First Signs of Pregnancy

What are the first signs of pregnancy? Since every woman has different symptoms, even with her own successive pregnancies, this is an important question. Often certain women are aware of the moment they concieve a baby, saying they just “feel different,” when other women, in the beginning, are unaware of the early changes happening inside their bodies.

There are even extreme cases where a woman suffers acute abdominal distress, gone to the hospital, and ended up having a surprise baby, all the while never knowing she has been pregnant. Fortunately, this only happens rarely. So, let’s look at ways to answer your question, “how do I know I am pregnant?”

So, what are the most common first signs of pregnancy?

1) For most women who have regular periods, a missed period is usually the first sign. Even this can be confusing, because often light spotting occurs with the implantation of the egg, and this can resemble a light period. If you suffer from irregular periods, then this is not so easy to see as a sign.

2) Another early sign of pregnancy is a change in your breasts. They become very tender and quite uncomfortable. But again, this is not always a sign of pregnancy, as many women experience the same feelings at the time of their period.

3) Morning Sickness!! This can be just a mild feeling of nausea or actual vomiting. It is not always in the morning; it can be any time of the day. Suddenly a food or drink you have always enjoyed has you rushing off to the bathroom.

4) Extreme tiredness can also be one of the First signs of Pregnancy. You may need to have a nap during the day. or by seven o’clock in the evening you are ready to go to sleep for the night. This does pass quite quickly, but can return at the last stages of pregnancy.

5) You may experience more frequent visits to the toilet and/or feelings of a bloated stomach.

Some women experience just some of these symptoms, while other women can experience all of them. If you are not sure if you are pregnant even with some of these symptoms, you can purchase a pregnancy test kit from your local pharmacy. With the new improved tests available, you can get a result within a few days of becoming pregnant. The other alternative is to take a urine sample to your doctor for it to be tested for pregnancy.

Hopefully, with this information, you will not have to ask the question ” How do I know I am pregnant?” Once you know, you can put your mind to rest and just enjoy your pregnancy!!!

More Pregnancy Questions Articles

The Transition Between The First And The Second Stage Of Pregnancy

At the end of the first stage of labour, when the cervix is almost fully open, women often experience a range of symptoms which mark the transition between the first and second stages of labour. Symptoms include:

- Shaking;
- Suddenly feeling very cold;
- Icy feet;
- Hiccuping;
- Being sick;
- Feeling very weepy and helpless and wanting to give up;
- Feeling very angry with everyone, including the baby, because labour hurts so much;
- Being bad-tempered and abusive.

It’s just that labour is hard work at this point and women feel that they can’t cope any longer. What is needed is lots and lots of encouragement from your midwife and labour supporter, and reassurance that what you are experiencing means that very soon you will be ready to push your baby out into the world and hold him for the first time.

Don’t worry – very few women experience all the symptoms outlined above, and some have none of them! After transition, it is common for the contractions to stop altogether for ten or twenty minutes, allowing the mother time to rest and renew her energy ready for pushing. Nature is not lacking in compassion!

A feeling that you want to push before the cervix is fully open may appear.

If you start feeling that you want to push and your midwife tells you that your cervix is not quite ready to let the baby come through, you can try the following strategies to control the pushing urge:

- Kneel on the bed or on the floor with your face on the mattress and your bottom in the air; this position will reduce the pushing sensation

- Try panting – three short pants and one long blow, saying to yourself: ‘I… will… not… push’.

First Stages of Pregnancy: How to Tell If You Are Pregnant

PMS cramps or fertilization cramps?  Why is my cervix in a weird position?  What does this strange bleeding mean?  If you are trying to conceive, determining if you are pregnant is one of the toughest things to do.  Here’s how to tell if you are in the first stages of pregnancy.

Step 1: Track your cycle

Ovulation can be influenced by stress and illness.  It’s important to keep careful track of your monthly cycle, from the first day of your menstrual period to the first day of your next period.  The average cycle is between 28-32 days, but some women have longer cycles and some women have shorter ones.  

Knowing when your period starts is a key factor to determining if you are pregnant, otherwise you can’t determine if you’ve missed your period.

Step 2: Have a reliable home pregnancy test kit on hand

The best way of determining whether you are in the first stages of pregnancy is to do a home pregnancy test.  Many women depend on the Clearblue home pregnancy test for reliable results.  First Response Early Result is another highly-rated home pregnancy test.
The best time to test is usually a few days or even a week later after a missed period.

Step 3: Monitor your body and your mental changes

If you feel especially moody, hungry, have odd tastes in your mouth, or feel strange temperature fluctuations, these could all be signs that you are pregnant.  Keep an eye out for changes in the position of your cervix and also odd spotting or irregular bleeding, which may be light.  There is something called implantation bleeding which specifically happens a week to a few days before your period normally starts.

These are just a few ways to keep an eye out for signs of pregnancy.  If you are struggling to get pregnant, it helps to keep careful track of changes in your body and your monthly cycle.

At 12 Weeks Pregnant the First Trimester is Over

It is when you are 12 weeks pregnant that you can tell by an ultrasound if you are going to have a boy or a girl. Although you may have noticed some weight gain, your belly is not yet large enough for others to detect that you are pregnant. If you have been experiencing morning sickness, you may even have lost weight. Morning sickness reaches its peak in this week and the next, so much so that you can get sick just by brushing your teeth. You may notice that your gums are tender or that there are small lumps on your gums. This is a normal part of being pregnant, but there is nothing wrong with visiting your dentist just to check things out.

You will still be feeling tired and want to take naps during the day. It is important that you go to bed early and get a good night rest. Even though your stomach may churn at the thought of food, you should make sure you have healthy meals and snacks. Taking your folic acid and iron supplements is extremely important for the growth and development of the baby.

At 12 weeks, the baby is starting to look less like a little alien and more like a human baby. Its eyes have moved into the proper position on the head and the ears have developed. The baby can now swallow and does in fact swallow some of the amniotic fluid that surrounds it in the uterus. It doesn have lungs at this point and so cannot breathe. The intestines have not yet formed inside the body and are still in the umbilical cord. It is during this week that the baby starts to develop fingernails and toenails.

The baby is now about 2.5 inches long and weighs about .5 of an ounce. Even so you will still be able to see the nose and chin. Since your risk of having a miscarriage is greatly reduced by this time, you can start to relax and enjoy your pregnancy with worrying all the time. If your morning sickness has decreased or started to wane, you may start craving certain foods and be able to cook some meals for yourself. It is important that any meat you eat is cooked thoroughly so that you do not take a chance of getting toxoplasmosis. It is also important that you refrain from emptying the cat litter because you can get this virus from cat feces.

You may feel a lot better when you wear loose clothing even though you aren really much bigger than your normal size. The loose clothing lets you feel more comfortable, especially if the weather is hot and humid. Take a walk when you can so that you get your exercise and start preparing your muscles for the job ahead for the next six months. When sleeping at night, you may also find it more comfortable to curl yourself around a body pillow.

Don be alarmed if your breasts and nipples are tender and if your breasts start to enlarge. This is your body way of preparing food for the new arrival.

sharondee.net Trying to conceive a baby fast, these tops tips help you to get pregnant fasy and easily naturally. You can use these tips even if your are in your 30s, 40s, have pcos or endemetriosis