What Are The Signs Of Pregnancy?
6 min readWritten by Pradeep
Pregnancy is that phase of a woman’s life that differs from one woman to the other, and that keeps her thinking consistently. Few women experience significant symptoms on their onset, while others don’t get too many indications. So, it will be interesting to know what its indicators are and how to determine if one is pregnant. Generally, getting the ultrasound or testing for pregnancy are the two vital sources that help in determining the pregnancy, but there are many signs that one can look for. The missed menstrual cycle is one of them, but others like nausea, tiredness, morning sickness, headaches, etc.
How Much Time Does It Take To Detect If One Is Pregnant?
Generally, if tested for pregnancy, there are chances to get a positive result if the test is conducted on the very first day of the missed period. If the home kits are used, you get the result instantly, but if you get the tests done at the clinic, it can take to about 24 hrs. These days kits which detect “early response” are available as well, which can detect the pregnancy even five days before the period cycle has been missed. Other complex tests tend to confirm the pregnancy within eight days of conceiving.
What Are The Signs Of Pregnancy?
After knowing how soon the pregnancy can be detected, let us have a short sneak peek to the symptoms as well, as they are also signaling enough, though the test is the confirmation benchmark, yet these cannot be missed as well.
1. Acute Fatigue:
Fatigue is a significant factor in determining pregnancy, though it is not normal or regular tiredness. Fatigue in pregnancy makes one totally drained out and irritated as well, with that are also the hunger pangs, weepiness, etc. This tiredness is usually felt in the initial 4-6 weeks of conceiving. Rarely felt by women at two weeks as well.
2. Breast Changes:
Another noticeable feature that can indicate the onset of pregnancy so the changes that happen to the breasts. The breast changes are not one but many related to color, appearance, size, discomfort, etc. Let us know study a few different types of changes that take place in pregnancy.
- Darkening of nipples.
- The appearance of blue veins.
- Enlarged size of nipples.
- Painful breasts
- Breast tenderness
- Swelling of breasts
- Discomfort and irritation in the breast.
The breast changes are generally noticeable in the early two weeks after conceiving. This is often misleading as some breast changes also take place for women before the menstrual cycle begins, but in the case of pregnancy, it does not disappear soon and becomes more discomforting as time passes.
3. Nausea
Another very common symptom is the feeling of nausea and is again different from nausea that is the result of some viruses. Nausea in pregnancy lasts almost throughout the whole day and worsens as pregnancy advances. Initially, it might start with a feeling of sickness, and the latter could lead to excessive vomiting. It is seen that some women feel nausea within two weeks of conception, while others only feel once they have hit four weeks or so.
4. Slight Spotting or Implantation Bleeding :
This is not common to all pregnant women, but most of the women do slight experience spots like the blood, which is often mistaken for a menstrual cycle; however, it is implantation bleeding. This differs from the regular period cycle as it happens only from the 1st to the third day and is very light, not like a consistent flow of blood, many say that spotting is brown in color and not red like the blood in the menstrual cycle.
5. Missing Your Period:
The most obvious symptom is the period cycle being missed, in case one does not get the period cycle at the usual time like earlier months, it is indication enough to get one tested for pregnancy.
6. Metallic Taste In Mouth:
The feeling of having weird flavors, especially a metallic one, is also a sign for many women when being pregnant.
7. Aversion To Certain Foods And /Or Drinks
The aversion to food and drinks, which were once the favorite, is a signal for pregnancy. Many alcoholics, tea, and coffee lovers start detesting the taste of it when pregnant.
8. Heightened Sense of Smell
Nausea feeling that one starts to get from the smell of the soap, perfumes, or even while cooking, especially the smell of asafoetida, is also a sign indicating towards pregnancy.
9. Feeling Dizzy and Light-headed:
Getting bouts of headaches or feeling dizzy are other signs to watch for pregnancy.
10. Increased Urination:
The urge to urinate more than normal or waking up frequently at night to urinate is even signs of pregnancy.
11. Feeling Different:
Just feeling different for no reason is also the sign to look out for in pregnancy.
12. Feeling Emotional:
Weepiness is also a sign of pregnancy as it is seen that pregnant ladies often get emotional on little topics and start crying very easily, which otherwise, they would not.
Can You Be Pregnant With No Symptoms?
While there have been many symptoms listed that can be the pregnancy sign, many pregnant ladies do not feel any symptoms; it all be it nausea, breast discomfort, indigestion, food aversions, or cravings. So, like it was discussed earlier, all women differ from each other, so for some, the pregnancy is very difficult, while for others, a very smooth one. This does not mean that the woman who feels no symptoms are abnormal or chosen one, just that they have a different body type and hormonal changes aren’t too disturbing for them. For some, these changes play havoc, while for some, they aren’t too severe. Though there are some pregnancy symptoms which will be manifested by all pregnant ladies yet with a difference. Let us have a look below:
Frequency and Severity of Symptoms:
Just as one pregnant lady and the other are not similar, so are the symptoms. The symptoms could be more intense and frequent for one but not for the other. One could notice it too soon but the other may not, that’s the irony, yet both are pregnant. Likewise, the frequency differs as well, while one woman can feel it in a few days, others might in weeks. Some days there will be cramping, others could lead to indigestion or no problems at all.
Being said that, pregnancy symptoms can be seen in all women by the fourth week, whether they have mild or strong ones. Breast changes are bound to happen though time may vary, and so might the weight gain and appearance.
Crazy Dreams and Other Tell-tale Signs You’re Expecting:
Most of the symptoms that were seen in the first-trimester start disappearing while few will stay till the pregnancy lasts or even after delivery. All these tell tales keep coming from other experienced and elderly people, and to top, it all is the dreams.
No symptoms for some pregnant ladies, weight gain, nausea, tiredness nothing can be felt, or they aren’t noticeable or discomforting for them, so body type plays a major role and it is nothing unusual if a lady delivers without having any discomfort or does not look pregnant until the third trimester.
How Can I Tell I am Pregnant Without A Test?
Apart from the symptoms listed above and the obvious tests, there are many other ways to find out of one if pregnant. Let us see them in brief:
- Missing Of The Menstrual Cycle: Not getting the cycle on the usual time of the month is an indication of pregnancy as after fertilization, the eggs aren’t released, not leading to menstruation.
- Slight Spotting: When the fertilized egg gets implanted on the uterine walls, one notices bleeding, also known as spotting that is generally not like regular periods but very little and is brown in color and accompanied by severe cramping.
- Morning Sickness: A common indicator is that of morning sickness, where the pregnant woman is sick once she is awake in the morning and can vomit due to any reason, this happens due to increased hormonal levels.
- Breast Sensitivity: sore, tender or swollen breasts, white color dots around the areola, dark color nipples are other signs to look for.
- Having To Feel Full: Even after eating little, if a lady starts to feel full and feels bloated, it is due to high progesterone levels.
- Urination Frequency: Due to high water retention and increased blood circulation, the urge to urinate increases than before.
- Back Pain: Early stages of pregnancy can be characterized by back pains, which could be due to hormonal changes or tension, this is persistent and does not go away until the baby is delivered, sometimes even after that, though it can be minimized by physical activity and yoga.
- Mood Fluctuations: Sudden mood swings, irritability, weird feelings of being happy and sad at the same time are all signs of pregnancy and are the result of increased hormonal levels.
- Gums Sensitivity: Painful gums and even bleeding ones while trying to brush are an indicator of pregnancy.
- Redness of Palms: Increased estrogen levels in the mother’s body are signs of pregnancy as well.
- Pigmentation: Pigmentation on the face and body, dark nipples, dark spots on nose, and lips are all signs of pregnancy, and they disappear once the baby is delivered.
- Pimples And Itchiness: Appearance of pimples, skin becoming patchy, itchy, dry, or sensitive are all signs of pregnancy. These can be combatted by some prescribed pregnancy creams.
- Spider Veins: Due to additional amounts of estrogen in the blood, one can see the appearance of spider veins or varicose veins as they are called, which tend to disappear after delivery.
- Dark Hairline: A dark line is visible, starting from the uterus to the pubic bone, indicating pregnancy. However, it may appear earlier in case it’s the second pregnancy.
Thus, in order to gauge pregnancy, there are many tests and a plethora of symptoms that one can watch for, it could be all, none, a combination of few with less or more intensity. However, the best bet is to seek medical intervention and do not rely only on symptoms. Also, the best bet will be to combat these symptoms with a positive approach, let the pregnant woman be happy, cheerful, and active so that the baby is how the mother is.
Pradeep,
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