It is normal that when a woman has a more or less active sex life, she may at a certain time think that she has become pregnant if there is a delay in her menstruation. When this happens to a woman who has a regular menstrual cycle, that is, it lasts approximately 28 days, it is relatively easy to detect that something is not right if she does not lower her period on the days that correspond to her.
However, in cases where one does not have a normal menstrual period and thinks that she has had some carelessness when it comes to protecting herself in her sexual relations, it is normal for her to ask: “how do you know if I am pregnant if I am irregular?” In we want to give you the answers to all your questions and, therefore, in the following article we explain both the symptoms to detect a pregnancy and the different methods to verify it more safely. Read!
Pregnancy symptoms in irregular periods
As we have explained, in a regular menstrual period it is easy to detect if you have been able to get pregnant, since delays in menstruation are not common in these cases. However, when you have an irregular period, the delays can become routine, since menstrual cycles do not last 28 days, but sometimes can last 24 days and another month can last up to more than 30 days. Therefore, in these cases the absence of menstruation is not a very reliable indicator to know if you are pregnant.
So, “how do I know if I'm pregnant if I have an irregular cycle?” Although it is true that some symptoms can be confused with those of a menstruation, there are other symptoms of a pregnancy. Among them we find:
- Darkened nipple aureoles.
- Go to the bathroom much more often.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Being more tired than usual.
- Sleepiness.
- Very abundant vaginal discharge.
Other symptoms such as abdominal pain, headaches, fluid retention or swelling in the breasts can be confusing, as they occur in both menstruation and pregnancy. However, if in your menstrual cycles (even if they are irregular) you have never suffered from these symptoms and now suddenly you do have several of them, it may be a sign that you are pregnant.
Irregular rules and pregnancy: types of bleeding when you are pregnant
In addition to the above symptoms that may be warning us that we are in a state of gestation, you can also intuit that you are pregnant watching your bleeding. Next, we explain the different bleeding that can occur during pregnancy but that many women can confuse it with their menstruation:
Implantation bleeding
Implantation bleeding is usually the one that is most often confused with menstruation, since it occurs right at the beginning of pregnancy. This type of flow occurs just as the egg that has been fertilized attaches to the uterus of the future mother.
We can distinguish it from menstruation by its color, since it is usually a brown tone (similar to coffee), it is not as abundant as the period and can last up to 5 days. You may also be interested in why I have a very dark rule.
Vaginal spotting
This type of bleeding can occur from the beginning to the end of pregnancy, so if it occurs right at the beginning, you can confuse it with the period. However, vaginal spotting is distinguished from menstruation because it is a very scarce flow and can sometimes leave only a few drops of blood on your clothes.
Decidual hemorrhages
Decidual hemorrhages are bleeds that can occur at the beginning of a pregnancy and occur due to the destabilization of female hormone levels. These hormonal changes in turn cause the membrane of the uterus to detach, which can cause heavy bleeding.
Even if your period is irregular, if your period is still a few weeks away and you have this type of bleeding, you may be pregnant.
For more information, you can read this other article about Can I have my period while pregnant?
After how many days can I know if I am pregnant if I am irregular
Although some signs may indicate whether or not we are in a state of gestation, the best way to know if you are pregnant, either irregular or with a normal period, that is, to answer your question of how to know if I am pregnant if I am irregular, is either with the use of a pregnancy test or with a blood test performed in a health center. Depending on which one you use, you will be able to know sooner or later if you are pregnant being irregular. Here's what each method consists of:
Pregnancy test
Pregnancy tests are a device that can be purchased at any pharmacy and that detect a pregnancy through urine. If a woman has become pregnant, 10 to 15 days after fertilization, a typical pregnancy hormone appears in the urine known as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Therefore, what this type of pregnancy test can detect is whether this hormone exists in our urine or not.
“Are pregnancy tests on irregular women reliable?” you may ask. The answer is that yes, the type of menstrual period does not alter the results once fertilization has occurred. Do this test in the morning with your first urine of the day (since hCG levels are much higher) after 15 days after the date you suspected you may have had unprotected sex.
Blood tests
The blood test in a health center is also a totally reliable method to find out whether or not there is a pregnancy. In this case, we also try to detect pregnancy through the hormone hCG. However, unlike pregnancy tests, in this case the levels of this hormone in the blood are measured, so it is a much more accurate method. In the event that you have ordered this blood test, you will be able to know if you are pregnant or not just 8 days after your menstrual delay.
