Confirming a pregnancy as soon as possible isn’t just about satisfying that overwhelming urge to know, powerful as that may be. It’s also important for a woman to find out if she’s pregnant or not so that she can continue to take the best possible care of herself and her baby-to-be.
Most moms-to-be know that maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle during pregnancy improves their odds of giving birth to a healthy baby. What many may not realize is that a woman’s nutrition and lifestyle choices before she conceives affect her baby too. The College of Family Physicians of Canada says it’s best to start acting pregnant before you actually are. The days and weeks before you know you are pregnant are critical weeks for the developing baby. The baby is most sensitive to developing neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, two to eight weeks after conception when the brain and spinal cord are developing. This is also the time when facial features and organs, such as the heart and kidneys, are being formed.
The sensitivities of the baby in the early stages of pregnancy also indicates that another important factor in ensuring a healthy pregnancy is finding out as soon as possible. Women are still waiting longer than necessary to test for pregnancy-a possible throw-back to an era when pregnancy tests weren’t so sensitive and it wasn’t possible to test so soon. A recent survey showed that 65 per cent of women waited for a skipped period before testing. Testing can be even more of a challenge for the 30 percent of women who have irregular menstrual cycles. Fortunately, the newest generation of pregnancy tests allow them to get the answer to the big question (“Am I pregnant?”) sooner, allowing a woman to ensure she is making the best decisions for the health of herself and her baby.
When choosing a test kit, look for one that features ultra-sensitive technology that provides test results up to five days before your period is due – for example, the First Response Early Result pregnancy test kit. Not knowing how that test is going to turn out is stressful-and anything you can do to reduce your anxiety and start enjoying your pregnancy is good news for you and your baby.
Ann Douglas is an award-winning author and creator of the internationally bestselling The Mother of All Pregnancy Books and co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby.
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