Many women will want to find out as soon as possible if they are pregnant, and so it’s a relief to know that you don’t need to see your midwife to find out if you are pregnant. Home pregnancy tests are very reliable – about 98% reliable, and can be done from as early as the time that your period is due. Other, newer test kits can actually be done before your preiod is due. Home pregnancy tests are urine tests that give you a positive or negative result. Your midwife can also perform this test, or s/he can send you for a blood test to confirm your pregnancy. You can obtain a home pregnact test kit from your local chemist or supermarket and test yourself in the privacy of your home.

If you test fairly early – at or before the time that your preiod is due, it might be helpful to repeat the test in a few days if the first test is neative (not pregnant) and your period doesn’t start. Alternatively, you can make an appointment with a private midwife for testing.

Another, very accurate method is a blood test, and many mdiwives will do a blood test to confirm a pregnancy. The blood test checks for hCG in your blood. This is a hormone that rises during the first few weeks of pregnancy.

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