Yes - Some very sensitive pregnancy tests can be used even before you miss a period.
For women who have a regular monthly menstrual cycle, the most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period though.
That said, there are other signs which may indicate pregnancy before you miss a period.
You may feel sick and nauseous, enough to make you vomit on occasions. Commonly known as morning sickness, this can happen at any time of the day or night.
Your breasts may become larger and feel tender too. They may also tingle. The veins may be more visible, and the nipples may darken and stand out.
Another sign is having to go to the toilet more often than usual.
Other tell-tale signs are constipation, feeling tired, a strange metallic taste in the mouth and craving new foods or losing interest in foods that you previously enjoyed.
However, all of the things listed above can occur due to conditions other than pregnancy so just because you have them, it doesn't mean you are with child.
So the best thing to do is to take a pregnancy test. You can carry out a pregnancy test on a sample of urine from the first day of a missed period. If you're pregnant, this is about two weeks after conception.
You can buy do-it-yourself pregnancy testing kits from pharmacists. They can give a quick result, and you can do the test in private. Remember, a positive test result is almost certainly correct but a negative result is less reliable. If you get a negative result and still think that you're pregnant, wait for a week and try again, or see a doctor.
For women who have a regular monthly menstrual cycle, the most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period though.
That said, there are other signs which may indicate pregnancy before you miss a period.
You may feel sick and nauseous, enough to make you vomit on occasions. Commonly known as morning sickness, this can happen at any time of the day or night.
Your breasts may become larger and feel tender too. They may also tingle. The veins may be more visible, and the nipples may darken and stand out.
Another sign is having to go to the toilet more often than usual.
Other tell-tale signs are constipation, feeling tired, a strange metallic taste in the mouth and craving new foods or losing interest in foods that you previously enjoyed.
However, all of the things listed above can occur due to conditions other than pregnancy so just because you have them, it doesn't mean you are with child.
So the best thing to do is to take a pregnancy test. You can carry out a pregnancy test on a sample of urine from the first day of a missed period. If you're pregnant, this is about two weeks after conception.
You can buy do-it-yourself pregnancy testing kits from pharmacists. They can give a quick result, and you can do the test in private. Remember, a positive test result is almost certainly correct but a negative result is less reliable. If you get a negative result and still think that you're pregnant, wait for a week and try again, or see a doctor.
