Pregnancy Symptoms
Before you may even suspect you are pregnant, your body will be undergoing significant changes which are designed to support your developing embryo.
Surges of pregnancy hormones such as oestrogen, progesterone and HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin), will all synchronise to create a nourishing, protected environment for your newly fertilised and implanted egg.
Most women don’t start to experience early pregnancy symptoms until around week 6 of their pregnancy; however there is a large variation between individuals.
Missed Menstruation Period
One of the easiest ways to know you are pregnant is because you have missed your period. Menstruation is a natural occurrence and for most women, it is an even cycle of between 28 and 35 days. If you do have a regular cycle, this could be one of the first symptoms of being pregnant. For many people, this is the first indication that they are pregnant.
Implantation Bleeding
Another sign of pregnancy is implantation bleeding. In fact, this may be one of the very first experiences you have. Implantation bleeding is the slight bleeding you may experience when the embryo first implants itself into the uterus. This can happen between six and twelve days after the conception occurs. Implantation bleeding is usually very light and a very small amount. It also may be bright red. Generally, it does not last usually more than a day or less. In addition to this, you may experience some mild cramping.
Swollen Breasts
One of the initial signs of pregnancy happens in the breast tissue. It is here that the body begins to prepare for the baby’s arrival, even in these very early stages of its development. Within two weeks of conception, the breasts begin to change their composition to prepare for the child. Many women do feel that their breasts have become tender or even swollen. They may feel sore. You may only feel it if they are touched though.
Swollen breasts are a good indication of the changing hormones in your body, but they do not always indicate that you are pregnant. In fact, there are several other potential explanations for this symptom such as hormonal imbalances that can cause this to happen, even without pregnancy triggering them. In addition, some birth control pills can cause this to happen as a side effect. You may also have more tender or slightly swollen breasts if your period is within the next few days, as part of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Feeling Tired
All of the changes that take place in the body during the first weeks of pregnancy can really take a toll on the body. The hormonal changes in particular are exhausting. If you feel as if you are tired, even if you seem to be getting enough sleep, this could be an early indication of pregnancy. Fatigue and feeling tired beyond what you normally do can happen within the first week of conception. This is mainly caused from the changes in hormone levels in the body.
However, being tired is not always a symptom of pregnancy. It could be a symptom of being ill or becoming ill. It could be that you are overly stressed or anxious. You may be facing the early signs of depression, too. Many things can seem like they leave you tired and therefore, being fatigued is not always a good indication of pregnancy. On the other hand, if you experience fatigue regularly and you have any of the other symptoms of early pregnancy, then it may be a good indication that you are in fact pregnant. Talk to your doctor about this symptom early on for advice in dealing with the fatigue.
Morning Sickness
Perhaps most soon to be mothers are looking for the early signs of morning sickness to indicate to them that they are in fact pregnant. One thing to keep in mind is that not all women do experience morning sickness. For some women, morning sickness does not occur until the second or third month of pregnancy. Yet, for many others, it does happen early on. Between the first two and eight weeks of pregnancy, you may notice a feeling of nausea or you may feel as if you are just getting sick. This could be an indication of pregnancy, especially if you do not feel sick otherwise.
Frequent Urination
An early symptom of pregnancy that others may notice you experiencing is frequent trips to the restroom. Your family or friends may comment that you seem to be going off to the ladies room quite often lately. One cause of this pregnancy symptom is that the swelling uterus can put pressure on your bladder.
Also, pregnancy causes extra body fluids to be processed by your kidneys and bladder. That means more trips to the restroom.
Nausea
One of these pregnancy signs of queasiness, nausea and vomiting can take you by surprise when you least expect it. These early pregnancy symptoms may come as soon as a week into the pregnancy. Many women experience nausea in the morning when they have coffee and/or eat something on an empty stomach. This is known as morning sickness. Other women notice nausea in the afternoon or evening. Others feel queasy all day.
This pregnancy symptom may often be helped by eating smaller, more frequent snack size meals. This is an early symptom of pregnancy that seems to show up about a month after pregnancy has begun. It tends to level off once you are into your second trimester and your body adjusts to all the many changes it is going through.
Higher body temperature
One of the pregnancy symptoms that takes a while to gauge is higher than usual body temperature. You may have been feeling a little bit warm lately and wondered if you are coming down with a cold or something. Take your temperature and see if it is higher than it normally would be.
If your temperature is higher than usual and it stays high for two weeks in a row, something is obviously going on with your body. You may be pregnant (or you may have a low grade fever). Prolonged periods of increased temperature are a cause to seek your doctor’s opinion.
Low Back Pain
Early pregnancy symptoms of low back pain is caused by several factors. First is your weight change. You gain some weight because you are pregnant, your uterus gets bigger, and your baby grows larger every week. Next, your posture and torso are thrown out of alignment. This weight is mostly in the front of your torso, which pulls on your back. It is like wearing a backpack on your front instead of your back. This changes your posture and puts a strain on your back.
Lack of your typical night’s sleep is another factor. You may be laying on your side and trying to get comfortable. The weight of your womb is pulling on your back muscles as you lay there too. Get a maternity pillow as that can help make you more comfortable.
Finally, your hormones and body changes have some effect too. Your body is getting ready for birth and so some of your joints and ligaments are loosening up to make delivery possible. All of these changes added together can cause the early pregnancy symptoms of low back pain. It is estimated that about half of all women will experience this pregnancy symptom.
Discharge
Some women may notice a little bit of early pregnancy symptoms discharge in their underwear and wonder what is causing it. The changes in vaginal discharge are due to increased cervical secretions brought on by the increased hormone levels in your body after conception occurs and the pregnancy begins. This is one of the first signs you might experience.
This watery secretion is a perfectly normal and expected common sign at this early stage of pregnancy. The color of the discharge may be white or it may be golden – but if it is pink or red then it is probably not discharge and instead may be spotting due to implantation bleeding.
Sensitivity to Aromas
Another early symptom of pregnancy is a heightened sensitivity to aromas. Even a favorite aroma, such as the smell of a food or perfume, can make you gag. The smell of fresh mowed grass, the smell of a gas station, smells of various foods, household cleaners, perfumes, cigarette smoke, etc., can all cause you to feel nauseated. This is thought to be yet another side effect of the estrogen that is flooding your body.
Mood Swings and Irritability
With all of these symptoms of pregnancy to deal with, along with raging hormones, is it any wonder you may experience some mood swings and irritability? Your world has changed. Even when your pregnancy is carefully planned, it is normal for your mind to suddenly be filled with questions about the timing, your career, finances, insurance, labor and delivery, motherhood, even the future costs of college.
It is perfectly normal to feel mixed emotions, excitement and depression, joy and sorrow, laughter and tears. Your partner may be very confused by this and may not seem to be supportive. Explain that your mood swings are very normal signs of pregnancy and that you need support and understanding.