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During pregnancy, your body goes through many changes. Some common symptoms of early pregnancy include a missed period, nausea, breast tenderness, frequent urination, tiredness, food cravings or aversions, dizziness, and mood swings.
If you have had a positive home pregnancy test, you will want to have your pregnancy medically confirmed. CPC can help you do this by providing a lab certified hCG pregnancy test and an ultrasound exam at no charge to you. An early ultrasound exam will confirm the status of your pregnancy. The information is important whether you are considering an abortion or continuing your pregnancy.
For more pregnancy information, click here. |
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The following pregnancy definitions and fetal development descriptions will help you make a fully informed decision about your pregnancy options. |
 Day 1: Conception can occur as early as 15 minutes after having intercourse or even up to 3 days afterward. The baby's features, including gender and hair and eye color have been determined. The baby has 23 chromosomes each from the mother and father, but is a separate, unique human being no bigger than a grain of sugar. |
 3-6 Weeks: The heart is beating. Blood flows in the baby's veins. The baby has his/her own blood type, separate from the mother's. The mouth, eyes, ears, and nose take shape. The brain coordinates the movement of muscles and organs. Reflex responses have begun. |
 7 Weeks: Aspects of pain architecture begin. The baby begins to move spontaneously. Brain waves can be recorded. Teeth buds are forming. The eyes have a retina and lens. Fingers and toes are developed. Lips are sensitive to touch. Ears may resemble family patterns.
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 8 Weeks: The baby is well proportioned. Every organ is present. The heart beats sturdily. The stomach produces digestive juices. The liver makes blood cells. The kidneys begin to function. Taste buds are forming. Fingerprints are being engraved. Eyelids and palms of hands are sensitive to touch. |
 10-12 Weeks: The heart is completely developed. Twenty tiny baby teeth are forming in the gums. The baby squints, swallows, puckers up brow, frowns, smiles, kicks, turns feet, curls and fans toes, makes a fist, sucks his/her thumb. Breathing is practiced. The brain is fully formed. Vocal cords are complete, and the baby can silently cry. |
 14-16 Weeks: The baby blinks, grasps, moves his/her mouth, swims and turns somersaults. The baby's gender can be determined by ultrasound. Hair grows on the head and body. The mother can soon feel movements. At 5 months sleeping habits appear. If a sound is loud or startling, the baby may jump in reaction to it. |
 20 Weeks: The baby has the ability to experience pain from 20 weeks gestation, if not earlier, as reported by some studies, and the pain perceived by the baby is possibly more intense than experienced by newborns. |
 PREGNANCY TEST
If you are thinking about taking a home pregnancy test or you have already had a positive home test, it is important to have a medically verified test. CPC will provide you with a free lab-certified pregnancy test. You will have the results during your appointment.
How accurate is the test? CPC tests are laboratory rated. They can detect the hCG pregnancy hormone as early as 7 days after conception or 21 to 24 days after the first day of your last period. The test is over 99% accurate.
Can I have a retest if my test is negative and my period doesn't start? Yes, you may be rescheduled for another test. The hCG hormone doubles every 2.2 days during the first three months of pregnancy.
If I'm not pregnant, what causes a missed period? Stress (finals in school, relationships problems, moving, loss of a loved one, losing a job, travel, etc.) Illness, dieting, heavy physical exercise, extreme overweight, change in daily routines. Birth control—some types of hormonal birth control (such as Depo Provera and Norplant) may cause light periods or none at all. Recent pregnancy—women who breastfeed often don't have regular periods. It may take several months for the menstrual cycle to return to normal after childbirth, miscarriage, or abortion.
What if I have a positive test at home and a negative test later at CPC? This could be a false positive pregnancy test, which most likely means you are not pregnant. Most women who have a positive test are pregnant, only a few are not. Additionally, if you get an early positive result and then get your period soon after, you may also have had what's called a "chemical pregnancy." That means a fertilized egg implanted in your uterus and developed just enough to start producing hCG but then stopped developing. This happens with about 30 to 50 percent of all fertilized eggs because they're abnormal or otherwise incapable of developing into and surviving as an embryo. If this is the case, you'll go on to get your period (though it may be a little heavier and a few days later than usual). Note: An ectopic pregnancy can give you either a positive or negative result on a pregnancy test. Call your medical practitioner right away if you have any abdominal pain or abnormal bleeding, no matter what a pregnancy test tells you. Another cause for a false positive test is that the urine pregnancy test was not performed or read correctly.
Should I see a doctor if I have a second negative test and have not started my period? Our medical director recommends that if you miss three or more periods in a row without being pregnant, you should see your health care provider for assessment. If you need resources for health care, CPC can provide you referrals.
What is a false negative test?
A false negative pregnancy test result means the test result indicates you are not pregnant when in fact you may be. False negatives may occur for any of these reasons: (1) miscalculating the test reaction time; (2) taking the test too early in your cycle (3) not correctly following the test instructions; (4) using an expired or damaged test; or (5) taking certain medications or having medical conditions. If you continue to receive negative test results, but still believe you may be pregnant, see your medical practitioner.
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Pregnancy Definitions:
Ectopic Pregnancy: A pregnancy that occurs anywhere outside of the uterus. The most common type is also called a tubal pregnancy because it occurs in the fallopian tube. If this goes unnoticed, you could be at serious risk.
Cervix: The bottom of the uterus.
Conception: The point at which a male sperm and the female egg join and a new human embryo begins. Also called fertilization.
Embryo: Human life at an early development stage with his/her own unique DNA.
Fetus: A developing unborn baby with an observable human structure.
Last Menstrual Period (LMP): The date when a woman started her last menstrual period before conception. This is the point in time from which the pregnancy and the age of the unborn baby are measured.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG): A hormone secreted by the developing placenta shortly after a fertilized egg has implanted in the uterine lining. Urine pregnancy tests can determine pregnancy by detecting the hCG hormone in a woman’s urine.
Trimester: An interval of three months used to measure three successive stages of pregnancy (first, second, and third trimester).
Full Term Pregnancy: The stage at about 40 weeks after LMP period or 38 weeks after conception when the unborn baby is ready for birth.
Uterus: The muscular female organ that contains the developing unborn baby.
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ULTRASOUND
If your pregnancy test at CPC is positive, your peer counselor may refer you for a free early ultrasound exam.
Your ultrasound will be performed by a specially trained sonographer. If you wish, your husband, boyfriend, parent, or friend may join you.
An ultrasound is an easy, quick, safe, painless, and exact way to confirm your pregnancy. CPC provides ultrasound services during the first three months of pregnancy. CPC ultrasound exams will not determine the baby's gender or diagnose any abnormalities or conditions related to your pregnancy.
Ultrasound will help answer these questions:
• Is my pregnancy located where it should be (in the uterus—not in the tube)?
• How far along am I?
• Is my pregnancy progressing? (The miscarriage rate in early pregnancy can be 1 in 5.)
As you explore your options, including abortion, an ultrasound will confirm your pregnancy and help you make an informed decision. CPC can provide you with an ultrasound at no charge.
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