If you suspect that you are pregnant, or have taken a home pregnancy test which confirms that you are pregnant, you should arrange to see your doctor right away.

This is to ensure that you receive all the necessary advice and support you need, as early as possible. Midwives may be based at your doctor's office, a local hospital or midwife unit.

The diagnosis of pregnancy is mainly determined by testing for the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG can be detected in the woman's blood and urine even before the first missed period.

It is this hormone that is measured by home pregnancy tests. A high HCG level may indicate a multiple pregnancy, such as of twins or triplets, although the most reliable test is an abdominal, or transvaginal scan.

Abdominal or transvaginal scans may be used to confirm pregnancy, how many embryos are present, and to check that the embryo is located in the womb, rather than in the fallopian tube, as in the case of an ectopic pregnancy.