There are a number of ways in which you can tell, early on, that you are pregnant using traditional methods. If you want to know if you are pregnant, before you head to the doctor you can use these traditional methods, vaginal discharge, discomfort, higher than normal body temperature, early term, 10th day of pregnancy, the fetus.
Contemporary medicine allows a reliable diagnosis of pregnancy in the first few weeks. However, you don’t have patience to wait that long, there are other ways to tell if you are pregnant. You will be looking into yourself, trying to find the signs of pregnancy in the very first days, if not hours, after the conception. JustLady women’s magazine is always glad to give advice to young women, and maybe today’s article will help you find the early signs of pregnancy.
We should say from the beginning that it is quite difficult to diagnose pregnancy during the early terms. If you have had children before, you may remember your first experience and compare it with your present condition. But if this is your first baby, we will try to help you with advice from doctors as well as other moms.
We should also agree on the definition of “early term”. It is reasonable to assume that early term is the period from the conception to the expected menstruation date. Because if you miss your period, you are likely to be pregnant (if you are in good health otherwise). That is, early symptoms of pregnancy are the symptoms that manifest themselves from the conception to the 10th-14th day of pregnancy.
Earliest symptoms of pregnancy
Small, unusual discharge from the vagina and the uterus. These early symptoms are quite common. Uterine discharge is usually pink or brownish. This kind of discharge is usually observed on the 5th-day after conception. When the embryo is getting attached to the walls of the uterus.
You should know that these discharges are usually quite light in colour. If the discharge is heavy, bright red or dark in colour, it is best to consult a gynecologist immediately. The discharge may change colour to yellowish and increase in intensity. This is normal at the early terms of pregnancy.
Elevated basal temperature is another early symptom of pregnancy. Normally the temperature rises during the ovulation and then drops. If you are watching your cycle and know your ovulation day, you can track this. That is, if your body temperature stays elevated even after the ovulation, you can assume you are pregnant. For accurate results, measure your basal temperature before you get out of bed in the morning.
Increased tiredness, headache and constant fatigue can also be early signs of pregnancy. Your body is trying to change and adapt to its new condition, all its energy is being used to protect the embryo. At the same time the immune defense is lowered so the mother’s body doesn’t reject the “foreign body”. But if you already were not feeling well, this symptom is not a reliable indicator.
What to expect
Very often the mom-to-be feels pain and heaviness in the mammary glands. They may even change their shape slightly. This is also one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy. The reason for the discomfort is the same: the body is changing, preparing the breasts for feeding the baby. You should also pay attention to nagging pain in the lower abdomen which may be accompanied by vaginal discharge around the expected day of the menstruation.
Frequent urination is usually observed at later terms of pregnancy when the uterus becomes enlarged and exerts pressure on the bladder. But sometimes this symptom appears early and can be considered an early sign of pregnancy. In this case you should take into consideration your hormone levels and possible urinary tract infections. Otherwise you could confuse a symptom of a disease with an early sign of pregnancy.
Changes in appetite can also be considered early signs of pregnancy. You may feel revulsion to a certain kind of food, or irresistible craving for a certain dish.
Hormones
We should also mention chorionic gonadotropin, the human pregnancy hormone. This hormone is secreted by the chorion, on the layers of the placenta. It may be present in small quantities in non-pregnant women as well. Its contents constantly increase as the stages progresses.
Gonadotropin is the hormone pregnancy tests react to. But it appears in the urine at later stages, so the pregnancy can be diagnosed reliably only several days after the missed period. The blood shows the presence of gonadotropin much earlier, which allows you to diagnose pregnancy as early as 10-12 days after conception. Some doctors recommend testing the blood for gonadotropin even in the first days after the probable conception.
As you can see, the first stages are very similar to the symptoms of certain diseases. This is why it is best to see a doctor and make sure you are really pregnant and not sick. Also, early referral to an Ob/Gyn clinic will allow the doctors to observe the baby from the first stages and take corrective measures in time should they become necessary.
