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Many women have typical early pregnancy symptoms even before they miss their
first period. Most of these typical pregnancy symptoms and signs are directly
related to the pregnancy hormone hCG. Small amounts of hCG
begin to enter the blood
stream several days after implantation, approximately 8-10 days after ovulation.
The majority of pregnancy symptoms do not appear until the hCG has reached
sufficient levels, about 1-2 weeks after you miss your period, 3-4 weeks
after ovulation, or 2-3 weeks after implantation. Although the only thing that
can really confirm a pregnancy is a positive
pregnancy test, the first symptoms and the time of their appearance are listed
here:
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Some women experience a temperature drop
on the day of implantation
-
Implantation bleeding or spotting (slight staining of a pink or brown color
about 8-10 days after ovulation)
-
Lower abdominal cramps
-
A positive blood HCG pregnancy test
(about 10 days after ovulation)
-
A positive urine pregnancy test
(as early as 10-14 days after ovulation or 3-4 days after
implantation)
-
An elevated BBT curve for 15+ days without a menstrual period
-
A missed menstrual period (amenorrhea)
-
Nausea (as early as 2-4
weeks after ovulation)
-
Nipple or breast tenderness (about 3-4 weeks after conception)
-
Fatigue (3-10 weeks after conception)
-
Vomiting
(3-10 weeks after conception)
-
Food cravings (1-2 months after conception)
-
Frequent urination (typically after 1-2 months)
-
Softening of cervix (generally not before 6 weeks after
your last menstrual period)
-
Constipation (later in pregnancy)
-
Lower back pain (later in pregnancy)
-
Darkening of nipples (after 14 weeks)
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Fetal heart beat on sonogram (8-9 weeks after conception)
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Fetal movement (16+ weeks after conception)
Pregnancy causes the uterus to swell and start to
enlarge to make room for the growing fetus immediately. The uterus will then put pressure on your
bladder which makes you feel the need for more frequent urination. Many women start
to feel this symptom within a week or two after pregnancy has occurred.
Nausea and vomiting may come as early as
two weeks into
the pregnancy. Many women experience illness in the morning (morning
sickness),
some in the afternoon or evening, others experience nausea throughout the entire
day. Eating small frequent meals, and
snacking on saltine crackers should help give some kind of relief. Eating a
protein/carbohydrate at bedtime (for example an apple and a glass of milk) tends to
lessen the nausea that occurs in the morning.
Breast tenderness may occur after three
to four weeks. Breasts may be very swollen, tender and start to enlarge. The nipples
may start to darken in color, become more erect and be extremely sensitive.
These symptoms are due to the increasing amount of hCG hormone that begins at
implantation.
When pregnant your body goes through some major hormonal
changes that can cause you to feel sluggish and tired. hCG levels alone go from 0 -
250,000 mIU/ml in just twelve weeks. Your temperature will also tend to run higher
because of the
amount of progesterone circulating through your body, which can further serve to make you feel
a little sluggish.
Light bleeding or spotting may occur approximately 4 - 10 days
after ovulation. It can even occur around the same time you would have expected
your menstrual period. Some women experience this spotting and assume they have started their period when in
fact they are actually pregnant. The spotting is caused from implantation when
the fertilized egg burrows into the endometrial lining.
Dizziness and fainting are also symptoms
you may experience while pregnant. The growing uterus compresses major arteries in your legs which
causes your blood pressure to drop and can make you feel lightheaded or faint. Skipping
meals or going too long without eating may also cause you to feel dizzy or faint.
Not eating frequently enough causes low blood sugar and since blood sugar is the
primary source of food for your baby it will be depleted much more quickly.
Pregnancy hormones can cause constipation
as they serve to slow down bowel functions to provide
maximum absorption time of vitamins and nutrients. This symptom will typically
worsen as the pregnancy progresses.
Rapidly changing hormone levels are also
known to cause irritability. This symptom should decrease soon into the
second trimester but until that time a healthy diet, moderate exercise and plenty of
sleep should help lessen the crankiness somewhat.
As the uterus grows it becomes very swollen and starts to push upward
which can cause heartburn. Increasing levels of hCG will also slow down digestion making your stomach
not empty as fast which increases the stomach acid.
The degree of pregnancy symptoms and
their onset will vary from woman to women. Many women
experience symptoms within days of conception while others take a few weeks before
pregnancy symptoms kick in, and a few will actually feel no discomfort at all. The early
pregnancy symptoms listed above can generally be felt once implantation
occurs (4 - 10 days after ovulation) and will generally lessen after the first trimester.
Many early pregnancy symptoms are very similar to
those that occur right before menstruating, however, combined with high
temperatures and a longer luteal phase - they are key indications that you have
achieved pregnancy success! After your precious baby arrives, you will
soon forget the bouts of nausea and the discomfort you experienced during your
pregnancy.
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