Top Signs of Pregnancy
Some women are sure they are pregnant from the moment of conception. For others, it may take five positive pregnancy tests, as well as a host of symptoms, until they are really sure.
If you're thinking you just may be pregnant, we hope our list of the most common signs of pregnancy will help you find the answer you are hoping for.
Remember, all women are different so you may not experience all (or any) of these 10 common signs of pregnancy:
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. This is the first early sign of pregnancy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Testing for Pregnancy
So, you've done the fun bit, now it's time to find out if you're having a baby.
You can buy a pregnancy test to use at home, and can use it two to three weeks after you think you might have conceived, or on the first day of your missed period. Any sooner than this means you may not get a reliable result.
The tests work by detecting the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in your urine. A chemical in the plastic stick changes colour when it comes into contact with hCG, so the usual way of testing is simply to wee on the end of the stick and watch for a change of colour in the little window. Some tests show up as a coloured line.
Pregnancy tests are very accurate as long as you use them properly. It's possible to have a 'false negative' – that is, the test says you aren't pregnant, when you are. If your period still doesn't arrive, then do the test again or check with your doctor.
It's also possible for a first pregnancy test to show positive, but a later one doesn't. Or, the test shows positive but you then go on to have a period. Your period may be heavier than you're used to, and this can mean your pregnancy has been lost. This is a very early miscarriage, probably as way of protecting the body from hanging on to a damaged embryo. It won't mean you can't conceive again.
You can buy pregnancy tests online, in the supermarket or at your local chemist. Some doctors, family planning clinics, and young people's services such as the Brook Centres offer free tests. Some pharmacies, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinics and Marie Stopes International clinics offer testing for a fee. See Related links below for links to these services.
When am I due?
The length of your pregnancy is dated from the first day of your last period – even though you actually conceive two weeks or so after this date (depending on the usual length of your cycle).
Check your due date and what's happening within your body week by week with our Pregnancy calendar. You only need to know the first day of your last period and it'll give you a due date. Your baby is likely to be born two weeks either side of this date.
Are home pregnancy tests accurate?
There are two basic types of pregnancy tests. Blood and Urine. They are both used to test for the presence of Human Chorionic Gonadotropic (hCG). hCG is secreted in your urine and detected in your blood beginning at different times during pregnancy.
Blood test are the more accurate of the two types of testing. They can not only tell you if hCG is present, but a quantitative hCG can tell you how much hCG is present. This can be helpful in dating a pregnancy, or watching the levels to observe the well-being of the pregnancy.
(hCG usually doubles about every two days during the first few weeks of pregnancy.).
Urine tests are accurate for what they detect the presence of hCG. However, the amounts of hCG detectable by home pregnancy tests and lab urine pregnancy test varies.
The most sensitive test that I have found measures about 25 mIU/ml of hCG in the urine. While this information is not printed on the box, you can always call the toll-free advice line on the back of the box, or look at some of the lists that have been compiled.
Home tests are accurate enough if you follow the instructions. This means reading all of the instructions before you start the testing.
If you choose to use a home urine pregnancy test, you should use the following advice to help make the test more accurate:
- If you are not using first morning urine, make sure that your urine has been in your bladder for four hours.
- Do not drink excessive amounts of fluid in an attempt to increase the volume of urine, this can dilute the urine, making hCG not as detectable.
- If you are taking any medications, including fertility drugs, read the package inserts before testing to see if your medications will affect the results.
- If your pregnancy test is positive make sure that you seek prenatal care from a qualified doctor or midwife.
Good Luck to you and your coming baby...
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