Pregnancy

It is always good to know the exact time when you get pregnant so that you can consult a doctor and start taking proper care of your health and also that of your baby’s. But not all women understand that they are pregnant until several days after conception, for others a number of weeks may pass before they actually get to know that they are bearing a child. For women of past and present ages, a missed period has been the first step to test whether she is pregnant. While the symptom is common, there are also other signs to confirm pregnancy in the early stages. Let’s take a look at some of these. However it is very important to remember that the early signs to confirm pregnancy may not be the same in every woman, rather some women do not experience any of these symptoms even though they are pregnant!

Early Pregnancy Signs

Missed Period
For a girl who has had her periods every month at a fairly regular time, a missed period is a sure sign to visit the doctor and get a pregnancy test done. However, you may miss your periods for several other reasons like poor health or sudden weight gain and loss.

Food Cravings

If you are pregnant, you may have an unnatural craving for food. This again is not a sure sign of pregnancy, because food craving occurs even when your body has a deficit of essential nutrients.

Swollen Breasts

If you are pregnant, your breasts will undergo a change within two weeks of conception. They usually become swollen and sensitive to the touch. It is due to the hormones that are discharged in the body at the time of pregnancy that the breasts look heavier. This symptom also occurs in many women before their periods.

Blackening Of Areolas

The skin surrounding your nipples starts darkening when you are pregnant. This again may occur due to hormonal imbalance in the woman’s body.

Implantation Bleeding

After around two weeks of conception, you may notice spotting and cramping similar to the ones you experience during periods. Implantation bleeding is different from periods, because in the former the color of blood is pink or brown. It also does not continue as long as periods. Implantation bleeding occurs when the fertilized egg enters into the blood vessels of the uterus. This is almost a sure sign of pregnancy.  

Nausea & Dizziness

Commonly known as morning sickness, nausea and a faint feeling is what a pregnant woman experiences soon after getting up in the morning. This is because of the drop of blood pressure as a result of the dilating of blood vessels during pregnancy. However, a dizzy, nauseated feeling in the early hours may occur because of several other reasons.

Tiredness

A pregnant woman feels tired and sleepy often. This is because of the drop in blood sugar levels, low blood pressure and increased production of the progesterone hormone.

Abdominal Bloating

Your waistline may increase if you are pregnant. If the bloating of the abdomen is accompanied with a missed period, then you can rest assured that you are pregnant.

Constipation

Constipation is a common problem in pregnant women. Though constipation alone cannot assure the fact that you are pregnant, other signs of pregnancy when clubbed together with constipation hint at a sure-shot sign of pregnancy. Constipation occurs because more progesterone hormones in the body does not allow an easy passage of food through the intestines.

Mood Swings

Pregnancy is often accompanied with sudden mood swings due to a greater hormonal discharge in the body. An expectant mother usually feels happy one moment, excited other and then sad immediately. If you too are going through sudden mood swings along with other symptoms of pregnancy, then chances are you might be pregnant. Hoever, mood swings alone do not indicate pregnancy.

Though the symptoms mentioned above are the early signs of pregnancy, it is always advisable to consult a medical practitioner to confirm pregnancy.