Although pregnancy tests ultrasounds are the only accurate ways of determining a pregnant woman, there are some early signs that if you start seeing, then it means you should go for a pregnancy test.
Once you start seeing these signs, the next step should be to go for an ultrasound to confirm it.
Remember, early symptoms of pregnancy may vary woman to woman, but what your early pregnancy signs are could be something other than a sign of pregnancy.
The 15 Earliest Pregnancy Symptoms
These are the first signs that might intrigue you or push you to go visit a hospital or maternity home for the tests.- Changes in your breasts and areolas
If your breasts become swollen, tender and sore or perhaps your nipples start darkening and protruding in preparation for breast feeding, then it might mean that you've become pregnant. The areolas may also start getting larger.Note: Your areola is the colored area around each nipple.
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- You start urinating frequently
If you notice that you now get up routinely at night for trips to the bathroom, then it could mean that there is an implantation of a fertilized egg on the uterine wall.Even while the embryo is still tiny, the hCG hormone often triggers frequent urges to urinate. So frequent urination doesn't necessary mean that there is a real pressure from your growing baby.
- Nausea
Although nausea is a non-specific symptom, meaning that that it has many possible causes which include migraine, gastroenteritis, low blood sugar, food poisoning, fainting or dizziness, it can also mean an early sign of pregnancy.About 50% of women also have vomiting along with nausea during their first trimester. However, queasiness and vomiting will subside by the second trimester in majority of women due to the production of the hCG hormone plateaus.
- Fatigue and exhaustion
Progesterone is an endogenous steroid and progestogen sex hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of humans and other species.The progesterone levels begin to rise rapidly and will continue to do so throughout the first three months of pregnancy. These sudden increase in progesterone may leave you utterly tired and exhausted.
- A cold
Viruses and bacteria may utilize the opportunity of the increase in progesterone to attack your body. This is the reason pregnant mamas might start experiencing cold as one of the signs of pregnancy.- Puffy and sore gums
The mouth bacteria may also start flourishing, thereby causing puffy and sore gums to the women. This is because the immune systems might become weakened due to the sudden increase in progesterone.- Excess saliva
Excess saliva in pregnancy is usually caused by the beginning heart burn and morning sickness which are all early signs of pregnancy.
During pregnancy, the progesterone will relax the body muscles, causing the valve that closes the esophagus off from the stomach to stay slightly ajar. This might make the stomach acid to go up, leading to heart burns.
- Cervical mucus
During ovulation, the cervical mucus will increase and thickens in order to help carry sperm to meet the egg. If there is no conception, the stretchy cervical mucus usually dries up in around 24 hours of ovulation but if conception occurs, there will be a continuous production of the cervical mucus for multiple days after the date of ovulation.Although the difference is kind of subtle, women that know their cycles and bodies very well will interpret it among the earliest positive sign of pregnancy.
- Cramping and bloating
Egg implantation on the uterine wall can create similar premenstrual symptoms and could be signs of early pregnancy.Most women also experience mild uterine cramping as during the implantation of the egg, this can in some occurrences, extend a mild backache and abdominal bloating.
- Constipation
The progesterone is to be blamed again for this symptom as it may slow down your bowels during pregnancy.So endeavor to take enough water during pregnancy to control this.
- Spotting
Light bleeding or spotting of the underwear can also mean be a sign of pregnancy. Spotting can range from pink-tinged discharge, to brown or bright red while bleeding is when there’s enough fluid to soak through a pad or panty liner.Around 25-30% of women experience spotting during the first few days of their pregnancy and might be mistaken for a regular period because implantation will likely occur during a regular menstrual cycle.
- Food sensitivity and aversion
You might start noticing food sensitivity and aversion during your period of pregnancy due to the feeling of nausea. Food you previously enjoyed might not stop feeling appealing to you while some other foods seem to hit the spot.This is not strange, hormone fluctuations during this time might trigger cravings for some certain foods and sensitivity for the rest.
- Metallic taste
This is perhaps the weirdest pregnancy symptom, the persistent metallic taste in the mouth that usually lingers even after eating food.Many women have previously reported this symptom without understanding that cause, however it's as a result of the true side effect of the hormonal shifts that are taking place in your body
- Temperature sensitivity
You might start feeling unusually cold, or hot or even strange while pregnant. It's nothing new, it comes because of the hormonal changes of conception and early pregnancy.- Moodiness
Another symptom of pregnancy is that it has effects on your mood and emotions. So you might notice yourself feeling particularly hormonal during this period.
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