Most women are known to love the idea of carrying their babies within them in their lifetime. That concept of motherhood is always very beautiful to imagine by such women that cherish it even when they have been hearing about its rigors, pain, and all sorts of stress it makes a woman eventually go to. On the other hand, we still have some who which not get pregnant at all either by sexual intercourse or artificial insemination. But despite the significant difference in both choices, this doesn’t mean that either the women who would love to get pregnant or those who don’t would be exempt from experiencing pregnancy symptoms.
What this means is that most women would likely experience pregnancy symptoms that they are either wishing to be true or doesn’t want to be true. In other words, pregnancy symptoms, even if not signaling the coming of a baby, maybe a good or bad news depending on the wish of the woman experiencing them. Though there are other reasons why some women may not want to get pregnant, which are mostly situations like the wish for the perceived pregnancy not to interrupt her education, the perceived pregnancy is unwanted at that point in time, the perceived pregnancy may be from an unknown father, etc. But whatever the reasons were given by any woman towards expecting to get pregnant or not, there has been medically proven evidence of the occurrence of sudden pregnancy symptoms that can cause a lot of confusion, frustration, fear, and emotional instability.
Now about the topic, you can just try and imagine how emotionally and physically staggering it would be for a woman who is not even within the menstrual cycle yet suddenly experiencing on and off pregnancy symptoms. The same effect would also happen to a woman who has been trying to get pregnant but not yet in another round of her menstrual cycle. Some of these early pregnancy symptoms are also very similar to those you get when you’re pre menstrual or when you’re having your period – which means it can be tough to tell whether your body’s telling you you’re pregnant or not.
But mind you, the exact symptoms and their severity of them will be different for everyone but there are certainly a large number of early signs of pregnancy that are worth looking out for. These major signs largely fall into eleven main categories, each affecting different physical areas of your body such as your breasts, tummy, head, and the accompanying different emotions you may be feeling.
Normally, a missed period is the most obvious sign of pregnancy, yet it is not the only sign of pregnancy. An egg fertilizes and implants in the uterus wall well before you miss your period. Essentially, you are pregnant the moment the implantation happens. When you are a few days or weeks into a pregnancy, the body begins to give indications about pregnancy, even before the menstrual date. The symptoms of pregnancy generally appear during the first week of conception. However, an excited and anxious expectant mother can fail to notice them. Is there a way to know that you are pregnant even before you miss your period? Well sure you can. That way is by doing a pregnancy test which is undoubtedly the most accurate way to see if you are indeed pregnant. However, experiencing some of these pregnancy symptoms can be frustrating especially when they later got to be what they are not. So let’s examine some of the signs here:
- Cramps: Menstrual cramps are an early and evident sign of pregnancy. You may experience light or mild cramping if you’re pregnant. These cramps will feel similar to the ones you experience before your periods, but they will be in your lower stomach or lower back.
- Feeling sensitive and sore on both breasts: Soreness or tenderness in your breasts can be one of the very earliest pregnancy symptoms. Larisa Corda, an IVF consultant, gynecologist, and one of the UK’s leading fertility experts and brand ambassador for KicksCount and Wellness Sisters stated that changes to the breasts can start as early as 1 to 2 weeks after conception. “Pregnancy hormones can make breasts swollen and sore. Or they may feel heavier or fuller or more tender to touch.” She says.
- Cervical mucus: If you happen to be producing this, then you need to start examining it right away. If it becomes creamy and stays that way after ovulation, it’s a good sign you’ll have a positive pregnancy test.
- Constipation: Hormonal changes may also cause some women to become constipated due to a coming pregnancy. The elevated progesterone levels relax the bowel walls, which can make it harder to pass stool. This symptom is more common later in pregnancy, but it can affect some women in the first trimester.
- Tender and tingly nipples: Your nipples may also change significantly during the early pregnancy symptoms. You will begin to experience some aches around your nipples, which may turn to tingle and then back to aching you again. There will also be the prominent protrusion of your nipples which will make them pointier than more than usual. Also, the colors of your areoles, whether pink or dark, will become deeper and wider.
- Headaches: One of the likely symptoms is a headache. Many pregnant women have experienced headaches due to the increased estrogen levels in the body. Great fatigue or stress can also cause tension headaches. Women should check with their healthcare provider before taking any medication, including over-the-counter pain relievers.
- Dizziness: This mostly happens due to the drop in blood pressure which can occur during early pregnancy. The blood vessels begin to dilate to send more blood to the uterus. Reduced blood pressure can lead to dizziness, which may also occur due to fatigue, low blood sugar levels, and stress. Eating small, regular meals and trying to keep stress under control can help.
CONCLUSION
It is very important to note here that just because you are experiencing some of these symptoms doesn’t mean you’re expecting. You could also have none of them at all and still go on to have a perfectly healthy pregnancy.
If pregnant women experience any of the above symptoms to the extent that it causes them distress, they should visit a doctor as soon as possible. This is because as mildly inconvenient as some of these symptoms can be, others can occasionally be more severe and require quick medical attention.