How
to Recognize Early Pregnancy Symptoms Before a Missed Period?
By
developing a uterine lining during your menstrual cycle, your body is
establishing a nourishing environment for a pregnancy. Therefore, if you're
pregnant, you won't shed your uterine lining or receive your period. This holds
true even if you use birth control methods that prevent ovulation and induce a
monthly bleed to simulate the menstrual cycle.
Although
for many people a missed period is the first symptom of pregnancy, this isn't
always the case with your body.
The
body begins releasing a lot of hormones that can have an impact on your
physical and mental health during the first few weeks of pregnancy, which
officially begins the week of your last menstrual cycle, before you ovulate and
before fertilisation. Your body increases the production of progesterone and
oestrogen in addition to beginning to produce additional hormones such as human
placental lactogen (also known as HPV) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
Early
Pregnancy Symptoms
Sore
Breasts
According
to Healthline, this can happen as soon as a week or two after conception or
between weeks three and four of pregnancy as a result of rising hormone levels
in the early stages of pregnancy. This is one of the first pregnancy symptoms
you'll likely encounter, according to many people.
If
you have breasts, you're certainly familiar with the unexpected pains and aches
that occasionally accompany having them, particularly the premenstrual syndrome
soreness, which can also result in painful breasts when hormone levels vary.
However, some women claim that their breasts feel more "full" or that
their nipples are more sensitive while they are pregnant.
Mood
changes
Mood
swings are a typical early pregnancy symptom that includes sudden or unexpected
episodes of anger, sadness, irritability, paranoia, guilt, delight, and other
emotions.
According
to a psychiatrist, Estrogen and progesterone are soaring during the beginning
of your pregnancy. Your mood is significantly affected by the changes. You can
be smiling one second and crying the next.
While
many things might affect your mood, abrupt changes may be a sign that you're
pregnant, even if you don't believe so.
Spotting
In
what is known as "implantation bleeding," some people see some light
pink or dark brown spotting 10 to 14 days after conception. Usually lasting
only a few hours or up to two days, this little bleeding (not enough to fill a
tampon or pad) is thought to occur as the embryo adheres to the uterine wall.
However, not all researchers concur that is the reason for this early pregnancy
bleeding.
According
to the Mayo Clinic, implantation bleeding ceases on its own and doesn't require
treatment, but because it typically occurs around the time you might be
anticipating your period, some individuals might mistake it for a very light
period.
Discharge
from Vagina
Discharge
is common, but you can experience it more frequently during pregnancy, even at
an early stage. Leukorrhea, which is an increase in good discharge, prevents
bacteria or illnesses from migrating from your vagina into your foetus. Keep a
look out for infections, although pregnancy shouldn't affect the colour or
smell of your discharge.
Cramps
Cramps
are yet another sign in the entertaining "am I pregnant or is it
PMS?" game. As your body gets ready for the long journey of pregnancy and
childbirth, increasing blood flow to the uterus during the early stages of
pregnancy can produce pelvic pressure. Even while you won't yet be
"showing," your uterus starts to stretch and enlarge to make room for
the extra blood and the developing pregnancy. According to Healthline, this may
give you a "pulling" sensation on your belly and resemble the cramps
you get before or during your period.
However,
if your cramps are particularly severe or only affect one side of your body,
this may be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy (when an embryo attaches outside the
uterus, typically to a fallopian tube), which is a serious condition that needs
immediate medical attention for the pregnant woman.
Fatigue
According
to the Cleveland Clinic, feeling incredibly exhausted is typical throughout
pregnancy, but you can notice it before a missed period due to high levels of
progesterone. During the second trimester, also known as the "golden
period," when your hormones start to balance out, you can feel more
energised or notice a complete decrease in your symptoms.
Constantly
Urinating
Many
of us have watched a movie or seen a GIF of a hugely pregnant woman rushing to
the restroom as the pressure of her expanding belly presses against her
bladder. But frequent urination is a symptom of early pregnancy, too, as an
increased blood supply creates more work and waste for your kidneys, per the
Cleveland Clinic.
If
you haven't missed your period yet but notice you're making more frequent,
unexplained trips to the restroom, it's a clue you might be pregnant. This
waste leaves the body as urine.
Dizziness
and headaches
Dizziness
and headaches are two other unwelcome pregnancy symptoms that could be caused
by your expanding blood supply or rising hormone levels. According to Stanford
Children's Health, some pregnant women's expanding blood vessels may also
contribute to migraines.
The
third early pregnancy symptom on this list is sinus pressure, which can occur
in some pregnant people due to increased congestion. Hunger and low blood sugar
levels can also produce headaches.
Congestion
Pregnancy
rhinitis is the medical term for post-nasal drip or a buildup of mucus at the
back of the throat during pregnancy. During the first trimester of pregnancy,
your body also creates more mucus, which can lead to sinus pressure,
congestion, or other symptoms affecting the ears, nose, and throat in addition
to more hormones, blood, and vaginal discharge. Now, the bodily fluids in your
body are a powerful force.
High
Level of Smell
You
can once more thank your hormones for your keen sense of smell and/or aversion
to certain odours, like food. The majority of pregnant people enjoy an enhanced
sense of smell during the first trimester. Before you notice a missed period,
you might become aware of this alteration in your nose.
Nausea
Most
people will have realised their menstruation has stopped by week 6 or week 8 of
pregnancy, when nausea "morning sickness," or all-day sickness for
other people, usually begins. However, some people can get sick much earlier,
according to Parents.
Hormonal
changes are once more regarded to be the primary cause of morning sickness. It
is known as hyperemesis gravidarum when morning sickness and vomiting are so
severe that they dehydrate the sufferer or necessitate medical attention.
When
should take I the test?
If
you wait until your period is formally late before testing, home pregnancy
tests can be quite accurate (and typically affordable). If you have any
pregnancy symptoms and are itching to get tested, do it. Some kits promise to
properly identify pregnancy up to a week before your missing period.
Experts
advise waiting until your period is past due in order to get an accurate test
result. hCG, the hormone used in home pregnancy tests, doubles every two to
three days after an embryo attaches to your uterus, so if you wait a few days,
there will be more to find in your urine.
Because
this hormone might often take a while to build up, false-negative findings
aren't uncommon in early pregnancy. A false positive is significantly less
common. If your test is positive, you are almost certainly pregnant or have
just lost a pregnancy. You can find out for sure by having a blood test or
ultrasound.
Is
it possible to be pregnant and still have a period? We know you're wondering
No,
experts reply. Some women may bleed or spot, but those bleeding patterns are
different from the cyclical menses your body has when there isn't a pregnancy.
When
someone bleeds, they are not having a "period," according to experts:
Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Pregnancy. However, people can have
vaginal bleeding throughout pregnancy. This is so that your body can save the
uterine lining as food for the developing pregnancy.
Bleeding
during pregnancy can be an indication of something more catastrophic, such as a
miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy, even though it doesn't always imply there
is cause for alarm. (You should consult a doctor if you've already found out
you're pregnant and you're bleeding or in any pain.)