Wondering if you are pregnant? The sure shot way to know if you are is via a pregnancy test. But before you bring home the kit or schedule an appointment with the women doctor near you, watch out for the following symptoms.
Classic symptoms of pregnancy
- Missed period: This is a classic sign. If a week or more has gone and you have still not menstruated for the month and you have had unprotected sex a few weeks before, you might be pregnant. This holds true only for women who have regular periods.
- Nausea or vomiting: This is called morning sickness and is, again, a classic sign. It usually happens after 3-4 weeks of becoming pregnant. However, some women never experience this symptom.
- Swollen, tender breasts: Hormonal changes that are triggered due to pregnancy can make your twin assets sore. This happens only initially and, once the body adjusts to the changes, the tenderness goes away.
- Tiredness: Due to the increase in the level of progesterone hormone, you may feel tired and sleepy during the day.
- Frequent urination: When you become pregnant, the blood amount in your body rises. Your kidneys filter excess fluid that goes into your bladder, giving you the urge to pee often.
The above are the obvious signs of pregnancy. Many women may experience other signs too, which are not so obvious, but yes, they can appear during the first three months of pregnancy.
Not-so-obvious signs of pregnancy
- Bloating: You may feel bloated due to the hormonal changes. If you have this problem usually, then you might not notice.
- Mood swings: Women may not take them as a sign of pregnancy because many of them experience PMS every month. It’s almost the same – you feel like crying or find yourself becoming irritated or too emotional.
- Constipation: Your digestive system may become sluggish due to hormonal changes.
- Cramps: Some women get mild uterine cramps in the beginning of their pregnancy.
- Light spotting: You might notice light spotting, which is called implantation bleeding. This happens when your fertilized egg attaches itself to your uterus’ lining. It takes place 10-14 days after fertilization. Usually, spotting occurs around your period time, so some women might mistake it to be the onset of their period.
- Nasal congestion: Increased levels of hormones and blood in the body can cause your mucous membranes to bleed or dry out or swell. This can give you a runny or stuffy nose.
- Food aversion: If you no longer like your favorite food or become sensitive to certain smells, you should think of getting a pregnancy test done.
The best way to make sure you are pregnant is to do a pregnancy test. The signs mentioned here are only to alert you that you may have conceived so that you take the necessary step of consulting a women doctor.
