Signs you might be pregnant -
If you're trying for a baby these might be signs you've hit the jackpot!
1. Tender breasts/nipples: If you are pregnant you will
notice that your
breasts and nipples become tender around three weeks after conception
(when
your period is about one week late). They may also feel swollen -- similar
to the way they feel when you expect your period.
2. Slight spotting or cramping: If you are pregnant,
light pink spotting can
occur at the time of implantation -- when the embryo attaches to the lining
of the uterus. This happens around eight to ten days following ovulation,
a
bit earlier than your menstrual period is due. You can usually differentiate
implantation bleeding from your menstrual period if it occurs a bit earlier
than expected, if it is scanty, spotty, pinkish (and not red and heavy
like
a period), and does not follow the normal pattern of a period (light,
progressing to heavy and then again to light). Cramping can also be common
in early pregnancy. Until the uterus assumes its mid-position and becomes
better supported by the bony pelvis in the second trimester, it is prone
to
menstrual-like cramping. Contractions of the uterus occur regularly,
increasing with exercise, orgasm and even simple changes in position.
3. Darkening areolas: In very early pregnancy -- around
the time of your
expected period -- you may notice that your areola (the darker area that
rings the nipple) begin to darken and increase in diameter. It is believed
that the darker color of the areola helps the newborn to find the nipple
for
breastfeeding. You may also notice that the veins in your breasts become
more visible and that Montgomery's tubercles, the tiny "bumps"
that are
scattered around the areola, enlarge and may increase in number, averaging
between 4 and 28 per areola.
4. Extreme fatigue: If you are pregnant, a very common
symptom in the first
eight to ten weeks is exhaustion. When you are pregnant, your body is
going
through significant metabolic changes. Your entire body needs to adjust
to
the new process of growing a baby. For most women, the fatigue starts
to go
away by the 12th week of pregnancy.
5. Nausea and vomiting: If you are pregnant you may
find quite early on --
as early as a week after conception -- that you are experiencing morning
sickness. And you may also find that morning sickness is a misnomer. Nausea
can occur anytime -- day or night.
6. Frequent urination: By the time your period is one
to two weeks late you
may find that you are peeing more frequently than usual. This is because
the
baby growing in your uterus is putting pressure on your bladder.
7. Constipation: You may notice a change in your bowels
in early pregnancy.
The extra hormones produced during pregnancy cause the intestines to relax
and become less efficient.
8. Raised basal body temperature: You may very well
be pregnant if your
basal body temperature remains elevated even past the time your period
is
due and does not decline to preovulatory levels. When you conceive, the
egg
is fertilized in the fallopian tube, after which it takes about a week
to
travel to the uterus, where it will implant. It is at this time that your
body is finally able to detect that you are pregnant. When hCG is released,
women often experience a third temperature rise, not as dramatic as the
first, but can usually be seen anywhere from about a week to 12 days after
the first temperature rise at ovulation.
9. Missed period: This may be your first sign of pregnancy,
especially if
you're normally quite regular. Combined with other positive signs you
may be
sure you're pregnant, even before the test stick turns blue.
10. A positive pregnancy test: If your period is at
least a day late, and
you're ready to know the truth, you may want to take a home pregnancy
test.
A urine pregnancy test can be accurate as early as 10 to 14 days after
fertilization. If you can't wait until a missed period, a blood pregnancy
test can be accurate as early as 8 to 10 days after fertilization. Keep
in
mind that pregnancy tests are not 100 percent foolproof -- not even blood
tests. If you have a negative result and still feel pregnant, be sure
to
retest a week later -- and check in with your care provider.
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