Signs of pregnancy can differ from woman to woman and from each pregnancy. A woman may experience different symptoms for each different pregnancy as no two are alike. Some women may show signs within a few days while others may not appear for several weeks. There have been many cases where a woman did not know she was pregnant until labor pains hit.
One of the most significant signs that you are pregnant is a missed menstrual cycle. However, if your menstrual cycle is irregular or you haven’t kept up with it, it may be hard to determine when your period is late. Also, a missed period may not be the earliest sign. Several things may appear to give you clues that you may be pregnant before your next menstrual cycle comes along.
Some women experience signs of pregnancy but they are in fact not pregnant. This medical condition is called pseudocyesis or false pregnancy. If ever in doubt, go take a home pregnancy test. With today’s medical technology, these home tests are 99% accurate and work in minutes. They can positively identify whether you are pregnant or not.
Signs Of Pregnancy
There are many symptoms of being pregnant and each can occur at different intervals. Here is a list of common signs:
Implantation Bleeding: This is one of the earliest signs of being pregnant. It can occur anywhere from 6 to12 days after conception. The fertilized embryo will implant itself to the blood-rich wall of the uterus. This may cause some spotting as well as cramps. The bleeding is very light and lasts only for a few days. This symptom can often be confused with a light menstrual period.
Tender Or Swollen Breasts: These symptoms can appear as early as 1 to 2 weeks after conception and are another of the earliest signs. The breasts get sensitive and sore due to the increasing levels of hormones. Many women experience sore breasts right before their period which is why this can commonly be misdiagnosed. The soreness and discomfort lasts during the first trimester but will soon after go away as the body adjusts the hormones.
Nausea And Vomiting: This tell-tell sign rears its ugly head between 2 to 8 weeks. The common term is ‘morning sickness’ and most women experience it a month after conception. It gets its name because traditionally it happens when a woman first wakes up in the morning but it can actually last all day and night. The effects of nausea vary depending on the pregnancy and some women are lucky enough to escape its effects entirely. It usually lasts for the first trimester before diminishing.
A Missed Period: A missed period is the universal sign that a woman is pregnant (but not always). If a woman keeps track of her period and notices that her period is late, then this could occur before any other signs reveal themselves. If this happens, then the woman can take a pregnancy test and find the results. However, if a woman’s period is irregular, then other symptoms may appear before she notices.
Some women do experience late periods or miss them altogether for a month.
Darkening Of Areolas: When you are pregnant, the areolas, which is the skin around your nipples, gets darker than normal. This sign doesn’t usually show up until later in the pregnancy, though.
Fatigue: Feeling tired and like you have no energy is a common sign of pregnancy. It is not known what exactly causes a woman to feel tired early on in the pregnancy but doctors believe it is related to change in the hormone progesterone. The fatigue should disappear during the second trimester. However, it comes back in the last trimester due to carrying the extra weight and being uncomfortable all the time.
Food Cravings: Strange food craving occur at any time during the pregnancy. A woman may crave certain foods during the first trimester and this could last all the way through the pregnancy. It only disappears after giving birth and the hormones decrease back down to a normal level.
Backaches: Lower backaches can sometimes occur during early pregnancy and are very common in the later trimesters. During the last trimester, backaches are related to carrying additional weight from the baby. This requires lost of rest but doesn’t resolve itself until after delivery.
Sensitivity To Odors: Many women who are pregnant become sensitive to certain smells. Things such as food and perfume that normally do not bother you are suddenly unappealing, even repulsive. Odors that a woman even likes can make her nauseous. No one knows for sure why this happens but most believe it is due to rising levels in estrogen.
Abdominal bloating: Changes in hormones during the early pregnancy may make a woman feel bloated, similar to how she feels right before and during her menstrual cycle. Again, no one is sure why this happens early on when the uterus is still small. It is easy to understand why this happens later on when the belly starts to bulge.
Frequent Urination: Frequent trips to the bathroom are common all throughout the pregnancy. Early on, this is largely due to the blood and fluid levels in your body increasing to prepare for the pregnancy. This leads to your kidneys processing all this fluid which ends up in your bladder. The symptoms last all throughout the pregnancy, getting worse in your last trimester because the baby starts putting pressure on your bladder.
For more information about how long it takes to show signs of pregnancy, visit: