First signs of pregnancy: How to find out that I am pregnant? In the early stages, fatigue, nausea, the urge to urinate or mood swings will indicate this.

First signs of pregnancy: How to find out that I am pregnant? In the early stages, fatigue, nausea, the urge to urinate or mood swings will indicate this.
Although pregnancy can be confirmed flawlessly only by a doctor using ultrasound, there are also the first signs of pregnancy that an observant woman recognizes even before the time comes for a gravity test. Women know how to recognize that they are pregnant and safely attribute morning sickness, frequent fatigue, mood swings and changes in taste to pregnancy even before the doctor confirms it. What are the other first signs of pregnancy? Did you know that the first week of pregnancy is counted from the date of your last period? Gynecologist Stacy A. Henigsman confirms that "the last menstrual period is considered week 1 of pregnancy, even if the woman is not yet pregnant at the time." [1] It is therefore understandable when you attribute the first symptoms of a 40-week pregnancy not to the second condition, but to menstruation. Nevertheless, early symptoms can be distinguished. In the following sections, you will learn how.

The first signs of pregnancy: A storm of hormones that prepares the body for the growth of a new life

The first symptoms of pregnancy can be attributed to menstrual episodes, because spotting and cramps that normally accompany menstruation are no exception in the early stages of pregnancy. Stacy A. Henigsmanová adds that 10 to 14 days (that is, the 4th week) after conception, a woman may notice bleeding that she mistakenly interprets as menstrual spotting. "It doesn't happen every time, but when it does, it's usually when a woman is expecting her period, which confuses her. However, menstrual bleeding and spotting at the beginning of pregnancy are different from each other," Henigsmanová explains and describes the differences as follows:

  • The color of "pregnancy bleeding" is usually pink, while it is red or brown during menstruation.
  • Bleeding at the beginning of pregnancy is usually weak; never strong enough to need a tampon.
  • The pain is usually milder than during menstruation; however, in certain cases it may be stronger and include severe convulsions.
  • Bleeding episodes at the beginning of pregnancy usually last from a few hours to a few days, but rarely a week, i.e. the period normal for menstruation. [1]

Experts from the Better Health Channel add that pregnancy is a time of significant hormonal changes. Classic early pregnancy symptoms include "missing" periods, breast tenderness, fatigue, frequent urination, and morning sickness. "In the later stages of pregnancy, some less common symptoms appear, such as back pain and headaches, leg cramps, varicose veins, itching or tingling, constipation, hemorrhoids and other digestive problems, vaginitis or vaginal discharge and significant mood swings or depression." [2] We will now look in more detail at the first symptoms of pregnancy that come before the loss of menstruation.

Do you know that there are pregnancy symptoms even before you miss your period?

"The first symptoms of pregnancy often resemble the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome," warns gynecologist Debra Sullivan. [3] However, an attentive woman can recognize them. Experts in the article Can I Tell If Im Pregnant Before I Miss My Period? confirm that there are symptoms of pregnancy that appear even before the missed period. There are five of them and they indicate the beginning of pregnancy.

#1 - Sore and sensitive breasts

One of the first changes you may notice is sore and tender breasts. They are fuller, larger and heavier than usual, which is caused by the rising level of progesterone in the body. This initial symptom either persists throughout the pregnancy or subsides after a few weeks. [4] [2]

#2 - Darkening areolas around the nipples

The areolas around the nipples darken during the entire pregnancy, for the first time you can notice it a week or two after conception. It is often the very first symptom of early pregnancy, even before morning sickness and missed periods.

#3 - Great fatigue

Fatigue is completely normal in the early stages of pregnancy, as hormones are raging in the body and preparing it for the upcoming period. And that exhausts you. In addition, your blood sugar and blood pressure will drop, which increases fatigue.

#4 - Morning sickness

Morning sickness starts between the 4th and 6th week of pregnancy. A watery stomach and feelings of vomiting are less pleasant parts of pregnancy and are also evidence of high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), or the pregnancy "revealing" hormone. It is the hormone that can detect a pregnancy test (even after IVF). [4] [5]

#5 - Cervical mucus

At the beginning of pregnancy, you may notice a change in vaginal discharge, which is also much more than usual. In the first trimester, white or light yellow sticky mucus may appear on the underwear, which is a consequence of hormonal changes and vaginal blood flow. Cervical mucus can be secreted throughout pregnancy as the cervix softens.

If you miss the early signs, pregnancy will soon announce itself with other, more obvious ones

You will definitely recognize the advanced stages of pregnancy. The thing about the symptoms here is that if you haven't noticed them before, they are now unmistakable.

They include:

  • • fatigue and feelings of fainting,
  • • mood swings,
  • • urge to urinate,
  • • gestational diabetes,
  • • heartburn (sometimes extreme),
  • • bloating,
  • • weight gain,
  • • problems with the thyroid gland,
  • • high blood pressure,
  • • skin changes. [2]

How soon will I find out I'm pregnant? Start counting the weeks of pregnancy

If you want to start finding out "what week of pregnancy I am", it is first necessary to confirm that you are pregnant. Take a pregnancy test that examines the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or the hormone that "confirms" pregnancy. It is precisely that particular hormone that pregnancy tests pick up, and depending on its (absence) they will show you either one or two commas.

What to do when you find out you are pregnant? The first step is to calculate "what week of pregnancy I am" (this is called the gestational age calculation). "If you visit a doctor, he will do an ultrasound and tell you exactly what week you are. However, you can also calculate it yourself, even before visiting the gynecologist," advise experts from Planned Parenthood. The length of pregnancy is calculated from the first day of your last period. [6]

"Although ovulation usually occurs 2 weeks after your period, it's not guaranteed because you can't say for sure when you ovulated, counting starts from your last period to keep things simple," Planned Parenthood experts continue. EXAMPLE: Let's say it's January 18th and the first day of your last period was December 5th. We count the days between these two dates, which is 44 days. This means you are approximately six weeks and two days pregnant. [6] [7]

Tip: If you are planning a pregnancy, do not forget to have your ovarian reserve tested by examining the level of AMH or Anti-Müller hormone. This will reveal the probability of natural conception.

The first symptoms of pregnancy can be confused with the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, which we try to prevent by describing them in detail. Indeed, there are those that appear much earlier, before menstruation is missed. Listen to your body and detect the first signs of pregnancy as soon as possible.

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Sources 

[1] HEALTHLINE. 15 Early Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy. Online. 2023. Dostupné z: https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/early-symptoms-timeline. [cit. 2024-04-18]. 

[2] BETTERHEALTH. Pregnancy - signs and symptoms. Online. 2022. Dostupné z: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/pregnancy-signs-and-symptoms. [cit. 2024-04-18]. 

[3] HEALTHLINE. Can I Tell If I’m Pregnant Before I Miss My Period? Online. 2019. Dostupné z: https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy-symptoms-before-missed-period. [cit. 2024-04-18]. 

[4] EVA KIEDROŇOVÁ. Jsem těhotná? Jak poznat první příznaky těhotenství? Online. 2023. Dostupné z: https://evakiedronova.cz/prvni-priznaky-tehotenstvi. [cit. 2024-04-18]. 

[5] BENU. JSEM V TOM? JAK POZNAT PRVNÍ PŘÍZNAKY TĚHOTENSTVÍ? Online. 2023. Dostupné z: https://www.benu.cz/jsem-v-tom-jak-poznat-prvni-priznaky-tehotenstvi. [cit. 2024-04-18]. 

[6] PLANNED PARENTHOOD. How can I calculate how many weeks pregnant I am? Online. 2023. Dostupné z: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/how-can-i-calculate-how-many-weeks-pregnant-i-am. [cit. 2024-04-18]. 

[7] CLEVELAND CLINIC. Pregnancy Tests. Online. 2022. Dostupné z: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/9703-pregnancy-tests. [cit. 2024-04-18].