Common pregnancy myths and symptoms

Have you had sex recently without using a quality condom such as those in the Durex or Skins range? If so, you could be risking pregnancy.

In the modern day, it seems fewer and fewer pregnancies are actually properly planned out. Inadequate sex education at a young age could be to blame from both schools and parents due to reluctance or embarrassment to raise the subject with the child.

Other factors behind unplanned pregnancies may be myths and misconceptions amongst friends even from an early age, about what certain things may be done to apparently avert an unwanted pregnancy. The fact remains though condoms are still one of the most effective ways to prevent pregnancy.

Some pregnancy myths include:

. A woman cannot fall pregnant the first time she has sex

FALSE – It is irrelevant if it is the first or thirtieth time, the sperm and egg do not care for such facts! If a woman is ovulating and a sperm fertilises an egg, she becomes pregnant.

. ‘Pulling out’ aka the ‘withdrawal method’ means you can’t get pregnant

FALSE – When a man’s penis is erect, pre-ejaculate is emitted. This is a clear liquid comprised of thousands of sperm, all just as ready to fertilise an egg as those in the semen when the man has properly ejaculated. Therefore, the risk of pregnancy still exists regardless of the man ejaculating or ‘pulling out’ prior to this.

. Having sex whilst stood up means you can’t get pregnant, or if you jump up and down immediately after sex

FALSE – Perhaps two of the most ludicrous of claims, but a woman can fall pregnant regardless of position during sexy and she can jump and down to her heart’s content…but if just one sperm makes contact with an egg and fertilises it, she’s pregnant!

. A woman cannot fall pregnant whilst on her period

FALSE – Sperm can actually survive in a woman’s vagina for several days. Therefore, even if sex occurred two or three days previously, the woman could now be ovulating and may actually get pregnant at this point.

. A woman cannot fall pregnant if she doesn’t orgasm

FALSE – The amount of pleasure (or otherwise) that a woman receives during sex has no bearing on her chances of becoming pregnant or have any effect on an egg becoming fertilised.

These are just five of the most common pregnancy myths that are often circulated – especially amongst teenagers, and the chances are you have probably heard of many more yourself.

If you are a woman who has recently had unprotected sex, depending on the partner and your situation, you could be putting yourself at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in addition to the pregnancy risk.

To dispel any pregnancy worries, the only way to know for certain is to take a pregnancy test. The Clearblue Plus Pregnancy Test and Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test are two options to check if you are pregnant – both fast, accurate and easy to use.

Although of course every woman is different, and as such experiences of pregnancy may differ to some degree, but there are generally some common early signs and symptoms of pregnancy. These include:

. A missed period

For women with a regular, normal, monthly menstrual cycle, a common sign she may be pregnant may be a missed period. Alternatively, some women may experience a very light period and lose only a small amount of blood.

. Morning sickness

One of the earliest symptoms the majority of pregnant women experience is morning sickness.  It may begin as early as the pregnancy test reading positive, but most of the time will kick-in at around the sixth week of pregnancy.

. Breast changes

After conception and once a woman is in around the sixth week of pregnancy, her breasts may become more tender to the touch and feel tingly – similar to just prior to a period. In addition, they could also appear swollen, feel heavier/fuller, and the area around the nipples – the areola – may become larger and darken. Larger breasts that gradually develop over the course of pregnancy are due to changes in breast tissue in preparation for potential breastfeeding.

. Frequent urination

If women notice they now suddenly need to urinate more frequently than usual, perhaps it is worth purchasing a pregnancy test kit. An increased need to urinate – in particularly during the night – can be an early sign of pregnancy, caused by extra blood and fluid used in pregnancy being excreted through the kidneys. As the baby begins to grow inside the womb, he/she will become big enough to put pressure on the woman’s bladder and further cause a woman to go the toilet more often.

. Feeling tired and emotional

Especially during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, women may regularly feel tired and even exhausted. The huge hormonal changes occurring in the woman’s body are mainly responsible which can also cause the woman to feel more emotional, become upset easily and have mood swings.

Medical Specialists Pharmacy hope we have helped to dispel some of the outlandish and false claims regarding preventing pregnancy, and some of the common signs a woman has become pregnant. If you would like more information on the female contraception and pregnancy tests we offer, visit the Women’s Health area of the Medical Specialists website.