Is a Missed Period Always Synonymous to a Positive Pregnancy?Women know the works – sore and tender breasts and a missed period are the most common early symptoms of pregnancy. So if your breasts do become swollen and tender, and your period does not arrive, can you be a hundred percent sure that there’s a baby on the way? Truth to be told, there are many other reasons why a woman with perfect 28-day cycles can miss a period, or may experience a delay in her period. A perfectly healthy woman may undergo some stress, may miss meals, or may become busy with work and all these are innocent reasons for a delay in her period. Sometimes, too much anxiety (“Am I pregnant, or am I not?”) can also cause a woman to miss her period altogether. Reproductive health conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovaries may also cause a disruption from normal period schedules. As for the tender breasts, it is crucial to remember that the breasts are hormone-sensitive. They react magnanimously to the slightest hormone changes, but it does not mean that when they swell, a woman is definitely pregnant. Breast soreness, coincidentally, is also a symptom of menstruation. The best thing to do prior to a consultation when you suspect that your missed period is due to a pregnancy, is to count at least 14 days from the last unprotected sexual intercourse and do a home pregnancy test. These types of test have an accuracy rate of 97-98% provided all the instructions are followed, and the waiting and reaction times are respected. These tests can detect HCG two weeks after conception (or when the egg was fertilized and implanted in the uterus). Testing anytime before that may yield a negative result even when you really are pregnant. Related articles
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