Signs of Pregnancy That Tell You’re Expecting

While the only way to confirm pregnancy is through a pregnancy test, there are other ways in which your body may indicate that you’re pregnant. Want to know about the signs your body is giving you? In this blog post, we talk about the common early signs of pregnancy that women start experiencing after conception.  

Watch For These 7 Signs of Pregnancy to Know if You’re Pregnant

You’ve missed your period

Missing the period is one of the strong signs of pregnancy, especially if you have been trying to get pregnant. However, this may not hold true if you’re someone whose periods are irregular. 

Other factors that may lead to a missed period include vigorous exercise, stress, dieting, or hormonal imbalances in the body.

You have swollen, tender breasts

Pregnancy leads to a sudden surge of hormones in the body. This may cause your breasts to look and feel fuller and tender. This effect is similar to the breast changes you notice when your periods are due. 

In addition, you might notice your areola (the dark area around your nipples) turning even darker if you’re pregnant.

You feel tired and sleepy

Women often experience fatigue and tiredness once they conceive. This happens due to the rise in progesterone hormone in the body. Progesterone serves as an important hormone during pregnancy as it supports the pregnancy and the growth of the baby. 

However, it slows your metabolism and makes women feel tired.

You’re visiting the bathroom more often

Frequent urination is another common sign of pregnancy. So, if you have been making more trips to the bathroom, even during the night, it could be because you’re pregnant. 

The reason why you may need to urinate more often after conceiving is because the amount of fluid circulating in your body increases during pregnancy. Your kidneys then work harder to filter the blood, resulting in the formation of more quantities of urine.

You feel nauseous

You must have heard about morning sickness in pregnancy. It presents itself as nausea and vomiting and can lead to a loss in appetite. 

Women experience morning sickness from around 2–8 weeks after they have conceived a baby and may continue until the 12th week of pregnancy. After the 12th week, these symptoms usually settle down and may reappear in the 32nd week. 

Contrary to its name, morning sickness is not limited to the mornings and may appear at any time during the day.

You’re craving or avoiding certain foods

A unique early sign of pregnancy is that you may start craving certain foods and avoiding foods you liked before. This pregnancy symptom is also attributed to the hormonal changes happening in the body. 

Some women crave energy-providing foods such as milk and dairy items, whereas others may want to eat unusual things such as paper. If this is happening to you, consult your doctor and let them know of your strange cravings.

Your sensitivity to certain smells has increased

Many times, women develop this strong sense of smell as an early sign of pregnancy that even the slightest of smells may become unbearable. 

So, if you find it difficult to tolerate smells you once found nice, like the smell of your favourite perfume, or feel nauseous when a certain food is being cooked in your kitchen, it could indicate the possibility of pregnancy.

Other Signs of Pregnancy to Look Out For

Besides the signs of pregnancy shared above, you may also experience some other signs that are often associated with pregnancy. These include:

Light Spotting: 

Implantation bleeding or light spotting occurs when the fertilised egg attaches itself to the uterine lining. Not all women have light spotting, and those who do have it around 10-14 days after conception.

Mood Changes:

You may experience strong emotional outbursts such as anger, irritability, etc., and mood swings if you are pregnant.

Bloating: 

Similar to what you experience during your periods, bloating also serves as an early pregnancy symptom.

Constipation: 

Progesterone is again responsible for causing constipation during pregnancy. So, you might feel constipated as the hormone slows down your body’s digestive system.

Vaginal Discharge: 

The increase in oestrogen levels leads to the formation of excess amounts of transparent and odourless vaginal discharge. But if your vaginal secretion causes itching, see your doctor.

What to Do Next If You Notice Signs of Pregnancy

If you notice one or more of the pregnancy signs stated above and suspect that you might be pregnant, here’s what you can do next:

Take an at-home pregnancy test

Get yourself an at-home pregnancy test like Prega News Pregnancy Test Kit. You can buy one easily, either online or from your local pharmacy store. According to manufacturers, most of the at-home pregnancy tests are 98-99% accurate when used as per the given instructions. So, read the instructions carefully and take the test as advised. If your results are positive, visit a gynaecologist or obstetrician for confirmation.

Make an appointment with your doctor

If you don’t wish to take a home pregnancy test or you doubt if it will give false results, you can directly go to your gynaecologist and get yourself tested for pregnancy. You will likely have to take a blood test to measure the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (a hormone whose levels increase during pregnancy) in your blood.

Final Word

While the list of signs of pregnancy is long, you must note that these signs are not just associated with pregnancy. They can appear due to several other reasons, for example, your period is about to start soon or you are suffering from an illness. 

So, if you really want to be sure whether you’re pregnant or not, take a pregnancy test at home or at a doctor’s clinic. This will allow you to start with prenatal care on time and support the growth of your developing baby.

Looking for affordable medicines and healthcare products but don't know where to buy them? Check out our Dawaa Dost website, where we make quality and affordable medicines accessible to all!
 

Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment of any health condition.

Sources:

https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-symptoms/early-signs-of-pregnancy/

https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/trying-for-a-baby/signs-and-symptoms-of-pregnancy/