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What Are The Early Pregnancy Signs To Watch Out For?

You may not have missed your period, but you feel different for some reason. Your body might also seem different. Is this an early sign of pregnancy? Are there other pregnancy signs that you can look out for?

While some women notice a change in energy level, others are prone to mood swings or swollen breasts. Some other early pregnancy signs may also take women by surprise, including fainting, frequent bathroom visits, as well as a shift in sense of smell.

Your hormones will go into an extra gear even before you take a pregnancy test. So, before you can take a pregnancy test, there are some early pregnancy signs you can look out for.

What Are The Early Pregnancy Signs To Watch Out For?

What Are The Early Pregnancy Signs To Watch Out For?

If you feel that you may be with a child, here are 12 early signs that could confirm your suspicions that you are pregnant:

Shortness of Breath can be an Early Sign of Pregnancy

Do you breathe heavy after climbing a flight of stairs? If you do, this can be a sign of an early pregnancy. With the fetus requiring oxygen, you will fall short of breath frequently. Shortness of breath is expected to continue throughout the pregnancy. This will continue as your baby grows and exerts pressure on diaphragm and lungs. You can know you are pregnant if you feel short of breath frequently, as this can be an early sign of pregnancy.

Swollen Breasts is an Early Sign of Pregnancy

When you face mild torture while putting on a bra in the morning, you know you’re pregnant.You may think that your breasts have grown in size; however, heavy-feeling breasts in addition to the darkening of the areolas is among the common early signs of pregnancy. During this period, it is imperative that you wear a supportive bra to bed if required to ensure comfort and support during your pregnancy. Increase in the size of the breasts is a very common and important early sign of pregnancy.

Fatigue is an Early Sign of Pregnancy

One of the common early signs of pregnancy is fatigue. When you are with a child, and you don’t know it yet, you will not be able to read a few chapters of a book without falling asleep. If you feel exhausted suddenly, it could be caused by increasing hormones in the body. For a lot of women, fatigue tends to continue throughout the first trimester, but tends to recede during the second trimester.

Nausea is an Early Sign of Pregnancy

Most pregnant women tend to suffer from nausea during the early stages of pregnancy, when they are around six weeks along. However, some women may experience morning sickness much earlier. Morning sickness may not only come on in the morning. You can expect to feel queasy in the afternoon or night when you are pregnant. Nausea tends to subside as a woman enters her second trimester. If you want to beat the nauseous feeling of pregnancy, then eat foods that settle in your stomach, including ginger ale and crackers. You can easily know that you are pregnant with this early sign of pregnancy.

Frequent Urination As An Early Pregnancy Sign

If you visit the toilet multiple times throughout the day, chances are that it could be an early sign of pregnancy. Not many women know, but they can find out they are pregnant through their toilet habits. When you are pregnant, your body will produce extra fluids, leading to your bladder working overtime. You can expect to take regular bathroom breaks throughout the day.

Headaches can be an Early Sign of Pregnancy

If you get frequent headaches, it could be an early pregnancy sign. An aching head could be the result of hormonal changes. If you are in fact pregnant, you can take acetaminophen instead of ibuprofen to help ease the pain. However, a normal headache may not always mean that you are pregnant.

Backaches as an Early Pregnancy Sign

Does your lower back pain quite often? If you do not normally suffer from back pain, chances are that your ligaments are loosening up. Back pain will be a fixture throughout your pregnancy even as you gain. Your shifting center of gravity will affect your posture and your back. Regular back massages will help ease this early sign of pregnancy– a short-term solution until the baby comes.

Cramps can be an Early Sign of Pregnancy

Cramps are common during a pregnancy. So, if you get cramps, like the kind you get before your period, you are most likely pregnant. Cramps are triggered by implantation –the process by which the fertilized egg sticks to the uterine wall. During this time, the uterus may be stretching a bit, leading to cramps. Why does stretching happen? It is preparation for massive expansion over the rest of the pregnancy period. So you can know you are pregnant if you are suffering from cramps which can be an early sign of pregnancy.

Spotting can be an Early Sign of Pregnancy

If you have been having light spotting or bleeding, then it need not be a cause for worry. Some spotting in fact could be an early sign that you are pregnant. You may even confuse light bleeding for a period. However, around 25% of women will experience spotting during the implantation process of pregnancy, say the experts. If you notice that the light bleeding or a ‘period,’ lasts for a short time, then it more often than now can be an early sign of pregnancy and means that you are indeed pregnant. If you aren’t sure despite the signs, you can always visit the doctor.

Nipple Darkening is an Early Sign of Pregnancy

As stated already, during the early stages of pregnancy, your body undergoes many changes. This might come as a surprise to you, but you might notice that your nipples look darker. Pregnancy hormones tend to affect melanocytes, or cells in the nipples which cause change in color. For darker-complexioned pregnant women, they may notice this change only until later in the pregnancy; a rough estimate would be about 10 weeks. For lighter-complexioned women, the color change in the nipples will take place earlier in the pregnancy. Darkening of the nipples is a very common early sign of pregnancy.

Bloating is an Early Sign of Pregnancy

Bloating is another sign of an early pregnancy. Increased levels of progesterone will cause the slowing down of the digestive tract resulting in bloated tummy. If bloating does not go away and your period is a no-show, you can expect to share good news with your husband, family and friends that you are pregnant.

Cravings can be an Early Sign of Pregnancy

When you are pregnant, but you have no clue, you can expect food cravings to take over your life. Your body might want extra carbs as they are easily metabolized. These foods will help keep your energy levels high during your pregnancy. Sudden food cravings are another common early sign of pregnancy, which indicates that you are pregnant.

Conclusion

Hopefully, now you will be better prepared when you experience any of these early signs of pregnancy to know that you are pregnant. However, when in doubt, it is always better to reach out to your doctor.

References:

  1. American Pregnancy Association. (2021). Early Pregnancy Symptoms. https://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/early-pregnancy-symptoms/
  2. Mayo Clinic. (2021). Signs of Pregnancy: What Happens Right Away. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/getting-pregnant/in-depth/signs-of-pregnancy/art-20043853
  3. Healthline. (2021). 10 Early Signs of Pregnancy Before You Miss a Period. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/early-symptoms-timeline

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:November 29, 2023

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