THE FIRST SIGNS OF PREGNANCY
While pregnancy tests and ultrasound scans are the only ways to accurately determine pregnancy, there are a number of signs and symptoms worth looking out for. The early signs of pregnancy include not only missing menstruation, but can also include fatigue, sensitivity to odors, and morning sickness. It is worth remembering that all these are POSSIBLE signs of pregnancy, they can appear in both pregnant and non-pregnant women and are associated with ovulation and menstruation.
When do the pregnancy symptoms appear?
Oddly enough, the first week of pregnancy is determined by the date of the last menstruation.
Your last period counts as the first week of pregnancy, even if you haven't actually been pregnant yet. The approximate due date is calculated from the first day of the last period.
Taking a home pregnancy test is the most affordable and easiest way to find out if you are pregnant. Remember that home pregnancy tests measure the level of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the urine, which is usually lower in urine than in blood.
The test gives the most accurate results starting from the moment of delay in menstruation.
The menstrual cycle is considered delayed if the period does not start within 5 days or more after the day of their expected start.
However, it is worth remembering that even the day after the expected delay in more than a third of women, such home tests are negative, and if you do the test too early, the result may be negative, even if you are already pregnant. You can do another test at home after a couple of days to get a more accurate result.
Signs and symptoms of pregnancy
If you are pregnant for the first time, then you may well not notice these early signs of pregnancy or confuse them with symptoms of impending menstruation.
You should not spend long hours looking for answers on forums in anxiety, in any case, your research will not change what has already happened or has not happened, but mood and sleep can seriously spoil.
Minor pains in the lower abdomen and spotting spotting 1-4 weeks
Lack of menstruation 4 week
Fatigue 4-5 weeks
Nausea 4-6 weeks
Swelling of the breast 4-6 weeks
Frequent urination 4-6 weeks
Constipation 4-6 weeks
Dizziness when moving 5-6 weeks
Mood swings 6 week
Temperature changes 6 week
High blood pressure 8 week
Pain and slight bleeding
From 1 to 4 weeks, changes in a woman's body are still taking place at the cellular level. A fertilized egg creates a group of cells filled with fluid, which is called a blastocyst, which, after pregnancy, will have to turn into organs and body parts of the fetus.
Approximately 10-14 days after conception (4 weeks), the blastocyst attaches to the endometrium that covers the walls of the uterus. This process can cause slight bleeding, which can be confused with light periods.
Here are some signs of this bleeding:
the color can be red, pink or brown
bleeding: usually comparable to normal menstruation, usually lighter
painful sensations
usually lasts about three days
Lack of menstruation
After the blastocyst attaches to the walls of the uterus, the body releases a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, which tells the body that it is time to stop releasing eggs from the ovaries every month. Most often, after conception, menstruation disappears at 4 weeks of gestation.
If you have a delay, it is worth doing a home pregnancy test, especially if you have an irregular menstrual cycle.
Fatigue
Fatigue can occur at any time during pregnancy. During pregnancy, progesterone levels rise, and this hormone can make you feel sleepy. If you feel tired, make sure you get enough sleep.
Morning sickness and vomiting
Nausea and morning vomiting usually develop between 4 and 6 weeks of gestation. In fact, such symptoms can occur not only in the morning, but in general at any time of the day. This symptom is typical for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. If you are often nauseous, make sure you drink enough water to stay hydrated.
Breast swelling and tenderness
Breast changes can begin at 4-6 weeks of gestation. They are also associated with changes in hormone levels. Most often, the breast swells somewhat and becomes more tender than usual. Usually, these symptoms disappear later when the body gets used to the changed hormonal background.
Frequent urination
During pregnancy, blood flow increases and this causes the kidneys to process more fluid than usual, which can cause frequent urination even in the early stages of pregnancy.
Constipation and bloating
This symptom is similar to a typical menstrual symptom and is also caused by hormonal changes that can slow down digestion, causing bloating and constipation.
High blood pressure and dizziness during pregnancy
Most often, in early pregnancy in women, blood pressure drops, which can cause dizziness due to dilated blood vessels in the brain. High blood pressure in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy usually means that there are some health problems that are occurring at the same time as the pregnancy. Such a symptom may have been present unnoticed prior to pregnancy, but it could have developed during the process. In such cases, it is especially important to monitor your blood pressure and consult your doctor.
Mood swings
Since estrogen and progesterone levels are elevated during pregnancy, this can cause changes in your emotional background and you may become more sensitive than usual. They can cause intense feelings such as depression, irritability, euphoria, and anxiety.
Increased basal body temperature
Basal body temperature is the lowest body temperature it reaches during rest or sleep. It is determined by measuring the temperature in the early morning by introducing a thermometer into the rectum. Your normal body temperature can also rise, especially during heat waves or physical activity. It is important to consume enough liquid in such cases. Make sure you are not too hot to sleep.
Pregnancy symptoms - what are they?
Symptoms of pregnancy or signs of pregnancy are, as a rule, a combination of certain physiological changes in the body that a woman notes in her early pregnancy.
Sometimes one hears that it is wrong to say "pregnancy symptoms", because if there are symptoms, then there is a disease, and pregnancy is not a disease. But if we rummage through the dictionaries, we find that the word "symptom" comes from the Greek sýmptoma, i.e. "Sign", "case", "coincidence". Thus, "symptoms of pregnancy" is just a synonym for the phrase "signs of pregnancy", which is quite true. Symptoms of early pregnancy or the first symptoms of pregnancy are different from those that occur later in pregnancy.
Knowing the signs of pregnancy allows a woman, already in the early stages, to show increased attention to her health, and, consequently, to the health of the unborn baby, a pregnant woman will be able to determine her pregnancy at the earliest possible time and, accordingly, in time to decide for herself the question of its prolongation ( preservation, continuation).
All women are surprisingly different, so the symptoms a woman experiences during pregnancy may differ. Some women feel pregnant even before the test is positive. Below are nine symptoms of pregnancy.
The first symptom of pregnancy is implantation bleeding.
This is one of the earliest symptoms. On the sixth to twelfth day after conception, the embryo is introduced (attached, implanted) into the wall of the uterus. Some women notice a small amount of red discharge (spots) that can be pink or reddish brown. If you have bleeding pain or bleeding, see your doctor immediately, as this could be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.
The second symptom of pregnancy, it is also the main one, is a delay in menstruation.
This symptom must be present in a normal pregnancy. You should be aware that sometimes bleeding occurs during pregnancy. The main thing is not to confuse them with your period, especially on the days when your period should have started, that is, at 4, 8, 12 weeks of pregnancy. Bleeding during pregnancy is a sign of threatened termination. Therefore, if you notice this symptom in yourself, then immediately contact a specialized medical institution. With timely treatment, there is every chance of maintaining the desired pregnancy. Menstruation does not occur throughout pregnancy and usually during breastfeeding.
The third symptom of pregnancy is an increase in basal temperature.
Basal temperature at the onset of pregnancy rises above 37 degrees. If you notice some symptoms of pregnancy or even have it confirmed by a doctor and at the same time observe a decrease in basal temperature, consult a doctor. A decrease in basal temperature may be due to the threat of miscarriage. For a reliable result, measure the temperature correctly. It should be measured in the rectum, immediately after waking up, in the morning.
The fourth symptom of pregnancy is profuse discharge.
In this case, we do not mean spotting. Women know that vaginal discharge is normally odorless and almost colorless. Their number increases during ovulation and, as you now know, during pregnancy. On 9/10 you are pregnant if you have a delayed menstruation, profuse discharge and an elevated basal temperature.
The fifth symptom of pregnancy is swelling and / or increased sensitivity of the mammary glands.
Many women say that the sensitivity of the mammary glands changes. This symptom may appear 1 to 2 weeks after conception. Breast swelling and tenderness can occur not only as a result of pregnancy. Other causes include premenstrual syndrome (PMS), birth control pills, or hormonal imbalances.
The sixth symptom of pregnancy is toxicosis.
Nausea or vomiting in the morning usually does not occur in the early stages, but some women experience nausea as early as the third week. Many women believe that toxicosis is morning sickness and vomiting. But it is not so. In addition to nausea and vomiting, signs of toxicosis include a heightened sense of smell and aversion to certain foods. Many pregnant women cannot tolerate certain odors during early pregnancy. A heightened sense of smell is a side effect of a rapid rise in the level of estrogen in your blood. Aversion to certain foods is even more common than cravings for certain foods during pregnancy. You may suddenly find that certain foods, even your favorite foods, disgust you.
The feeling of fatigue, which will be discussed below, is also referred to by some obstetricians as manifestations of toxicosis. Toxicosis, most often, goes away on its own by 12-14 weeks of pregnancy.
The seventh symptom of pregnancy is feeling tired.
Fatigue can be as pronounced as if you were running a marathon. Fatigue is caused by elevated levels of progesterone and other hormones needed for a child's development.
The eighth symptom of pregnancy is frequent urination and constipation.
You may suddenly become aware that you are using the toilet with an alarming frequency.
The ninth symptom of pregnancy is headache and migraines.
Usually headaches are caused by hormonal changes in the body. If headaches occur, you cannot self-medicate, since most of the known pain relievers are contraindicated during pregnancy, especially in the early stages.