Early Signs of Pregnancy

The only solid evidence for confirming pregnancy is to take urine test. But there are certain symptoms that indicate that you can be pregnant apart from missing periods. Some women can feel these signs in the very early signs before even they miss the menstrual cycle.

Some of the early signs of pregnancy are given below:-

Swollen Breasts :

Your breasts will become full and swollen due to hormonal changes. It may become more sensitive than normal and you can feel the difference in size and heaviness.

Missing Period :

You may not get the period on the due date. This will eventually be delayed due to conception of the zygote.

Nausea/vomiting :

Most of the women will have morning sickness during different stages of pregnancy. For some women nausea sensation will start right from the day of conception. For most of the expecting moms nausea and vomiting will eventually reduce after 13th week of pregnancy. But for some others it may continue till the date of delivery. There are fortunate few who will not have any such feeling at all during any stages of pregnancy.

Smell Sensitivity :

They become overly sensitive to certain smells that it becomes intolerable now. The exact reason for vomiting and nauseated nature is not clear but it is likely to be caused due to increase of hormones. Very often certain smell will invoke vomiting and nausea in some women. Aversion or liking for smell is considered as the major early signs of pregnancy for many women.

Frequent Urination :

You will pass urine more frequently than before, irrespective of the consumption of liquids. Growing size of the uterus will exert pressure on the bladder forcing you to expel urine plenty of times.

Tiredness :

Many women complain of fatigue during the early stages of pregnancy. Increased level of progesterone hormone can make you sleepy and tired.

Craving for Foods :

You will have a positive urge to consume certain foods which you never liked before. Similarly you may develop aversion for certain items which you love to eat normally. It can be due to the increased level of Beta HCG hormone. For some women symptoms are very obvious and others they are subtle.

Spotting :

A little amount of blood is seen on the vagina can be one of the early signs of pregnancy. It occurs due to implantation bleeding when the fertilized zygote attaches itself to the lining of the uterus. It can occur anywhere from 10-15 days after conception. This type of bleeding occurs only for a day or two and the volume of blood will be very less when compared with that of menstrual bleeding. It occurs often at the same period you will have menstrual cycle of the month. Some women will get thick “milky” discharge from their vagina daily during pregnancy. It is due to the increased thickness of vaginal walls to accommodate the growing embryo.

Cramps :

Mild to moderate abdominal cramps are present for some women due to implantation process.

Changes in Mood :

It is commonly seen in many women during the first three weeks of pregnancy. You will become highly emotional and even start weeping for silly reasons. It is due to the hormonal changes that occur in your body.

Dizziness :

There can be slight dizziness and drop in blood pressure during the early signs of pregnancy. It is because of dilation of blood vessels you may feel lightheaded.

Shortness of Breath :

Some women will experience slightly breathless during the early stages of pregnancy and for some it continues throughout the stages. You may require additional oxygen for the growing embryo inside your uterus.

Change in color of the vagina :

Your vagina will become even dark and there will be reduced softness on the cervix region.

Temperature Changes :

Basal body temperature is the temperature that is taken as you soon as you wake up in the morning. It can be slightly higher than the normal which is the first clue that you are pregnant. But all the above symptoms are not the same for every woman. For some there may not be absolutely any sign to indicate that they are pregnant.

Again most of the above signs can occur during premenstrual cycle. Many women will experience swelling breasts, nausea, vomiting, tiredness and irritation/mood swing before their monthly period starts. It is due to the hormonal changes mentioned earlier. Still it is highly recommended that you can take a pregnancy test at home if you have any of these symptoms in addition to missing periods. You can make an appointment with your doctor once the pregnancy test is confirmed.

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