Early Signs of Pregnancy

Early Signs of Pregnancy

It is possible to experience early signs of pregnancy before a missed period because the attachment of a fertilized egg to the wall of the uterus immediately triggers changes in your body. However, not all pregnant women notice pregnancy-related changes until they miss a period, while none of them is unique to pregnancy not even a missed period.

Listed below are some of the most common early pregnancy indicators but please keep in mind that they can be caused by other factors besides pregnancy. In addition, many early signs of pregnancy are very similar to what many women experience just before they are about to start their menstrual period which means that they may go unnoticed until you actually miss your first period. The only way to confirm your suspicions or hopes that you are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test.

Spotting and light bleeding with or without cramping. The so-called implantation bleeding that indicates that a fertilized egg has attached itself to the uterine wall is one of the first indicators of pregnancy. You may experience some spotting or light bleeding as early as six to twelve days after conception. Bleeding can be accompanied by abdominal cramping and it is possible to mistake it for menstrual period although both the bleeding and cramping are significantly milder than those in your regular period.
Breast changes. A common sign that you are about to start your period is also one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy. You may feel your breasts tender and painful to the touch, while many women also report that they breasts appear swollen and heavier, and the skin around their nipples getting darker.
White vaginal discharge. You may notice increased amount of a white, milky vaginal discharge which is caused by thickening of your uterine wall after conception. However, vaginal discharge that is accompanied by itching or burning sensation, or foul odor is typically a sign of a vaginal yeast or bacterial infection which requires treatment.

Nausea, and food cravings and aversions. Nausea (morning sickness) that is sometimes accompanied by vomiting is among the first and most common pregnancy signs. Along with feeling nauseous, you may also develop food cravings and aversions.

Frequent urination. Increased urinary frequency is very common during early pregnancy, however, if it is accompanied by burning sensation it most likely signals a urinary tract infection. In this case, contact your doctor. Other early signs of pregnancy. In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, you may also experience fatigue, mood swings, frequent and mild headaches, dizziness, constipation, backache and elevated basal body temperature (your body temperature early in the morning).

The most alarming pregnancy sign is without a doubt a missed period which, however, can be also caused by a variety of other factors that are not necessarily related to pregnancy. Nevertheless, you are highly recommended to take a pregnancy test if your period is more than one week late and if you think that there is a chance that you could be pregnant no matter if you have experienced any of the above mentioned pregnancy signs or not.