Pregnancy

If you have missed a period and recently had unprotected sex, you may be pregnant.

Some people can tell that they’re pregnant because they feel different.

Signs and symptoms can include:

• feeling sick

• feeling tired

• have tender breasts

• experiencing mood swings

• a late period

But not everyone experiences all the possible symptoms of pregnancy.

The only way to find out for sure if you’re pregnant is by taking a pregnancy test.

Pregnancy tests are looking for the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) which is present in the wee of someone who is pregnant. It takes a while for this hormone to build up in the body so there is no point doing a pregnancy test straight after unprotected sex.

If you’ve recently had unprotected sex and do not wish to become pregnant you may want to use emergency contraception. This will work up to five days after unprotected sex and is more effective the sooner it is taken. If you would like help accessing emergency contraception please click here.

To get an accurate result it’s best to test three weeks (or 21 days) after unprotected sex or 4 days after your period should have been due (whichever is sooner). If you take a test before this time there may not be enough of the pregnancy hormone to show up in your urine and could produce an inaccurate test result.

If you are pregnant there are three options available to you and you have the right to choose any one of them:

• Continuing the pregnancy and raising the child

• Continuing the pregnancy and placing the child for adoption

• Ending the pregnancy by having an abortion

Whatever your decision it’s important that you seek further information or support as soon as you can.

You may feel a range of emotions whatever the result of your pregnancy test. There are a number of different organisations that are able to offer you further support including:

Sexwise

NHS Choices

Plymouth City Council Social services adoption team – 01752 306800

Pregnancy Advisory Centre - Support and information around unplanned pregnancy including information about termination self referral – 01752 431129

Pregnancy Crisis Care – Pregnancy Crisis Care is a professional and confidential service available to anyone experiencing unintended pregnancy, pregnancy loss or difficulties following an abortion - 01752 246788

If you’ve recently had unprotected sex and do not wish to become pregnant you may want to use emergency contraception. This will work up to five days after unprotected sex and is more effective the sooner it is taken. If you would like help accessing emergency contraception please click here.

If you are planning a pregnancy there are a number of steps you can take to help improve your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy.

Take a folic acid supplement

It's recommended that you should take a daily supplement of folic acid when you're pregnant, or there's a chance you might get pregnant.

You should take a 400 microgram supplement of folic acid every day before you get pregnant, and every day afterwards, up until you're 12 weeks pregnant.

You can get folic acid tablets at pharmacies, or talk to a GP about getting a prescription.

Do not worry if you get pregnant unexpectedly and were not taking a folic acid supplement at the time. Start taking them as soon as you find out, until you're past the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Stop smoking

Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to a variety of health problems, including:

• premature birth

• low birth weight

• sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death

• miscarriage

• breathing problems or wheezing in the first 6 months of life

Quitting can be hard, no matter how much you want to, but support is available.

NHS Smokefree offers free help, support and advice on stopping smoking, including when you're pregnant, and can give you details of local support services.

Smoke from other people's cigarettes can damage your baby, so ask your partner, friends and family not to smoke near you.

Cut out alcohol

Do not drink alcohol if you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant. Alcohol can be passed to your unborn baby.

Drinking in pregnancy can lead to long-term harm to your baby, and the more you drink, the greater the risk.

Find out about alcohol and pregnancy, alcohol units and tips for cutting down.

Keep to a healthy weight

If you're overweight, you may have problems getting pregnant and fertility treatment is less likely to work.

Being overweight (having a BMI over 25) or obese (having a BMI over 30) also raises the risk of some pregnancy problems, such as high blood pressure, deep vein thrombosis, miscarriage and gestational diabetes.

Having a healthy diet and doing moderate exercise are advised in pregnancy, and it's important not to gain too much weight.

You can keep to a healthy weight by having a balanced diet and doing regular exercise.

More information is available on the NHS website.