Is it pregnancy?

Lower abdominal pain is not necessarily a clinical manifestation caused by pregnancy. Many female friends will experience lower abdominal pain even when they are not pregnant. It may be due to some abnormal reactions in the abdomen. When the condition worsens, the pain will become more severe, so it needs to be treated in time. Sometimes you will feel a series of adverse reactions such as dizziness and nausea.

1. For amenorrhea women of childbearing age with a history of sexual activity, pregnancy should be suspected if their menstruation is delayed by 10 days or more. Amenorrhea may be the earliest and most important symptom of pregnancy. But it should be noted that amenorrhea does not necessarily mean pregnancy.

2. About half of women experience symptoms such as chills, dizziness, fatigue, drowsiness, drooling, loss of appetite, preference for sour foods or aversion to greasy foods, nausea, and vomiting in the morning about 6 weeks after menstruation. These symptoms are called early pregnancy reactions. Early pregnancy reactions usually disappear on their own around 12 weeks of pregnancy.

3. Frequent urination occurs in early pregnancy and is caused by the enlarged anteverted uterus pressing on the bladder in the pelvic cavity. About 12 weeks after pregnancy, when the uterus enters the abdominal cavity and no longer compresses the bladder, the symptoms of frequent urination disappear naturally.

Signs

1. Breast changes: Starting from the 8th week of pregnancy, the breasts gradually increase in size. Pregnant women feel mild breast tenderness and nipple pain. Examination shows that the nipple and the surrounding skin (areola) are darker in color, and Montessori nodes are visible around the areola.

2. Changes in the reproductive organs are examined by vaginal speculum examination at 6-8 weeks of pregnancy. The vaginal wall and cervix can be seen to be congested and purple-blue. As pregnancy progresses, the uterus enlarges and softens. When the uterine fundus extends beyond the pelvic cavity, it can be touched above the pubic symphysis.

Testing

1. Ultrasonography

(1) Type B ultrasound imaging: It is a fast and accurate method for checking early pregnancy. A circular halo arising from the amniotic sac is seen within the enlarged uterine outline. The ring can be seen as early as 5 weeks of pregnancy. If rhythmic fetal heartbeat and fetal movement are seen in the pregnancy ring, it can be confirmed as early pregnancy and live fetus.

(2) Ultrasound Doppler method: In the enlarged uterine area, a rhythmic, single high-pitched fetal heartbeat can be heard using an ultrasound Doppler device, which can confirm early pregnancy and a live fetus, and the earliest occurrence is at 7 weeks of pregnancy.

2. Pregnancy test: Positive HCG in blood or urine can help diagnose early pregnancy.

3. For women whose basal body temperature is biphasic, the high temperature phase continues for days without decreasing, which indicates a high possibility of early pregnancy. However, the basal body temperature curve can only reflect the function of the corpus luteum, not the condition of the embryo.

Note: A positive pregnancy test should not be used as the sole basis for diagnosis, as false positives can sometimes occur. In addition, blood and urine HCG tests are also positive in ectopic pregnancy and trophoblastic cell disease. Therefore, medical history, physical signs and ultrasound results should be combined to avoid misdiagnosis.