One of the most frequently asked questions by the readers of the blog are related to the possibility of pregnancy. Either because they want it or why not, The million dollar question is, will I be pregnant?.
We have all asked ourselves that question at some time in our lives, whether we have wished with all our strength that the answer be affirmative or negative. As you can imagine, we cannot know, since only a pregnancy test has the answer, but we can clarify some questions to make you more calm.
You may be pregnant (or not)
If you have had sex on your fertile days without protection, you may be pregnant. With all the variables in favor, the chance of pregnancy every time you have sex is 25 percent.
On fertile days, it should also be taken into account that sperm survive 3-4 days after ejaculation, so if ovulation occurs in those days, they may wait for the egg to fertilize and pregnancy occurs.
If you have used contraceptives, either barrier (condom, diaphragm, female condom) or hormonal and chemical (copper IUD, Mirena, pills, patches, ring) you should know that they are not infallible. They have a high effectiveness to prevent pregnancy, but none of the 100 percent.
Also tell you that for the semen to be pregnant, it must enter the vagina and go up the fallopian tubes to fertilize the ovum, it is a tired path but the sperm can be very skillful.
We are consulted a lot about the possibility of pregnancy when it has ejaculated outside the vagina. Having had penetration without using a condom from the beginning, and without any other contraceptive method, no matter how much it has been ejaculated outside there is also a possibility of pregnancy.
He pre-ejaculatory fluid or pre-ejaculatory fluid that the man secretes when excited can also contain sperm, which when introduced into the vagina can reach the egg and fertilize it.
Although there are controversies in scientific studies about the existence of sperm in the preseminal fluid and that its concentration is sufficient to achieve pregnancy, given the possibility that it contains sperm capable of causing pregnancy, the best prevention is use a condom from the beginning of sexual intercourse.
The pregnancy test to get out of doubt
If the rule does not come to you and you have had unprotected relationships in your fertile days (to give a margin, in the central week of your cycle) there is a possibility of pregnancy. Possibility implies that you can be or not. The only way out of doubt is taking a pregnancy test.
For a reliable result it is important to know how and when to perform the test. You should do it with at least one day of delay of menstruation and preferably with the first urine in the morning, which will contain a higher concentration of the pregnancy hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin hormone).
Today there are pregnancy tests with great sensitivity that detect the pregnancy hormone with any urine of the day and even before you are missing. But if not the most sensitive, for greater guarantees, it is better to do it with the first urine and with at least one day of absence.
Its reliability is also very high, yet there are false negatives and false positives in pregnancy tests. The result may be negative but you are pregnant, that is, a false negative. If your rule is not regular, the date on which the rule should come is not as accurate. In that case, wait three or four days and repeat the test.
Can also shed false positives, that is to say that the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (HGC) has been detected but you are not pregnant. It can happen in women with hormonal disorders, with trophoblastic diseases and some cancers, in case of ectopic embryos or anembryonic or anembryonic pregnancies.
Implantation bleeding
Many women may confuse the arrival of the rule with the implantation bleeding, a slight loss of blood caused by the nesting of the fertilized egg in the wall of the uterus.
Unlike the rule, implantation bleeding is milder in quantity and its color is brown or dark red. It can last a day or two, never more than four or five, but for you to get an idea, you don't even need a compress.
As it occurs between six and ten days after fertilization, it may coincide with the approximate date on which the rule should come, but it is actually marking the beginning of pregnancy.
If you have had a bleeding of these characteristics, to get out of doubt you should wait a few days and have a pregnancy test.
Other reasons why the rule may not come
The amenorrhea, that is the lack of menstruation, It may be due to various reasons, not always pregnancy. It may be due to any alteration in the organs that regulate menstruation: central nervous system, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, ovaries, uterus, vagina.
This implies abnormalities in the function of any of these organs, a very wide range of causes, such as polycystic ovaries, ovarian tumor, hormonal, metabolic alterations, malformations, etc. It can also be due to psychological causes such as stress or trauma.
If the rule is absent for three months or moreAs well as if you notice any strange symptoms during your cycle and the results of the pregnancy tests are negative, you need to go to the gynecologist to find the cause of amenorrhea.
Keep calm and relax
Finally, many times your questions convey great nervousness and uncertainty. Either because they have been trying for months and they fervently want to get pregnant, or because they do not want to be under any circumstances.
Therefore, try to remain calm and follow the appropriate steps at all times. If the pregnancy does not come and month after month you suffer the same frustration, try to relax, do not obsess over the pregnancy and you will see that when you least expect it you get it.
If after a year of frequent sexual intercourse without protection pregnancy is not achieved, it may be time to consult a specialist to rule out any problems that prevent you from conceiving.
I hope that these clarifications, although they cannot give you an accurate answer, help to clear up doubts before the million dollar question: will i be pregnant?.
Photos | mpilote and Esteban Maringolo on Flickr In Babies and more | Why don't I get pregnant? They recommend making love every day to achieve pregnancy
