to spend more energy – now not only on itself, but also on the development of its child. Therefore, the former endurance fails, and sometimes you want to lie down even after climbing the stairs.
• Increased appetite. This is also natural during pregnancy – you have to eat for two.
• Pigmentation. This symptom is manifested not in all expectant mothers, but very often – pimples and freckles, various specks formed as a result of changes in the hormonal background and an increase in the level of melanin, appear on the body. There are many cases when the changes even affect the hair – they begin to curl or, conversely, straighten. True, as for the latter case, it manifests itself already in a later period.
• Frequent urination. As you know, the enlarged uterus begins to press over time on the bladder, which explains such urges. But not in the first weeks of pregnancy.
• Changes in the nature of menstruation. They may become more scarce, more abundant, or they may not come at all. And they can come for 1 day with “smearing traces”.

Of course, the appearance of these symptoms, even in their combination, is by no means cannot be considered 100% confirmation of pregnancy… This is just an excuse to seek advice from a gynecologist and confirm your “position” or the absence of pregnancy.

How to determine pregnancy without a test at home?

The temptation to experience the cherished “2 stripes”, of course, is great. But it makes sense to conduct such “research” only if there is already a delay in menstruation – that is, after 2 weeks of conception…

How to check – happened or not happened – at an early date?

• Basal temperature. Usually girls use this method when planning a pregnancy. The meaning of the method is in the difference in basal temperature. This temperature rises markedly on the days of ovulation and then slowly decreases before menstruation. If there is no such decrease, and the basal / temperature on the 1st days of the delay is at the level of 37 degrees and above, there is a possibility of pregnancy. Important: the temperature measurement should take place at the same time (approx. – in the morning, before getting out of bed) and, of course, with one thermometer.
• Iodine and urine. Test scheme: wake up, collect the first urine in a clean glass container, drip 1 drop of iodine into it (using a pipette) and analyze the result. It is believed that in the “interesting position” iodine will be collected in one drop directly on top of the urine. But if iodine spreads and settles at the bottom, then it’s too early to buy booties. True, in this method, much depends on the density of urine (high error of the method) and on the intake of medicines.
• Iodine and paper. Test scheme: collect the first urine again in a clean container, put a piece of white paper in it, wait a few minutes, take out and gurgle a drop of iodine on it. Evaluation of the result: when staining the “parchment” in purple – there is a pregnancy, in blue – no. Again, the error of the method is high.
• Soda and urine. Test scheme: collect the first urine in a clean glass container, fill it with ordinary soda (no more than 1 h / l), wait for the reaction. Test score: soda bubbled and hissed – no pregnancy. The reaction is calm – you are pregnant. The basis of the method, as in the previous case, is the determination of the acidity of the material. The urine of the expectant mother is usually alkaline, and, accordingly, there can be no violent reaction upon contact with soda. If soda gets into an acidic environment (approx. – in the urine of a non-pregnant woman), then the reaction will be violent.
• We boil the urine. Scheme of the “test”: collect the morning urine in a transparent and refractory container and put it on the fire, wait for it to boil. After that, immediately remove and cool. If sediment occurs, you are pregnant. If it is absent, the liquid will remain clean. Note: sediment can also appear in the presence of problems with the kidneys or with the urinary tract.

Determining early pregnancy – folk methods

Uncertainty is the worst. Therefore, until the moment when it will be possible to determine the pregnancy by a doctor or with the help of a test, a variety of methods are used. Including “grandmothers”.

In what ways did our ancestors define pregnancy?

• Urine color. In the morning and in the evening, as our great-grandmothers also noticed, the urine of the expectant mother acquires a dark yellow color.
• Flowers and urine. Not very romantic, but fun and authentic. In any case, our ancestors thought so. So, we collect urine all night and morning, and then we water our garden flowers with it. If they bloomed in full force, we can assume that there is a pregnancy. You can also water a home flower: if it gives new leaves and grows up, then the result is positive.
• Ficus. And again about flowers. If your old ficus is suddenly “birthed” with new shoots or leaves – wait for an addition to the family (according to legend).
• Pulse. We lie on our back, look for a place that is 7-8 cm below the navel and lightly press our hand to the stomach in this area. A pulsating sensation means pregnancy. The ancestors considered this pulsation to be the heartbeat of the future baby. In fact, it only means the pulsation of the vessels, which intensifies in the “interesting period” due to the good blood circulation in the pelvic organs.
• Onion. Another fun method. We take 2 onions and plant them in 2 glasses, respectively signed: left – “yes” (approx. – pregnancy), right – “no” (its absence). We are waiting for the germination of the bulbs. The one that will germinate first by 4 cm is the one that will give the answer.
• And, of course, dreams. Without them – nowhere. According to them, many of our ancestors practically predicted the future, clarified the past and studied the present. So, a dream about … fish was considered a 100% sign of pregnancy. It doesn’t matter which one and where. You can catch it, hold it, eat it, buy it, etc. The main thing is fish. It should be noted that laughter is laughter, but even in our time, quite free from superstitions, many mothers note that this is a “dream in hand”.
• A recipe from medieval literature. Pour morning urine into the container and add wine to it (approx. – 1: 1 ratio). If the liquid remains clear, you are pregnant.

Of course, there is no medical reason for considering these methods to be correct. All of them are based on the superstitions of our ancestors.

It should be remembered that “home” tests do not give the same accuracy as the pharmacy “2 strips” test for hCG, consultation with a gynecologist and ultrasound.

The Colady.ru website provides reference information. Determination of pregnancy is most likely possible only with special pharmacy tests or on examination by a doctor. If you experience the first symptoms, consult a specialist!