| How can you tell if you are pregnant? There | | | | trimester, and most pregnant women will have |
| are a number of signs and symptoms to watch | | | | their morning sickness symptoms lessen or |
| for. Chances are you will only experience a | | | | subside completely during the second or third |
| portion of the symptoms. Each pregnancy is | | | | trimester. |
| different, and the same mom to be can | | | | |
| experience different pregnancy signs each | | | | Breast Changes |
| time she gets pregnant. | | | | |
| | | | Breast tenderness usually begins around 3 to |
| Pregnancy symptoms can begin for some mothers | | | | 4 weeks after conception. This can also be a |
| immediately after conception. Some pregnancy | | | | sign of your impending period. Usually the |
| signs require that you chart your cycle, | | | | degree of breast tenderness is much stronger |
| noting your daily basal body temperature. | | | | with pregnancy than with your period. You may |
| | | | also notice a slight tingling sensation. |
| Implantation | | | | |
| | | | Another change to your breasts early in |
| While a rare minority will experience | | | | pregnancy is the appearance. Your areolas can |
| pregnancy symptoms sooner, typically the | | | | become larger and darker. |
| first pregnancy signs occur when your baby | | | | |
| implants around 8-10 days after ovulation. | | | | Fatigue |
| Implantation causes an increase in | | | | |
| progesterone levels, which can lead to higher | | | | Fatigue can be an early sign of pregnancy. |
| temperatures giving you a tri-phasic chart. | | | | This symptom is not just being a little |
| If you temperature remains high for fifteen | | | | tired; it is more like feeling totally wiped |
| or more days after ovulation, you may be | | | | out. Your normal daily activities can send |
| pregnant. Some women will see a slight | | | | you to complete exhaustion. |
| temperature drop at implantation. | | | | |
| Implantation bleeding sometimes occurs and | | | | Body Discomforts |
| can be pink, red, or brown in color. You may | | | | |
| also have lower abdominal cramps. | | | | The physical and hormonal changes you |
| | | | experience with pregnancy can cause a long |
| Positive Pregnancy Test | | | | list of body changes that are annoying and |
| | | | uncomfortable. You may experience headaches, |
| The next and best sign that you are pregnant | | | | backaches, acne, constipation, heartburn, |
| is a positive pregnancy test. Home pregnancy | | | | mood swings, constipation, diarrhea, |
| tests measure the pregnancy hormone hCG in | | | | bloating, indigestion, and abdominal cramps. |
| your urine. The most sensitive home pregnancy | | | | |
| tests will show a positive result when the | | | | Food Cravings |
| hCG levels reach 20, which can happen as | | | | |
| early as four days before your period is due, | | | | Food cravings are a very common pregnancy |
| or approximately 10 days after ovulation. | | | | symptom. Approximately 85% of women will |
| | | | experience some type of food craving during |
| False negatives are common when testing early | | | | their pregnancy. |
| with a home pregnancy test, so I recommend | | | | |
| you wait to use one until eighteen days after | | | | Food Aversions |
| ovulation to avoid false negatives. The usual | | | | |
| recommendation is to wait until 14 days after | | | | The other side of food cravings is food |
| ovulation before testing. Blood serum | | | | aversions. They are also a very common sign |
| pregnancy tests performed by your doctor are | | | | of early pregnancy. You may find that a |
| much more sensitive. They can detect hCG | | | | favorite food suddenly makes you feel |
| levels as low as five. If you continue to | | | | nauseated just thinking about it. |
| experience pregnancy symptoms, but your home | | | | |
| pregnancy test continues to show negative, | | | | Smell Aversions |
| you can make an appointment with your doctor | | | | |
| to confirm your pregnancy. | | | | A heightened sense of smell may cause some |
| | | | odors to seem stronger than normal when you |
| Missed Period | | | | are pregnant. Some smell aversions can cause |
| | | | food aversions. |
| One of the most common pregnancy signs is a | | | | |
| missed period. For women with a standard | | | | Baby Movement |
| 28-day cycle, their period is late if it has | | | | |
| not arrived fifteen days after ovulation, or | | | | You can feel your baby moving as early as 16 |
| twenty-nine days after the first day of their | | | | weeks, but for first-time mothers may not |
| cycle. Elevated basal body temperatures for | | | | feel the baby moving until 20 weeks or more. |
| 15 or more days will typically accompany the | | | | |
| missed period. | | | | Intuition |
| | | | |
| Frequent Urination | | | | For some women, they just "feel" pregnant, |
| | | | even though they have had no other signs or |
| Frequent urination is a very common early | | | | symptoms. A mother's intuition is frequently |
| symptom of pregnancy. You may find yourself | | | | accurate. |
| unable to be away from a bathroom for more | | | | |
| than hour at a time, or waking up in the | | | | It is possible to experience some of the |
| middle of the night to urinate. | | | | signs and symptoms of pregnancy, yet still |
| | | | not be pregnant. It is important that both |
| Morning Sickness | | | | you and your baby get under a doctor's care |
| | | | as early as possible. If you think you might |
| Morning sickness can begin as early as 2 to 4 | | | | be pregnant, treat your body as if you are |
| weeks after conception. The term morning | | | | pregnant until you know for sure. Take a home |
| sickness is something of a misnomer, as you | | | | pregnancy test if you miss your period. If |
| can experience the nausea and vomiting | | | | the test shows positive, then you are |
| throughout the day. Morning sickness | | | | pregnant. Congratulations! |
| typically is worst during the first | | | | |