Early Signs Of Pregnancy: Everything That You Need To Know

In this article, we will be shedding light on how to know if you are pregnant and what to consider as early pregnancy signs.

Introduction

Pregnancy, also known as gestation, occurs when the male sperm fertilizes the female egg during sexual intercourse. This lasts usually for about 40 weeks where a lot of hormonal as well as body changes are noticed.

As much as it brings happiness into your life, it is also a cause of worry for someone who isn’t expecting/wanting a child.

The most common early pregnancy signs found around are:

• Missed menstrual period
• Nausea/vomiting
• Tender or swollen breasts
• Fatigue
• Mood swings
• Increased urination
• Bloating
• Food aversions
• Constipation
• Light spotting
• Nasal congestion

You must pay attention to the above-mentioned early pregnancy signs to decide your course of action.
Going further into this article, let us discuss in depth the above-mentioned early pregnancy signs to have a better understanding.

Missed Menstrual Period:

Unless your period cycle is irregular, missing your period is causing an alarm. A period is legitimately missed only in two circumstances – at its onset or at the time of menopause, that is, at its end.

However, this is not a sole indicator of pregnancy. Delayed periods can also be a reason for lifestyle changes or health conditions. To identify the true cause of the delay, taking assistance from a medical professional is advised.

Nausea/Vomiting:

Nausea and vomiting referred to as ‘morning sickness’ collectively in the English-speaking world, is another early pregnancy sign. Its occurrence is seen in the sixth week of pregnancy. Dizziness, feeling sick, and nauseous are some symptoms that you may feel at the arrival of pregnancy.

So, if you have missed your period and there have been frequent spells of vomiting, it is a matter of concern, and care should be taken at the earliest.

Tender or Swollen Breasts:

Owing to hormonal changes, breast pain is an early pregnancy sign. Pregnancy brings along tender, swollen, and often aching breasts. The milk ducts begin to grow for facilitating lactation and your breasts may appear larger than normal.

At times, you may also feel a tingling sensation and notice blue veins across your breasts. If you have missed a period accompanied by the above-mentioned changes in size and texture of breasts, you are likely pregnant.

Fatigue:

Fatigue, which normally is looked upon as a lack of energy is a good early pregnancy sign! In pregnancy fatigue, you feel tired and exhausted throughout the day and wait for the opportunity to hit the bed.

Research has confirmed that feeling exhausted and dreary is completely fine because this is an indication that your body hormones are burning the midnight oil to help the baby inside you grow. Thus, taking adequate rest is necessary.

Mood Swings:

If you plan to overlook this factor because ‘mood swings are synonymous with women’, do not make that mistake! Due to the constant hormonal gush, one tends to feel extra emotional and sensitive. With a heavy supply of progesterone and estrogen, which are female hormones, mental health and wellbeing are impacted in multifold.

A mood change like feeling easily irritated, infuriated or tear-eyed is experienced in the first few weeks of pregnancy. However, once the hormonal balance improves, these early pregnancy signs gradually fade away.

When you are undergoing such complex changes within you, it is advised that your partner or family takes care of you, and your whims and fancies.

Increased Urination:

One of the standard early pregnancy signs, an increase in the urge to urinate is large, because of the excess production of human chorionic gonadotropin hormone. According to sources, bright-yellow coloured urine is a sign of pregnancy and the need to use the restroom is more than the regular urinary pattern.

If you are someone who visits the restroom about four to eight times a day, you may now feel the urge to pee around ten times a day. However, this is not true for everyone. Another expecting woman would possibly have the same restroom visit count as before pregnancy.

Increased urination can also be due to vaginal infection, or the entering of soapy water into your vagina. Thus, if you are facing this symptom, consult a doctor’s aid immediately.

Bloating:

Sometimes occurring even before a missed period, bloating is another early pregnancy sign in females. During early pregnancy, the hormone progesterone is produced, which aids in supporting the body. This hormone helps in relaxing the muscles of the body.

One of the effects of progesterone is that it slows down the process of digestion. Thus, the gases remain trapped inside the stomach, slowly leading to bloating. Although causing the belly to swell up, and also leading to mild pain in the pelvic region, bloating does not affect the baby and does not last more than 30 minutes.

When bloating lasts longer than the normal duration and causes pain in the abdomen region, consulting a doctor is crucial.

Food Aversions:

In early pregnancy, along with mood swings, likes and dislikes about food items also change. You will feel a timeless, sudden craving for any particular dish which you may normally not prefer eating. For expecting mothers, a few out of the usually craved items include – eggs, garlic, onion, spicy food, meat, and dairy products.

Food aversions normally last for the entire nine months of your pregnancy. In some cases, it may also wear off and reappear.

At this time, intake of adequate nutrients and a balanced meal is important because the baby inside you also feeds on the food you eat.

Constipation:

As soon as the progesterone hormone production increases in the body, the intestinal muscles begin to relax which leads to bloating as discussed earlier. As a result of this, you are likely to feel constipated or blocked. You must have regular motions so that similar complications are at bay.

This early pregnancy sign is not commonly found but needs to be treated immediately as it can lead to future problems when the uterus starts to increase in size.

Light-Spotting:

Light-bleeding or vaginal spotting being its other names, it occurs primarily due to implantation. When the egg which is fertilized by the male sperm implants itself on the membrane lining of the uterus, bleeding is natural.

It can be noticed within the first 6-12 days of early pregnancy when you see a trace of pink, brown, or red-coloured stain on your underwear. This is also an indication that you are on your way to deliver a healthy baby, so relax!

Nasal Congestion:

With more blood being circulated in the female body at the time of pregnancy, a lot of blood reaches the tiny blood vessels in the nose. This causes the blood cells to swell up, leading to nasal congestion. The nasal passages get swollen up a bit and extra care needs to be taken at this time.

This might sound like a grave issue, but drinking plenty of liquids and trying saline nasal sprays are a few suggested solutions to find relief from nasal congestion.

With this point coming to an end, we have tried to cover all the essential early pregnancy signs which you need to be aware of.

Bonus Read: Exercising during pregnancy: Tips for safe pregnancy workout

Conclusion:

“Pregnancy is the happiest reason ever for feeling like crap”. Indeed this is true in every aspect! All the mood swings, cramps, and nausea are worth it when you see your baby entering the real world. Hence, pay attention to every change your body showcases and consult a medical professional if the need for the same arises.

As we bring this article to a close, we hope that we could impart significant knowledge about the early pregnancy signs which you need to take care of. Remember, prenatal care is important and none of the above-mentioned signs should be ignored at any cost.