Anxiety about pregnancy can be more than stressful. Whether your period is very late or you are unsure if your emergency birth control is working, waiting to know if you are pregnant or not can be so scary. But the most important thing is that although there are various resources to help you, you are in control of your body and every decision that affects it is left up to from anxiety during pregnancy.
ZU’s 2011 survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teenage and Unplanned Pregnancy, now called Decision Making, reported that 54 percent of young women said they had experienced a fear of pregnancy. And according to a 2015 study published in the US National Library of Medicine, more than 40 percent of women who reported pregnancy anxiety experienced an unwanted pregnancy.
Seventeen have teamed up with SexSmarts and the. Partnered with Kaiser Familienstiftung to provide information and resources on a range of sexual health issues. Whether you’re just worried about a late period or are dealing with an unwanted pregnancy, read on to learn everything you need to know about dealing with pregnancy anxiety and panic attack during pregnancy.
What are the symptoms of pregnancy?
Unfortunately, there’s no instant, foolproof signal your body sends when you’re pregnant. However, there are certain early pregnancy symptoms most people experience: missed periods, frequent urination, gas, bloating, nausea, sore or enlarged breasts, and tiredness.
Of course, many of these symptoms can indicate other diseases and stresses in your body. So if you wake up particularly tired on a Monday morning, don’t freak out — it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re pregnant. Anxiety and stress alone (like the anxiety and stress of worrying about being pregnant!) can give you a pretty bad headache. But still, if you have some of these symptoms, especially a missed period. To be on the safe side, you should definitely take a pregnancy test.
How do pregnancy tests work?
When you are pregnant, your body starts producing a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which can be detected in your urine and blood as early as seven days after conception. Pregnancy tests work by looking for this hormone, and over 90 percent of the time they can detect HCG before you miss a period.
Where can I get a pregnancy test?
You can buy home testing kits at most drug stores and supermarkets. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions very closely for accurate results. If you’d rather have the test performed by a professional healthcare provider or have your home test results confirmed, you can visit your family doctor or call Planned Parenthood for a confidential test. To locate the Planned Parenthood Clinic near you, call their hotline at 1-800-230-PLAN.
What if the results are positive?
Getting a positive result on a pregnancy test can be quite an emotional moment. So don’t be surprised if it takes you a few hours or days – or even weeks – to figure out how you really feel. One of the best ways to deal with your possible anxiety and confusion is to talk to someone you trust about how you’re feeling.
While it’s a good idea to reach out to your closest friends, it’s also very important to confide in an adult as well, ideally one of your parents. However, if this is not possible, try another relative, a friend’s parents, or a counselor. A supportive adult can help you understand the medical decisions ahead of you, as well as the legal decisions you need to make. To make sure you feel safe and secure, you can ask the person (or people) you are talking to to keep your messages confidential.
If you are just looking for an additional, well-informed person to talk to, you should consult a trained counselor at a family planning clinic. She or he will be able to talk to you with confidence about your feelings, your options, and the choices you need to make. You can get referred to a family planning clinic by calling the Planned Parenthood Hotline.
How do I prevent pregnancy anxiety in the future?
Do you scare about early pregnancy anxiety? Here’s the non-negotiable fact: The only surefire way to ensure you don’t get pregnant is to abstain from intercourse. But if you’re sexually active, using a reliable method of birth control — or better yet, combining a few reliable methods — is the best way to avoid an unplanned pregnancy.
Condoms are great protection: They’re inexpensive, easy to find, have a high success rate, and have the added benefit of protecting against STDs, which is unmatched by any other form of birth control. When you learn to use condoms and make a habit of carrying them just in case, you’ll always have a protection plan for every scenario. Birth control pills are another very reliable way to protect against pregnancy as long as you take them regularly once a day.
Should I take the morning after pill?
If a condom breaks or you’ve forgotten to take your pill a few times this month, there’s something you can do. But you must act quickly. If you act within 72 hours, emergency contraception can help reduce the risk of pregnancy by up to 88 percent.
Today there are three types – Plan B, Ella and a copper spiral. Plan B is available over the counter and Ella requires a prescription. A copper IUD can also serve as an emergency contraceptive while also serving as a long-acting form of birth control.
Emergency contraception works by inhibiting or delaying ovulation, preventing fertilization, or preventing implantation of a fertilized egg. Unlike RU-486 (a medical abortion drug), emergency contraception does not interrupt or terminate an existing pregnancy; it prevents pregnancy. That means if you’re already pregnant, it won’t work.
Emergency contraception can cause nausea for about a day, but you can ask your doctor to prescribe an anti-nausea medication. It’s also not foolproof — it just decreases your chance of conceiving by 75 to 89 percent. Emergency contraception is for emergencies. In other words, it is not a reliable long-term contraceptive method and does not protect against STDs before or after its use. It also doesn’t protect against future intercourse, so it’s important that you use another form of birth control if you do have sex again.
How much does emergency contraception cost?
Generally, emergency contraception costs between $25 and $80 (price includes exam, pregnancy test, and pills). In family planning clinics and health centers, the cost may be less or even non-existent. Find out everything you need to know about emergency contraception.
Also Read: Hospital Bag Checklist for Pregnancy 2022
