Do you have that strong sense of uneasiness in your gut? Do you have a very strong intuition that something in your body is different and that you might be pregnant? Some Early Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy?

These feelings are very normal and obvious and a woman can feel them when something’s growing inside her. As it’s said you know when you know it!

These thoughts and strong feelings could also arise out of the various signs and symptoms you might be experiencing.

Pregnancy symptoms are different for every woman and start at different times as well. Some women can immediately feel like being pregnant while others can go on for months without having to feel any of the symptoms.

Further, a lot of these early pregnancy symptoms are similar to what you feel before your periods. Thus, a hundred percent diagnosis of pregnancy based on these signs can be confusing at times.

Having said that, knowing about these symptoms might help you understand what’s going on in your body and will help you in getting an early diagnosis done.

 

Here’s a comprehensive list of  10 early signs and symptoms of pregnancy. 

• Missed period.

  If you’re very regular and on time with your cycles then a missed period is one of the first and most obvious signs of pregnancy. But, the connection between a missed period and pregnancy is not so straightforward.

You can miss your cycle due to various other factors like stress, lifestyle changes, frequent travels, PCOD, etc.

Thus, you should also look for other symptoms along with a missed period.

 

• Implantation bleeding.

  This happens when the egg gets fertilized and embeds itself in your uterus lining.

It happens around the time of your period and some women confuse this with their periods 

But this is different from your regular cycle. You might not experience proper blood flow. You might see some spots that goes away in a day or two.

 

Note: Many women face light bleeding or spotting in their first trimester. It is often not a cause for worry. But if experience continuous bleeding accompanied by other symptoms like lightheadedness and pain, immediately contact your gynecologist as this could be a sign of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

 

• Tender breasts/sore nipples

  . your breast might begin to feel fuller, heavier, sore, and sensitive. You might also notice changes in your nipples. The areola begins to get dark. They also increase in size and you will start noticing tiny bumps growing in size and number on your areolas. 

 These changes occur because of sudden increases in the levels of estrogen and progesterone. Your body is now preparing itself for the process of milk making 

 

• Fatigue.

  This is another very common early symptom of pregnancy that many women feel. The increase in the production of progesterone can make you feel very down and tired.

 

• Cramping.

  This is another confusing sign of pregnancy that coincides with the signals of the period as well. However, you will be able to differentiate between the two because the intensity of implantation cramping is a little less. It lasts for less time. You will feel these cramps either in your lower abdomen or your lower back.

 

• Frequent Urination.

  Two or three weeks into your pregnancy you might feel an increased urge to pee. This feeling is because of the development of the pregnancy hormone hCG. This hormone increases the blood flow to your kidneys. Your kidneys in return start functioning more actively to get rid of the waste from your body.

Another reason for this urge is your growing uterus. This puts pressure on your bladder, reducing the storage space for urine.

 

• Mood swings.

  They are very typical. Soaring hormone levels affect your neurotransmitters. This can make you feel happy and jolly one minute and sad and sobbing the other minute. These mood swings are very much like PMS style so it’s okay to be confused.

 

• Nausea.

  Commonly known as morning sickness this feeling can strike you at any time of the day. It typically starts around week 6 of your pregnancy but it might come early for some women. This happens due to a rise in the levels of estrogen that slows down your digestion.

 

• Food aversion

  . You might suddenly start to feel uncomfortable with the smell and sight of certain food. This can even happen with your favorite food as well. During the early stages of pregnancy, your sense of smell and taste gets a little extra receptive. You can blame your hormones for this too!

 

• Constipation

  An increase in progesterone levels results in food traveling down slowly through the intestines. This leads to slow bowel movement and constipation. When food stays longer in your bowels, it gets absorbed back by the body making it harder for you to pass stools.

The enlarging of the uterus also causes your intestinal muscles to relax which makes food and waste move even more slowly. A slow digestive process can cause indigestion and heartburn in some women.

 

When to take a pregnancy test?

There are many brands in the market these days that claim they are sensitive enough to test positive as early as five days prior to your period date. However, it is best that you wait for at least a week after the first day of your missed period for 99 percent accurate results. No home-based pregnancy tests give you 100 percent accurate results. However, you should know that the chances of a false negative are always more common than a false positive.

If you’re still uncertain and not sure about the test results it’s best to consult your doctor and book an appointment for a blood test.

One must avoid stressing out if she’s going to give birth to a new life. Here’s how stress and anxiety can affect during pregnancy, do read this

Takeaway 

You could be experiencing all the symptoms discussed above at the same time but still, it is not enough to decide whether you are pregnant or not. The only sure-shot way of knowing this is to book an appointment with your gynecologist.

This will ensure a proper diagnosis for you.  You will also be able to schedule an early and on-time prenatal visit. This will ensure that you and your baby get the best possible care right from the very beginning.

 

Have a healthy and happy pregnancy!