Want to test your pregnancy right at home?

Go for an EPT pregnancy test!

It is an inexpensive, easy to use and accurate test of pregnancy which can be tried out in the home. EPT makes two types of tests- a plus/minus test and a certainty test. The plus/minus is a standard pregnancy test which specifies whether the pregnancy is positive or negative.

Read more on Health Effects of Smoking during pregnancy.

If a single line is displayed, the result is negative but with two lines, it is positive. The EPT certainty test has a result window where the result appears as “pregnant” or “not pregnant”. It is a digital pregnancy test.

The EPT pregnancy test kit is basically a plastic container containing certain enzymes. One of them reacts in the presence of urine while a second enzyme reacts in the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone.

This hormone is produced only after conceiving. When detected, this indicates a positive mark in the plus/minus test and displays “pregnant” in the certainty test.

The EPT pregnancy test is believed to be 99% accurate in its results in detecting pregnancy. Variations to the result of this test occur only when there is no detectable level of hormones in the body of the woman.

It is better to go for the pregnancy test in the morning and that too fours day before the period date.

Using the test kit is quite simple. All the instructions are mentioned in the manual attached to it. The EPT pregnancy test stick is opened and its cap is removed to open the absorbent tip.

It is to be hold by the thumb grip and point the tip downwards. Then it is exposed to either flowing urine or urine contained in a container.

After 20 seconds, stick is placed on a flat surface for at least two minutes. The result display window is kept upwards. A light blue colour moves across the windows.

Waiting for the results is important so as to get the correct results. A line in the square window indicates that the test is done correctly. After around 10 minutes results can be checked.

Interpreting the results of the EPT pregnancy test is equally simple. If the pregnancy test is positive, then a plus (+) sign with some shades of blue, is displayed in the window.

This implies that the next step should be to consult the health care provider regarding further pregnancy steps. However, if the result is negative, that is, a woman is not pregnant, then a minus (-) sign will appear in the result window.

If the woman does not experience menstrual period within a week, this test is to done again. If the result is same as before, then she should consult a doctor to find out the reasons.

Although EPT pregnancy test is easy and simple, yet it is not guaranteed to be true. In case you have doubts, you can re-try the test. If again dissatisfied, then better to consult your physician.

There are many factors which affect the result obtained from the test. Intake of drugs can affect the test, especially when it contains hCG or is in a combination with hCG.

Pregnancy related conditions and medical ailments like ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cyst and other complications are likely to affect the result found from the pregnancy test.

If the results are going beyond the expectations, it is advisable to contact the health care practitioner as soon as possible.

Using EPT test after miscarriage may show a positive mark. Same is the case when tried within nine weeks after the birth of the baby.

These results are actually false but they keep showing a positive mark probably due to the detection of presence of the hCG from the previous pregnancy. Asking for a doctor’s advice in these situations is important rather than pondering over them.

How to Take an EPT Pregnancy Test (Video)

There are many factors which affect the test results in EPT test. However, there are many other factors which do not affect the EPT pregnancy test.

They include consumption of alcohol, intake of drugs, steroids or pain killers, courses of antibiotics and other powerful medicines and intake of birth control pills or hormone therapies.

Since the test kit is of the size of a stick, it is portable and can be kept at homes. But they should be kept out of reach of children and should be stored at room temperature.

Nothing can be better than going for the initial pregnancy test with such ease. All thanks to the EPT pregnancy test.

Cramps during early pregnancy are a matter of concern for many pregnant women. However, this is not new.
It is an indicator of the various physical changes that happen to accommodate the baby to grow inside the body.

Many women also confuse their pregnancy with their regular menstrual cycle because of the initial mild cramps.

Cramps are usually caused due to the expansion and contraction of the uterus during pregnancy and delivery, respectively. When the egg is fertilized and it implants itself on the uterine wall, a light cramping is experienced.

This may be accompanied with some light bleeding or spotting. This kind of cramping is termed as implantation cramping.

Cramps during early pregnancy are detected in some women just after they are assured of their pregnancy. Now the uterus starts expanding to hold the baby for nine months.

These cramps are quite uncomfortable but then, this is a normal process. However, if you experience severe cramping with heavy bleeding, then you must consult your doctor.

As the uterus expands, the round ligaments surrounding it for support must also expand. This cramping is also called as round ligament pain.

This cramp often comes with back ache and ache in lower abdomen. In addition, constipation is also caused due to the growing abdomen.

The best way of relief from this cramping is proper rest. Again, if it becomes severe or there is heavy bleeding or other unusual symptoms, then it is time to contact the doctors.

Besides these normal occurrences, cramps during early pregnancy are also caused due to miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

Whenever you experience severe cramps with pain and tenderness across the abdomen, there could be a possibility of ectopic pregnancy.

This might occur in the first trimester of pregnancy. When the cramps are caused with heavy bleeding and pain lower abdomen, it could be a situation of an early miscarriage. This might crop up within the twelfth week of pregnancy.

Again there is a possibility of late miscarriage as well between the twelve to twenty weeks of pregnancy. If such conditions are encountered, then immediate medical help must be sought.

Apart from these serious conditions, cramps during early pregnancy are a common occurrence and comes as one of the side-effects of pregnancy.

The best way to get off from this pain is to take as much rest as possible. A heating pad when applied to lower abdomen can help cure the pain caused due to the cramps. But then care must be taken while using hot pad. It should not be too hot!

If you experience mild cramps, then you may better lie down with feet up. Lying down comfortably alleviates cramping. At times you may experience cramps with back ache especially while having sex. It is advisable not to go for sex as it may increase the pain caused due to cramps.

Pre-labour cramp is usually less severe than the cramps formed during delivery. A brief walk or simply lying down for a while can be the best remedy for this.

Taking the right food is equally important as taking rest, as far as cramps during early pregnancy are concerned. Hormonal variations usually lower the rate of digestion causing constipation.

This in turn causes abdominal pain. Such cramps can be treated by consuming a good amount of fibre and water, which increases the body’s metabolism and help in checking constipation.

Other than all these simple measures to prevent or at least reduce the pain caused due to cramps, certain medicines and pain killers like acetaminophen can be taken. But ibuprofen or other such medicines are not permitted to be taken.

In fact, no medicines or pain killers should be taken without prior prescription of the health care provider.
Cramps during early pregnancy are a common phenomenon and there is nothing much to worry about.

Rather, if you get mild cramps when pregnant, it is an assurance that your body is preparing itself for the forth coming activities of accommodating a baby and nourishing it till its delivery. Cramping can last throughout the pregnancy as the body keeps changing throughout the whole of pregnancy period.

You may also experience mild abdominal discomfort when pregnant due to the stretching of the uterus. But the good news here is all these pain and discomfort would go away easily by simply resting.

So it is advisable to remain calm and relaxed through these cramps. However, if you find any kind of deviation in these cramps, any severity in pain or other such symptoms, then contact your doctors immediately.

A woman is likely to go under depression during pregnancy even though pregnancy is considered as the most joyous moment in her life.

There is a very high level of mood swings noticed among women when they are pregnant, depression being one of them.

Initially it was believed that the hormones produced will help in healing the depression. However, the main cause of depression during pregnancy is the increased level of pregnancy hormones.

Estrogen and progesterone, the two important pregnancy hormones are responsible for the mood swing in women.

Their rapid increase during pregnancy can make a woman feel more anxious and disrupt the chemistry of the brain thereby leading to depression.

She may go from a state of happiness to a state of sudden despair and may even find hard to describe her feelings of joy or despair. Many people may confuse this with some psychological problem although it is a result of hormonal changes.

Usually the depression during pregnancy is more common in the first and third trimester. But unlike first trimester, in the third trimester the cause of depression is not credited to hormones alone.

This stage also includes a pregnant woman’s worries about everything, beginning from having a successful delivery to proper nourishment of the baby.

She is anxious about everything connected to her pregnancy, career, relationships and life. Financial conditions are also a part of these tensions. She worries about the upbringing and education and future of the child as well.

Some of the reasons which increase the risk of depression during pregnancy include fertility treatments, problems in pregnancy and any loss of miscarriage in the last pregnancy.

Undergoing fertility procedures to become pregnant poses some emotional side effects and after getting pregnant, the fear of losing the baby is quite common.

This may lead a pregnant woman to go under depression. Similar is the case with women with previous miscarriages. They always keep worrying of how to deliver this time successfully.

The thoughts of previous mishap and the anxiety of the present situation drag them under depression. Such problems are also seen in a problematic pregnancy.

A combination of fear, stress and anxiety prevails in the mind of women, depressing them. It is important, in such cases, to consult the caregiver who can take care of this emotional upheaval.

Depression during pregnancy is also a result of complicated relationships and stressful events in life. In case, your relationship is not working out well, there is a probability of going under depression.

It is better to go for some counseling and take decisions accordingly. If this problem is solved before the birth of the baby, then it is well and good. However, more tensions will be added if these problems continue to prevail even after the baby has arrived.

A woman may also go move to a depressing state, if she is too stressed about life and worries much about finance, career and job prospects, freedom, etc. Other areas of concern include loneliness, death of someone close, negligence and many more.

In such cases, the family members should take care of this problem. It is their responsibility to keep her elated and spirited always.

In order to treat depression during pregnancy, antidepressants can be used but it is important to discuss its advantages and disadvantages with the health care provider and then go for it only after being prescribed. The best treatment one can get for this problem is emotional support, love and care.

The husband must take care of his pregnant wife, make her feel special and clear all her worries and anxieties. Understanding her emotions or just being with her is enough to lift her spirits. Proper relaxation and adequate rest is necessary.

That would keep the mind calm and cool. Doing exercises or practicing yoga can help as they help in relaxing the mind. Partying and holidaying is also possible as long as they do not make you stressed or affect your pregnancy.

One can also go for a light or comedy movie which will make you happy and keep your worries out of sight. It is also good to read holy books or scriptures.

It can help in decreasing mood swings and bring your mind to its stability. It is also believed that, reading such books also imposes an intellectual impact on the baby growing inside.

If the mood swings continues for more than two weeks even after applying the above methods, then consulting a doctor is advisable. Medical care is important for such depression during pregnancy. Try out these, keep your emotions in control and wait for the arrival of a new member into the family!

Most women complain of hair loss after pregnancy. And the question they are asking is; Is it normal to lose hair after giving birth?

Although it is shocking yet it indicates that your hair is returning to its normal condition post pregnancy. This is mostly seen in around three months after the delivery.

Approximately 75% of pregnant women experience this problem and around 100 hairs per day fall out in an average woman.

The root cause behind this hair problem is hormonal changes in pregnant women. Usually, 85 to 95 percent of hair grows while the others are in resting stage. The hairs fall out after the resting period is over and they are replaced by new hairs.

However during pregnancy, estrogen hormone prolongs the hair growth stage resulting in a lesser hair fall. Therefore, pregnant women are seen to have thicker hair growth.

But as soon as the pregnancy period ends, the levels of estrogen starts falling and hair follicles enter the resting stage.

You can see many hairs falling out while combing or washing. This hair loss after pregnancy may be quite distressing and worrying but then, this is only a temporary problem.

In fact, this is the time that your hairs will be restored back to their normal state before the pregnancy.

There could be another possibility of the hair fall. Many women prefer oral contraceptives till they desire to be pregnant. Discontinuing these birth controls creates the hormonal differences thereby resulting in shedding of hairs.

Since this hair fall problem starts just before pregnancy, many women relate these two although the main cause is the discontinuation of the contraceptives.

Other conditions which may cause hair loss after pregnancy could be miscarriage or abortion or delivery a stillborn baby. Hormonal imbalance, (particularly estrogen) may also be one of the causes of hair shedding.

To add to this problem, breast feeding also causes the depletion of woman’s nutritional reserves causing hair loss.

In order to stop this hair fall, there are no preventive measures as such. It is a normal process and will recover on its own.

All that you can do is take proper nutritional food with vitamin and mineral supplements. Again to hide your hair fall, you can try experimenting with your hairstyles and hair products.

You may have to avoid certain hairstyles as well especially those which put extra stress on your hair like braids or pigtails.

This post-partum period is the best time to cut short your tresses. The new hair cut may help in preventing hair loss after pregnancy.

Besides, proper diet is essential as they help in controlling the hair fall and enables a quick growth of new hair. Intake of prenatal vitamins can be a good way to provide nutrition to the hair.

Supplements like calcium and zinc also improves the growth of hair. Cod oil or flaxseed oil and other dietary supplements are also beneficial for the proper and quick growth of hair.

Intake of fruits and vegetables may also protect the hair follicles and help in reducing hair loss after pregnancy. It is important to take care of what you take keeping in account the nutritional values for you as well as for your baby!

During this hair fall time, it is recommended not to use any harsh cream or shampoo on the hair as they have more chemical content.

Rather mild shampoo or herbal products are better to be used. Shampoos containing mineral contents like silica and biotin are good for hair growth.

Trimming the hair from time to time ensures healthy growth of the hairs. Light massages on the scalp can also help in checking hair loss after pregnancy.

Massaging help in the stimulation of blood flow to the scalp. This in turn prompts the hair follicles to grow new hair. If you are using hair dryers or other hair instruments producing heat, it is always better to keep their temperature lowered. Avoiding them as much as possible is good for the health of hairs.

At times, the anxiety and excitement of the new member may cause emotional upheaval among many new mothers. This may also result in hair loss.

It is advised to the new mothers to stay as calm as possible and be mentally prepared for the forth coming life. This relaxation would help in checking the hair fall caused due to tension.

With all these home remedies around, if you are still worried about your hair loss after pregnancy, it is ideal to consult the health practitioners.

They may prescribe you with proper supplement for your body and help you in balancing the hormonal differences. Otherwise, there is nothing serious to worry, you should stay happy and take proper care of the new member arrived in your family!

There are no much difference between the normal pregnancy symptoms and the tubal pregnancy symptoms. Otherwise known as an ectopic pregnancy, it always takes some time to identify the condition of tubal pregnancy.

Tubal pregnancy is a complication in pregnancy where the pregnancy implants outside the uterine cavity, in the fallopian tube.

This is a case which occurs in every two out of hundred pregnancies and if not treated properly, may pose a threat on the life of the mother.

A tubal pregnancy happens when the fertilized egg travels through the fallopian tube from the ovary to the womb and gets stuck due to any damage or blockage in the tube.

Without reaching the destination, it implants itself on the walls of the tube. In some rare cases, a woman may have both normal and ectopic pregnancy, the condition being called as heterotopic pregnancy.

Other conditions increasing this risk are having abdominal surgery or a tubal ligation or taking birth pills, etc. Older age can also be more likely to have this pregnancy.

The tubal pregnancy symptoms are not identifiable in the early stage of the pregnancy as they are almost similar to those of the normal pregnancy.

The presence of an ectopic condition is diagnosed in around 5 to 8 weeks of pregnancy. The early tubal pregnancy signs share a close proximity to the signs of various diseases like appendicitis, urinary infections, gastrointestinal disorder and pelvic inflammatory diseases.

The doubt for a tubal pregnancy arises if there is a slight brownish bleeding in the vagina, accompanied with pain in lower abdomen.

Now if you know that you are expecting and you experience this problem, then you must seek for immediate medical care.

Other tubal pregnancy symptoms include severe pelvic pain with cramps. The most part with the pain is it occurs mostly on one side.

It may also be accompanied with abdomen inflammation. You may also experience pain while coughing, sneezing, urinating and having the bowel movement.

Loss in blood may cause dizziness and there are chances that you may collapse as well. You may suffer from diarrhoea as well. All these symptoms, especially the loss in blood, leave you all tired and weak.

There could be extensive internal and external bleeding in tubal pregnancy. External bleeding is caused due to the hormonal actions. When progesterone level decreases, it results in the external bleeding.

However, internal bleeding is caused due to haemorrhage from the affected tube. Due to these bleeding conditions, tubal pregnancy symptoms like lower back pain and pelvic pain are experienced.

These pains often come with cramps throughout the body. You may also have pain in the shoulder-tip caused due to free blood tracking up the abdominal cavity.

Tubal pregnancy can be life threatening and hence dangerous. There is the slightest chance of such pregnancy to continue.

This is because, with the development of the embryo, it becomes too large to fit in the fallopian tube. As it continues to grow, there are probabilities of the tube to rupture.

This causes severe internal bleeding. If instant medical help is not rendered, then the woman may die out of shock. Hence, consulting a doctor is always advisable right from the day you start noticing the various tubal pregnancy symptoms.

Diagnosing a tubal pregnancy is very important. The very first method doctors follow here is the usual pregnancy test.

A blood test would confirm pregnancy and would also hint about the presence of the pregnancy, either in uterus or in the fallopian tube.

When the pregnancy test is confirmed, a second try would be in ultrasound to check the normal pregnancy. With the failure of this test, further tests are done.

One method usually adopted to diagnose the ectopic pregnancy is the process of laparoscopy. The pregnancy is located through a laparoscope, which can be also used in the removal of the pregnancy.

Even lowered progesterone levels also imply the presence of tubal pregnancy as they are meant to be higher in normal pregnancy.

As soon as you experience the tubal pregnancy symptoms and diagnosis is done, immediate medical help is sought for.

Usually doctors recommend the removal of the pregnancy as they are short-termed. A surgery is performed to remove the blood and the pregnancy itself.

With the removal of the pregnancy, there is only 10 percent probability of having another such pregnancy. Hence chance of having a normal pregnancy is still very high!

There is no way to prevent the tubal pregnancy. If you come across any of the above mentioned symptoms, then you must rush to the hospital as delay may make things dangerous.

Among the many problems caused due to the hormonal variations, heartburn during pregnancy can also be added as one.

Again, like many other pregnancy symptoms, it is also a common one and usually harmless yet can be very discomforting in nature.

The good thing about heartburn is you can try out some simple steps to minimize the pain caused by it.

Heartburn is basically a burning sensation experienced mainly in the throat and chest. This may also be accompanied with sour and acidic taste in the mouth.

Many people might have experienced this type of sensation before but even if they have not, they are likely to experience it during pregnancy.

This heartburn during pregnancy is caused due to a number of reasons, hormonal variations being the root cause to it.

Progesterone, a pregnancy hormone is responsible for causing heartburn. It relaxes the valve separating the oesophagus from the stomach.

This in turn allows the gastric acids to move upwards causing a burning sensation and irritation.

Again, the progesterone slows the oesophagus contractions resulting in poor digestion.

When the baby grows inside the abdominal cavity, it pushes the stomach acids back to oesophagus. Hence heartburn is experienced.

Although harmless, this problem causes lots of discomfort especially in the second trimester. Even if remedial steps are out, yet this problem is likely to come and go until the delivery is over.

Some of the simple steps that can be tried out to cure the heartburn during pregnancy are as follows

* Practice eating smaller but frequent meals. This will prevent the stomach from becoming full and in turn prevents the stomach acids to move up to the oesophagus creating a burning sensation.

* It is always better to take time while eating instead of hurrying through the meal. This helps in proper digestion of the food that you take.

* In order to prevent heartburn during pregnancy, it is advisable not to sleep immediately after taking food. Sitting upright for two hours or so is better as it prohibits the stomach acids from rising up.

* Food items causing gastrointestinal problems must be avoided. They are probably responsible for causing heartburn.

Such eatables include citrus fruits and juices, chocolates, tomatoes, mustard, caffeine, alcohol, sauces and ketchup, vinegar, deli meats and spicy and fatty food items.

* Milk or yogurt can be taken if you experience frequent heartburn during pregnancy. Drinking plenty of water is also useful in this regards.

However, taking lots of fluids or water while having food is hazardous. It may contribute to the heartburn and irritation.

* Chewing a gum after the meals is recommended as it helps in the stimulation of the salivary glands which in turn helps in the neutralization of the acid.

* During sleeping, it is better to keep your upper body elevated as it prompts digestion. This can be done by simply adding two to three pillows beneath your head or you can get a maternity pillow to do it for you.

* Loose clothing is always preferred during pregnancy. It would help you lie down comfortably. During heartburn, when you are at a total discomfort, tight dresses may make you more uneasy. So wearing loose comfortable clothes are always advisable.

* Weight is also instrumental in causing heartburn during pregnancy. If you are more obese than what is required then the stomach is always on a pressure.

This in turn, forces the acidic contents to go up causing heartburn. So maintaining a weight as prescribed by the physician is necessary.

 

* While bending, bend down at the knees instead of bending at the waist as the latter puts more pressure on the stomach.

* Smoking is one of the most important factors contributing to heartburn. Being pregnant, you anyway have to quit smoking!

* Apart from the above mentioned tips, you can also try antacids containing magnesium or calcium from the medical counter shop so as to stop the acidity. But then, it is always better to consult your doctor before going for any such medications.

* If none of these measures are of any use to you, then talk to your health care practitioner. They can provide you proper treatment and prescribe you something else by which you can overcome this discomfort.

With all these remedial steps in place, one thing to note here is, heartburn during pregnancy is one of the side effects of pregnancy.

It may not disappear completely rather it may come and go. However, in the end, this will definitely go. Hence there is nothing to worry. In fact, you should stay happy and enjoy your pregnancy!

One of the major concerns of young pregnant women is pregnancy stretch marks. They are usually found on stomach, arms, thighs, abdomen and breasts.

The worst part is they sometimes continue to exist even after pregnancy. So it is better to take care of them during pregnancy itself.

Stretch marks are a result of gain and loss of weight during pregnancy. Dermis, the deeper layer of the skin, is formed of elastic fibres called collagen.

Whenever there is a change in body growth especially during pregnancy, the collagen fails to cope with the change and results in pregnancy stretch marks. This, in fact, is the damage of the underlying connective tissues.

Stretch marks are quite common among women when they are pregnant. But they are more prominent in women with a dry skin.

It is important for every pregnant woman to follow certain precautions so as to avoid stretch marks. Taking a massage of cocoa butter twice a day on stretch prone areas is effective in reducing the pregnancy stretch marks.

Taking a hot shower bath daily in the morning as well as in the evening also helps a lot. It opens the skin pores allowing it to stretch. But it is required to apply the cocoa butter massage every time you come out of shower.

Applying aloe vera gel or sandalwood paste on the stretch areas can be done so as to check the stretch marks. They prevent the skin from stretching too much during pregnancy and also take care of not showing any pregnancy stretch marks even after the birth of the child.

Applying a mixture of calendula and wheat germ oil is also helpful in this regard. Massaging with olive oil or castor oil or almond oil also has the same effect as that of calendula and wheat germ oil.

Taking a healthy and well balanced diet is utmost important in pregnancy. It is the root cause of weight change in pregnancy which in turn is a cause of pregnancy stretch marks.

Intake of a well planned diet including plenty of fruits, vegetables and healthy oils can nourish the body with all required nutrients and also keep the weight stable, as recommended.

Putting excessive weight is not advisable as they can result in more stretch marks. Proper hydration keeps the elasticity of the skin intact.

So drinking water and fruit juices in plenty is recommended. That would keep the collagen production at normal levels and prevent stretch marks.

In order to prevent the pregnancy stretch marks, proper blood circulation on the stretched area is necessary. The effective way of doing this is exercise.

Regular exercise helps in the nourishing of the skin and the proper circulation of blood. Rubbing or massaging the stretch areas with a body brush or cloth can improve circulation in those areas thereby preventing the marks.

Keeping the skin moisturized in essential till the pregnancy is over and you are back to the normal weight of yours. Moisturizing lotion can be used for this purpose.

Although they are not medically confirmed to clear the marks from the skin, yet they can be used for avoiding the skin to be dry and itchy.

Usage of turmeric and curd mixture on the stretch prone areas before going to bath is recommended. It can be taken as an anti-stretch mark pack. Even turmeric-lemon cream can be applied for massage to prevent the pregnancy stretch marks.

If the marks still persist despite the above mentioned homely treatments, consulting the physician is important. He can prescribe you with the best solution.

You may be asked to use some anti-stretch mark creams which are meant to clear the stretch marks. Although a number of creams are available in the market, yet it is always better to go with prior prescription.

These creams, though applied externally, can go to the deeper layers beneath the skin and help in clearing the stretch marks.

Whatever way is followed in this direction, it is important to continue even after the delivery of the child. That is the time when you are supposed to reduce your weight fast and hence more prone to have these stretch marks.

It is important to take care of the skin during pregnancy. Following the above mentioned tips can help your pregnancy stretch marks go away.

Even if they still persist, time will heal them. Gradually they will fade off and mix with the skin. In such a situation, it is better to take out these thoughts out of mind and take your best care so as to deliver a healthy baby.