Early Signs Of Pregnancy

August 20, 2023

Experiencing certain aches and ailments that have made you anxious about the next nine months? While a pregnancy test can help confirm pregnancy with high certainty, a woman's body is the first line of response when it comes to letting her know if she is expecting a bundle of joy. As it is poor judgment to treat one symptom as proof, everyone should consider each sign individually, and if they have experienced at least three, it may be time for serious planning. The sooner a woman determines if she is pregnant, the better she can prepare.

Sore Breasts

Sore breasts are a common problem for new and expectant mothers, and this symptom can arise as early as one to two weeks after conception. As for the reason why women may experience tenderness in their breasts when pregnant, it has to do with hormonal changes in the body. A woman's breasts are preparing for their future job as the supplying nourishment for the child. This hormonal shift can lead to darkening of the nipples or areolae, and an increase in breast size. The good news is this pain and tenderness is fleeting, and it will typically subside after a few weeks, as the woman's body will have adjusted to the hormonal changes.

Next, discover how feeling tired all the time can indicate pregnancy.

Fatigue

Fatigue is another extremely common symptom many expectant mothers experience. Much like with breast soreness or tenderness, this has to do with changes in the body's hormone levels. The main culprit in the excessive fatigue of mothers-to-be is progesterone, which spikes during pregnancy. High levels of progesterone can lead to sleepiness. Other factors contributing to the lack of energy many women experience include low blood sugar, lowered blood pressure, and an increase in blood production. All of these issues can conspire to drain women of any energy they have for the day over a short amount of time.

Continue reading to learn how headaches can be an early indicator of pregnancy.

Headaches

The majority of pregnant women will experience headaches to some degree. These headaches may vary in severity, duration, and frequency. They are often a symptom of pregnancy during the first trimester. Headaches are less common during the second trimester, but they may start up again or become worse during the third trimester. In the first trimester, the body goes through a hormonal surge and increases its volume of blood. Both of these factors can lead to headaches, especially when they're combined. Additional aggravating factors can cause headaches to worsen. If affected women have poor posture, there may be increased pressure and tension on their spine and neck. Even if their posture is usually good, the changes in their body might alter how they hold themselves. Stress can increase tension headaches as well. It's very common for pregnant women to experience increased stress regarding the changes in their bodies and the future. Changes in vision may also lead to worsened headaches.

Discover additional signs of pregnancy now.

Sensitive To Smells

Many pregnant women have reported their noses became exceptionally sensitive to certain smells in the early stages of pregnancy. When this symptom strikes, even the faintest whiff of a pleasant aroma feels like a gag-inducing blast of nose-searing funk. Even if women are motivated to shop for cleaning agents, they may become paralyzed from the overwhelming assault of chemical scents lining the shopping aisle.

When trying to discern why pregnancy bolsters a woman's olfactory senses, the best explanation boils down, once again, to hormones. The increased levels of estrogen and human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is the primary culprit. When paired with the next symptom, this sensitivity to smell can be even more of an ordeal to endure. If women find themselves frequently assault by strong smells, they should consider washing their clothes more often, or swapping over to unscented cleansers or at least relatively mild smells like lemon or mint. The good news is this sharp sense of smell will vanish sometime within the second trimester.

Continue reading to learn about what is perhaps the most iconic symptom of pregnancy now.

Nausea

Bouts of nausea often manifest at the same time as a sudden awareness that formerly inoffensive odors have metamorphosed into retching triggers. Also known as morning sickness, you may experience nausea with vomiting, with just nausea, and sometimes vomiting by itself. Four out of every five pregnant mothers experience morning sickness, making it one of the most prominent and iconic of symptoms of pregnancy. While a shift in the body's hormone levels is once again the chief instigator here, it is specifically the changes in estrogen, hCG, progesterone, and possibly even hypoglycemia, that can lead to this unpleasant sensation. If women happen to be dealing with this particular issue, they should stick to light fares such as crackers, rice, and ginger. This should provide women with some relief while theywait out the remaining months in their pregnancy.

Read more about the early signs of pregnancy now.

Food Cravings Or Aversions

One commonly known pregnancy symptom is strange food cravings and aversions. Women may find they suddenly can't stand foods they usually love. Some women develop aversions so strong that they can't stand the smell of certain foods, or they may even begin feeling nauseous just seeing others eat those foods. Food cravings can take on infinite forms, and every expecting mother has a unique experience. These symptoms aren't generally cause for concern, and it is okay to indulge in candy and sweet foods. Of course, a pregnant woman should avoid foods that can have ill effects on her developing baby. In some unusual cases, expectant mothers might develop cravings for items that aren't food. It's common for chalk and clay to be cited as non-food cravings. If women experience this, they should talk to a doctor. This condition is known as pica, and it can sometimes indicate a nutritional deficiency.

Continue reading to learn more about the early signs of pregnancy now.

Mood Swings

Mood swings are among the most common symptoms of early pregnancy. Some women don't experience many serious changes in their moods, but it's normal and expected for there to be some emotional changes. Some of the mood changes are related to the rapid hormonal changes and shifts happening in the body. Women might also have heightened emotions regarding the combination of excitement and stress that comes along with being pregnant and preparing to bring a child into the world. Many pregnant women report experiencing more anxiety while pregnant than they usually do. It's also common for pregnant women to struggle to get a full night of comfortable sleep, which can cause fatigue. Fatigue and exhaustion contribute largely to emotional volatility and decreased impulse control. The metabolism also undergoes rapid changes during pregnancy. Shifting levels of progesterone and estrogen commonly affect a woman's moods. When a woman's hormone levels change significantly, it can affect her brain's neurotransmitter levels. These chemicals regulate her moods, tiredness, and ability to reason.

Get more details on the signs of pregnancy now.

Missed Period

A missed period can often be a characteristic sign of pregnancy. For women who didn't expect to be pregnant, it's sometimes the first symptom they notice. But missed periods aren't always related to pregnancy. Many women don't have regular menstrual cycles in the first place. A variety of hormonal issues and physical conditions can cause this. Sometimes there's no underlying cause a doctor can pinpoint, and the abnormal cycle just appears to be that woman's baseline. For women who don't have regular periods, they might not know they've missed a period or that it was because of pregnancy. Missed periods typically become noticeable in the first trimester of pregnancy. Women can still have some spotting or bleeding during the time their period usually happens even if they're pregnant. This typically occurs around six to twelve days following conception. This is called 'implantation bleeding,' and it doesn't tend to last as long or have as heavy a flow as their usual period. The bleeding occurs due to the attachment of the egg to the uterine wall.

Uncover more pregnancy signs now.

Elevated Basal Body Temperature

An elevated basal body temperature can be a sign a woman is pregnant. Many women use basal body temperature as a means to track their fertility cycles when trying to get pregnant. Women need to gather a few months of data before they have usable information. With this data charted, women can look for patterns in their temperature. Temperature tends to rise by a degree or so immediately before ovulation. When pregnant, the woman's body temperature will remain at the elevated level for multiple days rather than dropping back to its usual position. Women might still experience bleeding when they usually menstruate, or they might miss their period entirely. When tracking ovulation, a woman's cycle will typically be marked by elevated temperatures for a minimum of three days. When a woman's temperature has stayed elevated for a minimum of sixteen days without dropping, it's a common sign of pregnancy. This is a symptom that requires active monitoring, research, and planning to catch. A rise in temperature for one day does not indicate pregnancy alone.

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