This article is about what early signs of pregnancy are in the female body, even before the delay. Attention to your own body will help you recognize the first symptoms of pregnancy within a week or two after conception.
The main sign of pregnancy is considered a delay in menstruation – it is she who usually makes a woman rush to the pharmacy for a test. Sometimes for menstruation is taken implantation bleeding, which occurs when the embryo is introduced into the wall of the uterus. If the timing of embryo implantation roughly coincides with the expected date of menstruation, there is a risk of finding out about pregnancy 4-5 weeks later, since the next menstruation will most likely not start on time. Implantation bleeding differs from menstrual bleeding in shorter duration (sometimes it lasts no more than several hours, less often – several days), a small volume of discharge and their lighter color.
1. An early sign, which has become the subject of many jokes, is a change in taste, a desire for unusual, most often salty or sour food. This symptom often appears even before the delay, as well as sensitivity to odors, mood swings, drowsiness, lethargy, or, conversely, irritability. Sharp fluctuations in the level of hormones sometimes literally change a woman before her eyes: energetic ladies become apathetic and whiny, and soft and docile, on the contrary, nervous.
Changes in hormone levels can also affect a woman’s appearance. For the early stages of pregnancy, swelling of the face and the appearance of acne associated with the activation of the sebaceous glands are often characteristic.
An increase in basal temperature is one of the earliest symptoms of the onset of pregnancy. Women who closely monitor its changes usually notice a persistent increase in it within a few days after conception. Normally, the basal temperature rises during ovulation and soon drops again, but during pregnancy it remains elevated.
The next symptom is an increase in the sensitivity of the mammary glands. They may even slightly increase in size, become painful, some women note a burning or tingling sensation.
It is important not to confuse breast tenderness during pregnancy with a similar increase in sensitivity, reminiscent of the approach of menstruation.
But nausea and dizziness usually appear after a delay in menstruation and cannot be considered an early sign of pregnancy. Toxicosis, one of the symptoms of which is the well-known nausea of pregnant women, usually begins as early as the sixth to eighth week of pregnancy.
Frequent urination can also indicate the onset of pregnancy. This symptom differs from cystitis and other diseases of the genitourinary system in painlessness, in the absence of burning sensation. But the intestines can work more slowly, bloating, constipation are often noted. Associated with this is the confidence of some women that their tummy began to grow almost from the first month of pregnancy – in fact, increased gas production and swelling of the intestinal walls are to blame for the increase in the abdomen. In fact, during pregnancy, the belly begins to increase in size from about the fourth month.
Many women report the appearance of aching pain in the lower abdomen in the first weeks of pregnancy. This is due to the growth of the uterus and the stretching of the ligaments that support it.
After conception, vaginal discharge may change – it becomes more abundant and liquid.
Swelling, constipation, pain in the mammary glands – all these symptoms are considered subjective, they can manifest themselves to varying degrees in different women, they are not a sign of pregnancy, but a disease. It is not recommended to consult a doctor to establish the fact of pregnancy before a delay in menstruation: the chances of making a mistake are too great. Therefore, doctors diagnose pregnancy based on more reliable signs. These include those that can only be noticed by a specialist.
The first signs of pregnancy
One of these signs is an increase in the uterus and a decrease in its density. Like cyanosis and thickening of the cervix, this is a fairly reliable sign, but it is impossible to establish these changes without a gynecological examination. Such changes appear after the fifth week of pregnancy.
After conception, the level of a special hormone – chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) rises in a woman’s body
Both “home” tests and laboratory tests are based on determining its level, which allow determining the onset of pregnancy with a high degree of reliability. At the same time, tests used at home often give false results, so doctors prefer to refer women to laboratory tests.
The doctor can also establish pregnancy with the help of an ultrasound examination – the ovum is in the uterus and the specialist sees its location within three weeks after conception. Usually, the first ultrasound is prescribed already at the end of the first trimester of pregnant women, however, if an ectopic pregnancy is suspected, it can be performed much earlier.