The early signs of pregnancy normally differ from person to person. Some women notice changes in the first few weeks after conception, while others may have little or no symptoms at first. Learning about common symptoms can help you understand what your body may be experiencing.
1. Missed Periods
One of the most well-known early signs of pregnancy is a missed period. If you have a regular monthly cycle and miss your period when it is due, pregnancy is one of the possible reasons. Other causes of a late period can include stress, hormonal changes, and illness.
2. Tender or Swollen Breasts
Early pregnancy hormonal changes can cause the breasts to be tender, swollen or more sensitive than usual. The nipples may also be more sensitive. The area around the nipples may slowly darken.
3. Nausea
Pregnancy nausea, also known as morning sickness, may occur during the first weeks of pregnancy. Nausea, despite its name, can strike at any time of day. Some people vomit, and most people feel sick.
4. Fatigue/Tiredness
Feeling more tired than usual is one of the early signs of pregnancy. First trimester fatigue may be caused by increased levels of the hormone progesterone and other changes in the body.
5. Increased Urination
You may notice that you urinate more frequently than usual. This happens because of increased blood flow and hormonal changes, which can cause your kidneys to process more fluid and make you need to use the bathroom more often.
6. Mild Cramps
Some women experience mild cramping in their lower abdomen as early as the time pregnancy begins. A number of factors can cause mild cramping, including normal menstrual-cycle changes, so cramping alone does not confirm pregnancy.
7. Light Spotting
Some women experience light spotting from the vagina during early pregnancy. It could be the time when you expect your period to come. However, there are many different causes of bleeding in pregnancy, and any bleeding that is persistent, heavy or worrying needs to be discussed with a healthcare professional.
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8. Changes in Taste and Smell
Hormonal changes can cause certain smells to be especially strong or cause foods to taste different. You may suddenly hate things that you used to like. Or like things that you never liked .
9. Mood Changes
Hormonal fluctuations can cause mood changes during early pregnancy. You may be more emotional, irritable or sensitive than usual.
How to Confirm Pregnancy
Symptoms alone cannot confirm a pregnancy since many of them can also be present before a period or with other conditions. A home pregnancy test works by detecting the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in urine. The most reliable result will be achieved by testing after a missed period and carefully following the test instructions.
If the pregnancy test is positive, seek appropriate prenatal care from a qualified healthcare professional.
The early pregnancy symptoms include: missed period, sore breasts, nausea, tiredness, frequent urination, light cramping, spotting, changes in taste or smell, mood swings. Not everyone has the same symptoms and having these symptoms does not necessarily mean that you are pregnant. The best way to know if you are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test.