A 5-Point Plan to Help You Conceive

Symptoms of pregnancy vary widely among individuals. Many women miss a period, while others have some spotting about the time they should have had their periods. Some women are fatigued, and still others have breast tenderness. As breast tenderness and fatigue can also be symptoms of impending menses, it is often hard to tell the difference. Nausea is also common during the first 12 weeks.

Over-the-counter pregnancy tests are very accurate when used after a missed period, though with all tests there can be false positive and false negative results.

Dr. Jennifer Gell, a reproductive endocrinologist with Geisinger Health System, says that women don't always feel symptoms right away. "The earliest to check with a urine pregnancy test is the day of missed menses; if positive, that is usually a true positive and does not need to be confirmed with a blood test," she says.

If you get a positive result, the first thing on your to-do list should be to make an appointment with your healthcare provider. If negative, wait a week or so for your period to start, and if it doesn't start, contact your doctor.