Pregnancy Signs and Symptoms
pregnancy signs symptoms
What are the symptoms of pregnancy?
Pregnancy Signs and Symptoms
Basal body temperature stays high: If you’ve been charting your basal body temperature (your temperature when you first wake up in the morning) and you see that your temperature has stayed above the coverline for 18 days in a row, you’re probably pregnant.
Braxton Hicks contractions - These start from your 6th week, but you only feel them when you are about halfway your pregnancy.
Constipation - Pregnancy hormones will slow down bowel functions to give maximum absorption time of vitamins and nutrients.
Darkening of areola (breast nipple) - This can be one of the first symptoms which can appear as early as one week after conception and then throughout pregnancy. The symptom is due to increasing amount of hCG hormone that begins at implantation.
Dizzyness - The growing uterus compresses major arteries in your legs which causes your blood pressure to drop. This makes you feel light headed.
Excessive salivation - Glands produce more moisture during pregnancy due to hormones. The spitting stops at about 16 weeks.
Exhaustion or feeling sleepy - Can occur one to six weeks after conception and last your entire pregnancy.
Feeling pregnant - Call it a sixth sense, some women are just “feeling” pregnant.
Food cravings - About 85 percent of women report at least one food craving during pregnancy. They are caused by hormonal changes in the body. Sweet or salty snacks are most popular.
Frequent urination - This symptom is caused by hormone changes. You may see it six to eight weeks after conception and it will be with you for your entire pregnancy. This is caused by hormone changes and growing pressure on the bladder.
Having a positive pregancy test - The most obviuos one, apart from having a huge belly of course. Home pregnancy test are known to be 99% secure, but do see a doctor when your test is positive!
Headaches - As hormone levels fluctuate throughout a woman’s pregnancy, the frequency and severity of headaches may vary as well. About 2 in 5 women notice an increase of headaches during the first months of the pregnancy.
Heartburn - Two reasons: The uterus is very swollen and starts to push upward as it grows. The increasing levels of hCG will also slow down digestion making your stomach not empty as fast which increases the stomach acid.
Increased sense of smell - The slightest thing can make you feel nauseous.
Irritability - Hormones cause a lot of mood swings and irritability during a pregnancy.
Light bleeding - Light bleeding (spotting) may occur approximately 4 - 10 days from ovulation. It’s pink or brown in color, sometimes accompanied by stomach cramps. Caused by the egg implanting itself in the endometrial lining. Many women mistake this for a normal period.
Lower abdominal cramps - Stomach cramps in combination with a light bleeding: see `Light bleeding`
Missed period (Amenorrhea) or a period with less bleeding than normal - As soon as you get pregnant your periods stop. Instead, you will have a light bleeding (spotting) approximately 4 - 10 days from ovulation. Many women mistake this for a normal period.
Morning sickness - Morning sickness is very common. Most pregnant women have at least some morning sickness, and about a third have vomiting.
Nausea and vomiting - See `Morning sickness`
Tender or swollen breasts - This symptom is one that can appear rather quickly after fertilization - one to two weeks after conception and will most likely be with you your entire pregnancy. The symptom is due to increasing amount of hCG hormone that begins at implantation.
Tiredness - Your body goes through hormonal changes. hCG forms in your body, your temperature is higher due to the amount progesterone circulating through your body which will make you feel tired. Take it easier, eat more calories. (300 more a day)
Other Causes
Stress, illness, changes in diet and other situations can cause the pregnancy symptoms as well. The only way to confirm your pregnancy is to take a pregnancy test and then visit your doctor for confirmation. Home pregnancy tests are very reliable and most can show results as early as 10 to 14 days after fertilization.
Even if you have a postitive pregnancy test and have some or all of these pregnancy symptoms, you will need to visit your health care provider and get a blood test done to get the absolute confirmation of your pregnancy.
If you have these pregnancy symptoms and you believe that you are pregnant, be sure to take care of your health. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. If you are taking prescription or over the counter medication, be sure to check with your doctor to make sure they are safe to take while pregnant. Start taking folic acid to help ensure the health of your unborn child.
October 15th, 2009 at 1:45 am
I want a bump, NO Mine didn’t when I was preg with my 4th baby. My breats didn’t even hurt me (Bother or anything like that) I thought I couldn’t breastfeed her but after she was born I did get to breastfeed. Everyone is Different
October 15th, 2009 at 1:45 am
Hi all im after some advice i have been having lower tummy twinges and cramps feeling heavy down there esp today at work! Also ive had sore boobs and nausea. Could i be preg? af is due around the 19th of this month but it isnt regular but goes on about a 21 day cycle. Also today i hav had very sore leg cramps and my tummy feels very uncomfortable! arghh i gotta just wait but who knows really. We arent trying but we arent avoiding pregnancy either and havin unprotected sex.Did any1 get any of these symptoms?
October 15th, 2009 at 1:46 am
I’m 5 weeks 5 days link but i DO NOT feel pregnant. I mean not even in the slightest. I’m not bleeding or in any pain..i just feel like this is a dream not really true. My OB doesn’t like to see her paitents until 10 weeks that awhole month!! I’m just soo worried. Should i at least ask them to check my HCG levels?
October 15th, 2009 at 1:46 am
Im kinda confused bout something.. i have been having pains that feel like ligament pains. i started my period (or what i think was my period) on aug. 15th. was on for bout 3 days and i got off.. a week later i started spotting for one day. i keep having very bad headaches and lower stomach pains. could i be pregnant? and having symptoms already?
October 15th, 2009 at 1:46 am
Me and my husband have been trying for a baby for 2 weeks now and well i have noticed my Breast are leaking already and my breasts are swollen. I do think i am already Pregnant as this happened with our first baby, Does anyone think i am pregnant? Has anyone else felt the same too?
October 15th, 2009 at 1:47 am
DRhoping2be - you can get a blood test. Otherwise, wait a week and do the hpt again. Depending on what kind of hpt you have, some are more sensitive and can detect lower levels of hcg than others so you may want to check on that as well.
October 15th, 2009 at 1:47 am
Hi Ladies. Wondering if anyone can help anwser my questions! If so, please write a private message on my page! Thanks. I last had my period around July 3th (give or take a day) I’ve been cramping for about a week now like I’m going to get my period but still haven’t. I’m about 3 or so days late and it makes me very nervous because I normally get my period every 3 weeks… not every 30 days. I took a Digital Pregnancy test today and it says that I’m not pregnant. I have absolutely no symptoms of being pregnant… so why is my cycle late???? The only thing that I can think of is maybe from working out a lot. I have done about 20 miles this week, I go to the gym 3 hours a day… I just started so I am wondering if this is the reason why I am late… if any one has any ideas on what it could be, please let me know!!!!
October 15th, 2009 at 1:47 am
Then*Along*Came*7 - When I’m shaky it’s usually low blood sugar. Try to eat something healthy. Not caffine and such. Try some fruit with healthy sugars. It might help. This pregnancy I’ve been having a horrible time with eating. Either I can’t eat or don’t know what I want to eat so I don’t until it’s too late and then I’m scarfing whatever is in the fridge. Try an apple or orange.
October 15th, 2009 at 1:47 am
I am 10wks…. I had symptoms about 10 days before I even missed my period, this is my third but it’s been a long time since I have been pregnant as my youngest is 11. The first thing I noticed was my boobs getting bigger with veins visable and they were pretty sore and still are actuall…. hot flashes and lots of saliva, moring sickness started about a month ago and finally seems to be over Thank God!
October 15th, 2009 at 1:48 am
Hi Everyone, I’m new to the site and was wondering if any of you could provide some feedback for me. I’m 24 and have been ttc for a year and a half, recently we found out I have PCOS and this is my first month on clomid with a trigger shot. TOday is CD 22 I had my trigger shot last Thursday (8 days ago), 5 days ago I had an internal ultra sound to confirm my eggs had dropped and the same day I had what looked like implantation bleeding, but I’m thinking it may have been too early for that and it was the hormones or even the ultrasounds. Recently I’ve been having a lot of the positive signs of pregnancy (extreme tiredness, increase appitite, gassy, moody) but I’m wondering if it’s b/c of the trigger shot…now on the other hand my symptoms have been increasing and I would have thought they would decrease if it was becaus eof the shot….any thoughts would be appriciated…
October 15th, 2009 at 1:48 am
I started experiencing really strong symptoms a week after I ovulated! I was going to the bathroom all the time, feeling a little icky, boobs were tingly….I tested positive on day 8 after ovulation which is really early…it was faint but there…I bought a digital one and as clear as day it read ‘pregnant’…It’s not too early to be feeling the symptoms! How exciting!
October 15th, 2009 at 1:48 am
Pregnancy symptoms are caused by the pregnancy hormone which is what tests look for. So if you are experiencing symptoms then you have enough hormone for a test to pick up. However, I remember having serious pregnancy symptoms every month when I was ttc both times. When I got pregnant the second time I didn’t think i was pregnant even though I was experiencing symptoms only 3 weeks after my LMP. I thought I had the flu. My hubby knew better.
October 15th, 2009 at 1:49 am
Has anyone had pregnancy symptoms so soon ? My LMP was 7/5/09 and for the past week my boobs HURT !! They are heavy and seem to be ‘fuller’ almost and the veins are noticable now. My boobs have never hurt around the time of my period so im thinking im pregnant, which is VERY possible. Im due for my period on the 6th so i still think its too early to test, but has anyone ever had pregnancy symptoms so soon ?? Its driving me nuts not knowing