Am I pregnant? This is the first question that pops into the mind of every woman as soon as she misses her periods.
The thought can be further substantiated by additional signs of pregnancy like nausea, dizziness, and the appearance of fuller, tender breasts.
If you are trying to conceive, there may not be anything better than the news confirming your pregnancy.
While a medical test at a clinic would give you the results you want, there are some ways you can try confirming the pregnancy at home itself. Read on to find out how!
Check for telltale signs
There are some telltale signs based on which you can create your pregnancy test calculator.
Studies have revealed that around the sixth or eighth week of pregnancy, the skin around the vagina, labia, and cervix may turn purple-red or dark blue.
This change in color can be attributed to the increased circulation of blood in these areas.
What is today called a “Chadwick’s Sign” appears even before the initial symptoms of pregnancy, including food cravings and nausea, click in?
Make good use of Home Pregnancy Test Kits
The best way to confirm a pregnancy is via home pregnancy tests.
Easily available in any medical store, these home pregnancy test kits can help detect pregnancy by detecting an increase of pregnancy hormones, Human chorionic gonadotropin (aka hCG), in the urine.
Doing a pregnancy test with the help of a home pregnancy kit is easy. Y
ou will need to take this test at least 10-11 days after you miss your regular periods. Collect the first urine of the morning in a cleaned and sterilized container.
Use a dropper to add a few drops of the urine to the absorbent tip (in some kits, the area may be marked) of the tester.
Keep aside the tester and leave it undisturbed for a few minutes.
If you are unsure of how to read a pregnancy test, check the instruction leaflet that comes with the kit for details.
If you are still unsure of how to interpret the results, you can consult your gynecologist for help.
The gynecologist will most probably ask you to do another urine test followed by a blood test to confirm the pregnancy.
Home-based methods to test pregnancy
Although a science-backed pregnancy test is one of the best ways to make sure you are pregnant, some non-medical but historically proven home remedies can help you when you try to figure out how to confirm pregnancy.
Urine Test
Unlike the pregnancy test kit, this method does not involve the use of medical devices to confirm your pregnancy.
Rather, all that you need to do is collect the first urine of the day in a clear, clean plastic container. Keep the container aside and leave it undisturbed.
How soon will a pregnancy test read positive you ask? Check the container after a few hours.
If you notice a thin white film on the surface of the collected urine, you may be pregnant. Clear urine in the container indicates that you are not pregnant.
Barley and Wheat Test
Considered the best early pregnancy test in the ancient days, the wheat and barley test can come to your aid when testing for pregnancy.
The test requires you to urinate over a patch of wheat and barley seeds for a few days in succession.
If the seeds sprout, you may be pregnant. If they don’t, you may not be pregnant.
This test was so popular in those days that it was also calculated that if the barley seeds sprouted, you would have a boy. And if the wheat seeds sprouted, you would have a girl.
Toothpaste Test
Wondering how to check pregnancy at home naturally? Some toothpaste may be all that you need for the same purpose.
Collect the first urine of the day in a clean container. Add a few drops of the urine to the toothpaste (white toothpaste is preferred).
If the color of the toothpaste changes and it becomes frothy, you may be pregnant. However, if the color of the toothpaste remains the same and no frothiness is seen, chances are you may only be experiencing a delayed period.
