For a woman, knowing whether she is becoming pregnant is obviously a fundamental piece of information, an essential right, and early pregnancy tests are an undeniable breakthrough.
Advances in biology allow for reliable and early detection of hCG in blood and urine, and a woman can now know very early “if she is pregnant”, well before any delay in menstruation. Of course, a few days later, an ultrasound scan will complete a positive result.
This early information sought by women should not be considered as a “whim” or a fantasy but rather as an answer to a fundamental question. And there are many situations in which women can ask themselves this question, and the results can have just as varied consequences: they range from the joy of a positive test which can occur during the first cycle of attempts after stopping contraception, to the disappointment after a long period of waiting and trying. For those who do not wish to become pregnant, a negative response provides relief, while an early positive response provides an appropriate period of reflection before considering whether or not to have a voluntary termination of pregnancy.
Early information at the beginning of a pregnancy can also be of medical importance, for example to start or stop a treatment as close as possible to the date of conception, or to set up close monitoring, which is the case after a history of ectopic pregnancy.
The effectiveness of pregnancy tests has improved in recent years, as have the techniques available to infertile couples for procreation. The proportion of these couples is increasing for many reasons, and the expectation of pregnancy is gradually generating anxiety and a need for information.Early tests also play an important role here by providing an immediate response and, by limiting the period of uncertainty, helping these couples to cope with the treatment they may be offered.
PREGNANCY HORMONE hCG
For the past few days, you have been feeling symptoms that make you think you may be pregnant… The appearance of the hormone chorionic gonadotropin, more simply called hCG, is the indicator that a pregnancy has started.
• WHEN DOES THE PREGNANCY HORMONE hCG APPEAR?
Every month, at the time of ovulation, the egg travels down the fallopian tube to meet a sperm. If the sperm is successful, the egg continues its journey and implants eight days later in the uterus. This implantation triggers the production of the pregnancy hormone hCG, which will be present during the 9 months of pregnancy. The role of the hCG hormone is to keep the corpus luteum active so that it can produce the hormones that are essential for the development of the pregnancy.
• HOW DOES hCG LEVEL CHANGE?
HCG level increase regularly until the 6th week of pregnancy and give an indication of the progress of the pregnancy. This hormone is present in the blood from the first days of pregnancy and hCG level doubles every 2 to 3 days to reach its maximum at the end of the 3rd month of pregnancy. It then gradually decreases until the birth.
• PREGNANCY HORMONE HCG IS FIRST DETECTED IN BLOOD
The hCG hormone is passed into the bloodstream and throughout the body, including in the urine. Pregnancy is thus detected by a urine test or a quantitative blood test, which is usually done in a laboratory. The measurement of hCG in blood allows an earlier detection of a pregnancy than a urine test and is more reliable. This is because hCG can be detected in blood as early as the 9th day after ovulation if the fertilised egg implants in the uterus.
SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANCY
The hCG hormone appears at the beginning of the pregnancy. Under its influence, significant hormonal changes take place in your body. Numerous indicators and early pregnancy symptoms can then appear. Here are some of them:
• Your period stops
One of the first symptoms of pregnancy is the absence of menstruation on the expected date or amenorrhoea. But this symptom alone is not enough to determine pregnancy as some women have irregular cycles. Stress, sport or travel can also delay periods.
• Breast tenderness
The breasts swell with a bulge in the nipples. They become darker in colour and covered with small granular swellings that are small glands (Montgomery’s tubercles). They may become painful to the touch. These breast changes tend to appear in extremely early stages of pregnancy.
• Tension in the lower abdomen
As the uterus prepares for pregnancy, there is a typical tugging in the lower abdomen. The uterus is growing, the blood supply is increasing with new blood vessels. This can be one of the symptoms of pregnancy from the very first days. Mothers-to-be feel this process and for many it is quite different from regular stomach aches.
• Digestive problems and nausea
Heartburn, abdominal cramps… These symptoms can sometimes appear and last well into the pregnancy. Taste often changes, regardless of any digestive problems. Foods that were previously enjoyed are suddenly abandoned in favour of others. Sometimes there is a real disgust, which can occur with certain dishes as well as with wine or cigarettes. Another classic pregnancy symptom is nausea, which is predominantly morning sickness and often occurs at the end of the first month of pregnancy.
• Fatigue
Early pregnancy is tiring and can cause dizziness in addition to a great sense of fatigue. Alternating hot and cold showers, a balanced diet and walks in the fresh air can improve your general condition.
Every month, at the time of ovulation, the egg travels down the fallopian tube to meet a sperm. If the sperm is successful, the egg continues its journey and implants eight days later in the uterus.
• Tension in the lower abdomen
• Fatigue