Te kite kua hapū koe Finding out you are pregnant
Early signs of pregnancy
There are a number of common early signs that you might be pregnant including:
- missing your period, or lighter bleeding than normal
- tiredness, dizziness, fainting, headaches or loss of interest in sex
- morning sickness which some people experience at any time of the day, and sometimes increased saliva
- breast changes — soreness, tingling, swelling or ‘fullness’
- needing to wee more often than usual.
Pregnancy tests
Home pregnancy tests are very reliable and will give you a result within a minute or two.
The best time to take a pregnancy test is 1 week after you miss your period. This is because the test looks for hormones in your wee, and it takes about 2 weeks for these hormones to show up.
Make sure that you follow the instructions on the box as each test works differently.
Where to get a pregnancy test
You can get a pregnancy test from:
- a pharmacy
- a supermarket
- your doctor or nurse
- a midwife
- a Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa clinic
- your school health service
- a Student Health clinic
- a sexual health clinic.
Find a Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa clinic — Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa (external link)
Find a sexual health clinic — New Zealand Sexual Health Society (external link)
Free pregnancy tests
Tests are usually free from a midwife or sexual health clinic. They may also be free from your doctor or nurse if you are pregnant. You may be charged if the test shows that you are not pregnant.
Your choices
Finding out you are pregnant is different for everyone.
If you are pregnant, there are different options available to you:
- parenting — either with a partner or alone
- adoption or foster care
- abortion — a safe procedure that intentionally ends a pregnancy.
You might know which option you would like to choose, or you might find this decision more difficult or complex.
If you are pregnant and are not sure whether you want to continue with the pregnancy, there is support available for you. You can contact a healthcare provider to discuss your options, including continuing a pregnancy or abortion. You can also access counselling that is unbiased and non-judgmental.