Every woman is unique, so the pregnancy is. Some may feel extreme common pregnancy symptoms, or some didn’t experience any at all. Different pregnancies can have different symptoms, and they are sometimes confusing as a normal issue. So, you may not find out whether you are really pregnant or not because the symptoms you notice can be presumptive signs of pregnancy. Therefore, the only way to confirm your pregnancy is a pregnancy test.
Common signs of pregnancy
There are some common signs of pregnancy that most women experience. The pregnancy symptoms can be experienced from the first to second week of the pregnancy or after they missed their period. Here is the list of some of the earliest and most common pregnancy symptoms.
- Cramping and bleeding: once the sperm fertilize the egg, the egg attaches to the uterine wall or uterus, which sometimes results in light bleeding or spotting and pain; this is also referred to as the implantation bleeding. It occurs within the 2 weeks of the egg fertilization. Although the cramps can easily be misunderstood or feel like period cramps.
- Discharge: experiencing white, milky discharge occurs because of the thickening of the uterus wall. It can be considered an early and probable sign of pregnancy, although if the discharge has a foul smell, then it might be a sign of infection.
- Breast changes: pregnant women experience a noticeable change in the breast, such as swelling, soreness, or heavier or tightness in the breast. Additionally, some can experience the darkening of the areola (the area around the nipples). These changes happen because of hormonal changes in the body during the fertilization and generally begin in the first week.
- Nausea: the nausea or the morning sickness with or without vomiting, is one of the most common pregnancy symptoms. It can come and go frequently all day, but luckily not every pregnant woman experiences vomiting and pregnancy nausea. However, it can also happen because of food poisoning or other reasons.
- Fatigue: extreme tiredness or lack of energy can be experienced as an early and usual sign of pregnancy due to the increase in progesterone hormone. Moreover, it is considered a presumptive sign of pregnancy because feeling fatigue might be because of a low blood sugar level or low blood pressure.
- Missed period: one of the most exact and common pregnancy symptoms that can be easily noticeable. Although a missed period may happen because of an irregular period cycle, hormonal changes, and others.
- Sensitivity to smell: during the pregnancy phase, many women struggle with the smells and increase in the sense of smell due to hormonal changes, which sometimes lead to nausea and vomiting to any strong smell.
These are the most easily suspected and common pregnancy symptoms and can be experienced throughout the pregnancy.
Other probable signs of pregnancy
Hormones play a crucial role in pregnancy, and they result in different other symptoms that can be considered as the presumptive signs of pregnancy. Here are some of the probable signs of pregnancy.
- More urination: urinating a lot can be assumed as an early pregnancy sign as it will begin nearly from the sixth or eighth week after the fertilization because of hormonal changes. However, it can be caused by urinary tract infections (UTIs), diabetes, and more.
- Heartburn: pain or burning sensation in the chest or stomach can be a probable sign of pregnancy. Although this can happen because of the increased intake of acidic foods in the diet.
- Constipation is a common pregnancy symptom that is caused by the progesterone hormone, as it slows the food flow through the intestine.
- Mood swings: the emotional imbalance or changes are the highly common pregnancy symptom because of hormonal changes. It mostly happens during the first trimester.
- Headaches and body pain: a mild headache or body pain is a common sings of pregnancy.
- Dizziness: it is a condition of feeling woozy or like that the surround is spinning (vertigo).
- Fainting: A sudden loss of consciousness is fainting.
These are the common pregnancy symptoms, which are related to lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and dilating blood vessels.
- Nasal congestion: because of a rise in hormone level and blood production, many pregnant women feel runny noses or swelling in the nasal.
- Bloating: heaviness or tightness in the stomach felt by pregnant women often happens due to gas and hormonal changes.
- Cravings: weird food craving or the sense of food taste change during the pregnancy and is considered as probable signs of pregnancy because it can happen during fever or in different conditions.
- Acne: excessive and sudden breakout due to pregnancy hormones that highly activate the oil gland; cause blemishes and clogged pores, which result in acne.
Pregnant or not?
If any of the above common pregnancy symptoms happen, there can be a probable chance of pregnancy. Even so, a confirmed pregnancy can be done or assured with the help of a pregnancy test. There are three possible ways of confirming the pregnancy.
- Home pregnancy test: there are numerous pregnancy test kits available over-the-counter or from online stores. They are quick and give reliable results. However, sometimes the home pregnancy kit is unable to detect the pregnancy on the recent missed period.
- Lab pregnancy test: A lab pregnancy test can be done by taking a blood sample or the urine sample. The test checks the human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormone availability and confirms the pregnancy if it detects the same.
- Ultrasound test: ultrasound or sonography is the most reliable pregnancy test.
Best time for pregnancy test
The best time for a pregnancy test is considered after one or two weeks of the last missed period. Furthermore, to know the accurate pregnancy test result, the best time is the morning’s first pee because during this time the HCG level is more concentrated and easily detectable.
FAQS
Is dry mouth a sign of pregnancy?
Dry mouth can be a probable sign of pregnancy due to a high change in pregnancy hormones. Additionally, it can also happen due to an increased water intake requirement and more.
How do I know I am pregnant without a test?
There are several common pregnancy symptoms through which you can find out about the pregnancy, such as missed periods, sensitivity to smell, milky white discharge, change in breast, nausea, and more. However, it is suggested to get a pregnancy test for a more accurate result.
How early do pregnancy signs start?
The pregnancy signs generally begin from the first or two weeks after the fertilization or conception. Although some of the women experience the pregnancy symptoms a little delayed.
How many days to confirm pregnancy?
To confirm the pregnancy, one can take a pregnancy test at least a week after the last missed period.
How can I confirm my pregnancy by myself? Taking a home pregnancy test is the best method to find out the pregnancy. There are various pregnancy kits available in the market.