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Bella asks...

I wrote a while ago about having difficulties getting pregnant and my boyfriend and i think we may finally have a result because its been a month and 3 days since my last period and i am not normally late but now i am. are there any other signs we should look out for? as i dont want to take a test yet as it is a bit early and i don't have any money as of yet.

What we suggest...

Hi Bella, thank you for contacting q2a again with your enquiry.

We understand from your enquiry that you have been trying for a baby for a while and you suspect you may be pregnant and want to know the signs of pregnancy.

There are some common pregnancy symptoms during the first trimester (the first 3 months) that women can have. These can include:

- Missed menstrual period - this is the most common and noticeable change to indicate that you may be pregnant. However a missed menstrual period does not confirm that a woman is pregnant even if she has regular cycles, since both emotional and physical conditions may cause absent or delayed periods.

- Breast swelling, tenderness or pain- these can sometimes occur just before your period as well. Women can experience heaviness or fullness in their breasts as early as 1- 2 weeks after unprotected sex.

- Nausea and vomiting- often referred to as morning sickness although it can happen at any time of the day. It is common for it to start between the 2nd and 8th week of pregnancy.

- Cravings - People can start to crave foods that they once wouldn't touch or eat a lot of one thing during pregnancy.

- Fatigue and tiredness - as your body is changing

- Abdominal bloating - this can include cramps but yet again the feelings are similar to that just before bleeding on your period.

- Frequent urination

- Changes in nipple colour- the nipple goes darker

- Melasma (darkening if the skin) on the forehead, bridge of the nose, upper lip or cheekbones.

- Mood swings and stress - due to the rapid change in hormone levels

It's important not to mix some of these feelings up with the anxiety, stress, worry etc, which are involved in trying for a baby!

The best way to find out whether you are pregnant is through a pregnancy test. You can go to your local GP who will test you for this. Other places you could go to are:

No Worries!
Patford House Surgery
8A Patford St.,
Calne
SN11 OEF
Tel: 08444 772564
(Ring to enquire about opening times)

They provide a service for pregnancy testing, advice and support and could test you free of charge.

Other places you could go to are:

Calne Health Clinic
Coleman's Close
Calne
SN11 8BN
Tel: 01249 812821
Helpline: 01225 840132
Opening times are on the 1st and 3rd Tues of each month at 6-9pm

No Worries!
Beaverbrook medical Centre
Harrier Close
Calne
SN11 9UT
01249 821831
(Ring to enquire about opening times)

You could also go to your nearest chemist or a supermarket and buy a pregnancy test. The quicker you are able to do this the better.

It's also important to see your GP when you know you are pregnant so that you can get the best antenatal care for yourself and your baby. Your GP will also arrange a midwife for you. If you take advice during your pregnancy from your GP or midwife you may qualify for the Sure Start Maternity Grant, currently £500!

We do realise that you want a baby and are planning for one but having a child is a huge emotional and financial responsibility and is a decision that should not be taken lightly.

Someone should only plan for a baby if:

A) They are emotionally mature enough to care for it
B) They are financially secure enough to provide for it
C) Both prospective parents are fully signed up and committed to the idea of becoming parents

Whether all of these three apply to you is something that you and your boyfriend need to seriously consider given your age (still very young really, although some people are very mature at your age) and circumstances.

If you need any help with things like this you can get help and advice from either of the following organisations:

- Young People's Support Service/Connexions, Avon Reach, Monkton Hill, Chippenham. Telephone: 01249 449900. Open: Monday & Tuesday 9.30am-5.00pm, Wednesday 10.00am-5.00pm, Thursday 9.30am-5.00pm; Fri 9.30am-4.00pm

- North Wiltshire Citizens Advice Bureau, 3 Avon Reach, Monkton Hill, Chippenham. Wiltshire. SN15 1EE. Telephone: 0845 120 3707. Drop in advice times:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 10.00am-1.00pm. Telephone advice times: Monday- Friday 10.00am-4.00pm.

- Brook Helpline (Mon- Fri 9am-5pm) offering free confidential advice on sex, contraception and pregnancy for all young men and women under 25. They have a
24hr helpline- 0800 0185 023, 24hr info line- 0207 950 7700. You can also send an online enquiry to http://www.brook.org.uk

If you have access to the Internet and you'd like to know more about becoming a parent, have a look at

- http://www.raisingkids.co.uk/homepages/homepage_default.asp
- http://www.parentlineplus.org.uk/index.php?id=2
- http://www.parentscentre.gov.uk/

You could also visit www.ruthinking.co.uk http://www.ruthinking.co.uk or ring them on 0800 28 29 30 for help and advice.

Remember that becoming a parent is not cheap. A list of practical things you need is below for you and the baby are:

- maternity clothes
- baby clothes
- nappies
- bottles and other feeding equipment
- pram
- cot
- toys
- baby bath and accessories
- baby food
- home safety such as stair gate/ baby monitor/ fireguard

The list is endless and very expensive so you need to be prepared. Not to mention where you will live, what you will do for money and so on. Also make you have enough support around you to help when things get tough, such as family and friends.

We hope we have answered your enquiry, please come back to us if you have any further concerns.

Best Wishes

q2a

Expert advice and every precaution has been taken to ensure that the information on this page is trustworthy and reliable, but the publishers do not hold themselves responsible for any inaccuracy as information can go out of date very quickly. This page gives general guidance only and should not be treated as a complete and authoritative statement of the law. With regard to suggested weblinks given in this reply please note that Lancashire County Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

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