Knocked up...now what? Pregnancy Tests

So you've managed to get yourself pregnant, at least you think you are, but now what...

Firstly, congratulations!!! Secondly, don't panic! Thirdly, if all you can think about is having a drink to calm your nerves then go ahead (I won't tell anyone). Fourthly, are you sure you are pregnant? Have you pee'd on a stick? Have you pee'd on an English stick or a Thai stick? Have you had a blood test to confirm?

Lets start talking about the practicalities.

Pregnancy tests

Urine Tests

Average Pee Sticks are available in all Pharmacies.

My experience is that Boots tend to only stock their own brand and one called "Exact Pregnancy Test" whilst you may find a different selection in more local pharmacies.

But the problem with Thai tests are that they are not as sensitive as you can get back home. There is no such thing as "First Response" here.

Brand	Sensitivity	Cost (THB)
Exact	over 25mlU/ml	120
Boots	over 25mlU/ml	120
Check Tru (Ovulation and Pregnancy test)	over 20mlU/ml	270
First Response	over 6.3mlU/ml	Not available in Thailand

So you will have to wait a little longer to be sure, or you can easily get a blood test done at any health clinic. 

Blood Tests

It is as simple as walking in, asking for a blood test to confirm your hcg levels and within a few hours they will email you the results.

I have used:

RSU at 571, RSU Tower, Sukhumvit Soi 31.
They charge THB 900 per test (in 2015)

http://www.rsuhealth.com/en/home.php

Wellness Clinic at Interchange Building, Asoke. 
They charge THB 600 per test (in 2016)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wellness-Clinic-By-Dr-Nilarat/1378033225768891

You can also get an HCG test done at any of the hospitals, but they will likely charge you minimum THB1,000 plus doctors consultation time.

If you are are using an independent clinic before you choose your antenatal provider then you may also need some help and reassurance on understanding HCG tests. I used this website to help understand the basics. http://www.babymed.com/tools/hcg-calculator

Getting Prepared...Popping Pills

After my health check the Doc had solved one problem for me, as she'd prescribed me with Folic Acid, which I picked up as part of my overall costs that day at Bumrungrad hospital (THB1,080 for 6 months of 5mg Foliamin Tablets). So I knew I was covered for Folic Acid, but I didn't know what, or where, I could get overall pre-natal (or pregnancy) vitamins.

Looking in Boots, which was the most obvious place for me to go being a Brit, and also the easiest as the pharmacists normally speak English, I found that they simply do not have pre-natal, or pregnancy, vitamins as we do back home.

So what are the options?

• Multivitamins plus Iron
• Multivitamins Minerals plus Ginseng
• Vitamin C
• Ginkgo
• Evening Primrose Oil
• Calcium D
• Calcium D plus Collagen
• Calcium plus Vitamin D plus Minerals
• Fish Oil
• Fish Oil plus Evening Primrose Oil
• Cod Liver Oil
• Gingko plus Fish Oil
• Garlic
• Zinc

They also have Blackmore's readily available in Thailand, but they follow similar themes to above, although you can get standalone Folic Acid as well.

I didn't really want to be popping more than one vitamin tablet a day, along with the Foliamin, and I didn't want to to take too much Iron as a supplement either, so what could I do?

Assuming you live in Thailand you may have already found that it isn't always easy to get a balanced diet in the sense we are used to. Getting a variety of vegetables into your diet, for example, is difficult if you don't cook at home every day and live next to a Gourmet Supermarket. So it was all the more important at this point in my life that I really should be taking some extra vitamins, that I knew I could trust, and would provide me with the right quantities for pre-natal preparation.

But i'm afraid ladies that I simply didn't find a Thai solution for this. Even the Doctor's look blank at you when you try to ask about an alternative to Vitabiotics Pregnacare.

My solution...I did a huge Boots shop when I was back in the UK and bought 6-12 months of Pre-natal and Pregnancy Supplements. On the plus side you will earn your friend/mum a lot of Boots Advantage points (my last "TTC" Boots shopping trip in the UK earned my mother in law GBP18 of points!)

One extra thing I have recently learnt, and I will pass on to you, is that there are sometimes concerns with taking Vitamin K with anticoagulants. Following my first miscarriage I was immediately put onto "baby aspirin" for my second pregnancy. Doctor's here seem very quick to put you on medication that they think might help (and will certainly not harm). As aspirin is an anticoagulant I now pay more attention to content of the Pregnancy vitamins I choose, and for now my doctor advises to only take pure Folic Acid for the first trimester. But that is just based on my medical history and you should always listen to your healthcare provider.