Some women expect that they’ll immediately feel it in their hearts when they become pregnant. While that’s a sweet sentiment, pregnancies rarely come to light through intuition. Instead, they’re more often identified by observing your body’s physical signs and sensations, and then confirming with a medical pregnancy test.
The most common early signs of pregnancy include…
1. Missed Period
While there’s no real physical feeling that comes with missing your period, if you’ve been sexually active leading up to a missed period, you’ll very likely feel some emotional triggers as days pass by with no period in sight. A missed period is the leading symptom that causes most women to suspect they’re pregnant, but you can actually experience other pregnancy symptoms before your missed period date.
2. Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea typically occurs two-to-eight weeks following conception, and according to the American Pregnancy Association, “up to 70 percent of expectant mothers experience nausea at some point during early pregnancy.” If you encounter this symptom, your stomach will feel queasy, but you may or may not actually throw up. Contrary to common belief, pregnancy-related nausea does not occur only in the morning, it can hit you at any point in the day or night, and many women describe is as coming in waves.
3. Cramping and Spotting
Some newly pregnant women misinterpret the spotting and cramping of “implantation bleeding” as being their period. When the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall, usually six-to-12 days after fertilization, it can produce some light bleeding and potentially cramps. This will generally be lighter than your typical period and should not be overlooked as a possible sign you are pregnant.
4. Sore Breasts
Breast tenderness can start within just a couple weeks of conception, as your body starts rapidly producing additional estrogen and progesterone. This causes glands in the breasts to grow. Coupled with increased fat and blood flow, your breasts will likely become fuller, larger and heavier. Soreness is a natural byproduct.
5. Fatigue or Tiredness
Your body undergoes a lot of changes very quickly when pregnant. Among these, variations in hormone levels, lowered blood sugar and blood pressure and elevated basal body temperature can all contribute to you feeling short on energy. Some women report fatigue as early as the first week of pregnancy.
And while those are the most common things you may feel…
There are several other symptoms that may or may not impact you to some degree. Back and body aches, bloating, frequent urination, constipation and headaches are all fairly common, as are nasal congestion, postnasal drip and heartburn. Then, of course, you also have potential for the mood swings and food cravings Hollywood loves to portray in every pregnancy movie.
Yet with so many ways the body usually tries to tell you you’re pregnant, some women legitimately don’t realize they are pregnant for months. These women may have irregular periods to begin with, so missing a couple in a row isn’t particularly uncommon for them. Or, as mentioned earlier, they may mistake implantation bleeding for their period. Or the other physical symptoms may just be so mild for them that they are overlooked.
Another common factor is denial, which is most often seen with unplanned pregnancies. In this circumstance, the woman is able to disregard or disassociate clear signs of pregnancy. This can be extremely dangerous for the health of both mother and baby, as it precludes getting necessary prenatal care.
If you’re experiencing pregnancy symptoms or otherwise suspect you may be pregnant, the first step is to get a medical pregnancy test. Combined with an obstetrical ultrasound, you’ll know for certain whether or not you are pregnant.
In Gainesville, Sira offers free medical pregnancy testing at our clinic on NW 13th Street. All women are welcome. There’s no insurance requirement and the testing and results are 100% confidential. Our compassionate staff are here to help you with all of your pregnancy needs.
Contact Sira today at 352-377-4947.