Am I pregnant?
One of the first signs of being pregnant is missing your period, about two weeks after you have conceived. This isn’t always reliable and if you’re periods aren’t regular, you might not notice you’ve missed one.
Some people have a bit of bleeding as the egg embeds. Some people also experience tender breasts. This could be around the time you are expecting your period and could be confusing.
The NHS website has more information about what happens for people having IVF.
Home pregnancy test
A home pregnancy test is a reliable way of checking to see if you’re pregnant. You can do a test on the first day your period’s due.
The test measures a hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in your urine. For the result to be positive, your body must be making enough for the test to pick it up, usually about 2 weeks after you conceive.
You can get a free pregnancy test, support, and advice at a sexual health clinic.
As soon as you’re pregnant
If you want to continue with your pregnancy there are things you should do, including choosing your maternity service provider and getting in touch with them as soon as possible.
It will be useful for you to check out our “as soon as your pregnant” checklist.
You can also find information about maternity service providers on our service directory.
Choices
If you’re not sure about continuing with the pregnancy, you can discuss this confidentially with a healthcare professional. You can also get accurate, confidential information – from the age of 13 – from:
Termination of pregnancy
If you do not want to continue with your pregnancy, you may decide to terminate your pregnancy – also known as abortion.
Termination of pregnancy can only be carried out under the care of an NHS hospital or a licensed clinic and are usually available free of charge on the NHS.
The NHS website is a good place to start if you need more information.
If you’re not sure, we’d encourage you to talk to a healthcare professional as soon as possible. They will be able to tell you more about terminating your pregnancy and can give you the information that will help you decide if this is the right option for you.
Everyone will experience different feelings after terminating a pregnancy and will deal with it in different ways. Many people don’t feel the need to talk afterwards, however, for some, it’s useful to talk through their emotions following treatment. Find details of mental health services on our service directory.
Adoption
If you decide to continue with your pregnancy, adoption could be an option. If you decide that adoption is right for you and your baby, a social worker will help you with your decision.
Preparing for adoption can begin before your child is born. But nothing will be definitely arranged until after the birth so you can change your mind.
You might feel differently once the child is born and want to become a parent.
