Frequently Asked Pregnancy Questions

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked pregnancy questions. Whether you are concerned about teen pregnancy or an adult looking forward to conceiving your first child, these questions may be at the top of your thoughts.

The only way to be absolutely sure you are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. A pregnancy test can be scheduled through your health care provider or local health care clinic. A variety of home pregnancy tests are available through most pharmacies, grocery stores, and department stores, such as Wal-Mart and Target. You can even order pregnancy tests online. Pregnancy tests are typically accurate within 10 to 15 days of conception. Your OB health professional can also do a blood pregnancy test to confirm a pregnancy. Early Pregnancy Symptoms such as a missed period, nausea, and an unexplainable sensitivity to foods and odors may also act as significant indicators to your pregnancy status.

Each pregnancy is unique, but typically, symptoms will become obvious within 7 to 14 days from the time of implantation. Implantation occurs within nine days after fertilization, which can occur within a week of unprotected intercourse. However, many women may find they are symptom free for several weeks after implantation.

Yes, it is possible to become pregnant during your period. Sperm can live up to a week in the cervical mucus of the vagina. If you are prone to having a short menstruation cycle, ovulation may occur within a few days of the end of your period. If this coincides with the lifespan of the sperm, pregnancy can result.

No, a woman cannot become pregnant as a result of oral sex. Pregnancy can only occur if sperm is introduced into the vagina.

Yes, it is possible to be pregnant and still get a negative reading from a home pregnancy test. While each home pregnancy test specifies when it is best to take the test, typical home pregnancy tests will not provide an accurate reading until at least ten to fourteen days after participating in unprotected sex. If you receive a negative result, but your period still has not started, and you are starting to have pregnancy symptoms, test again in three days. And, if your menstrual cycle is regular and you are more than a week late, consider visiting your health care provider for more tests.

Make an appointment with an OB, midwife, women's health professional, or at a health care clinic. You will want a professional confirmation of your pregnant condition and medical advice on how best to proceed. Your health professional can prescribe prenatal vitamins and provide you with a list of do’s and don’ts that will help ensure your pregnancy is healthy, and your child has the very best start to a long and happy life.

A woman gets pregnant through the act of sexual intercourse. During intercourse, a man inserts his penis into the woman’s vagina and releases semen. The semen contains sperm, which travel up the woman’s vagina and into her uterus. If this happens when the woman ovulates, or releases an egg from the fallopian tubes, then the sperm fertilizes the egg, and the woman becomes pregnant.

You can find more answers to frequently asked pregnancy questions by searching for the specific topic on LoveToKnow. You'll find articles about everything from charting your fertility to giving birth.

Here are some other places to look for pregnancy information:

• The American Pregnancy Association
• Medline Plus from the National Library of Medicine

• Winter Maternity Clothing
• Maternity Polo Shirts
• Summer Maternity Fashion
• Gender Selection and Conception
• Conception Myths

• How Soon Can I Take a Pregnancy Test
• Natural Ways to Induce Labor
• How to Conceive a Boy
• How to Conceive a Girl
• Early Pregnancy Symptoms

• Pregnancy Bleeding
• Signs of Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Calendar Week 5
• Pregnancy Books
• Pregnancy Magazines