The symptoms of the first weeks of pregnancy indicate the period of changes that the expectant mother’s body is preparing to cope with. In this article, we will give you a complete guide about the early signs of pregnancy. In the early stages of gestation, each woman can present these manifestations in different ways and times.
At other times, more unpleasant complaints appear, including nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever, and fatigue. Often, the first weeks of pregnancy symptoms are evident and/or are felt within the first few days after conception. On some occasions, however, these “signals” may be delayed or not at all. (www.lasvegasoms.com)
What are
What Are the Early Signs of Pregnancy First Weeks?
The symptoms of the first weeks of pregnancy are a set of manifestations, of varying degrees, which occur following conception. The most evident and well-known manifestation is the delay in menstruation ( amenorrhea ) starting from the first cycle following the fecundating coital intercourse. This is not, however, the only consequence of the changes associated with early gestation.
Symptoms of the First Weeks of Pregnancy: Which Are the Most Common?
More frequently, symptoms in the first few weeks of pregnancy include:
- Amenorrhea (absence of menstruation in the expected days).
- Small blood loss ( implantation spotting )
- Increased breast volume and change of colour of the nipples.
- Pollakiuria (more frequent urge to urinate).
- Nausea.
- Tiredness and increased desire to sleep.
- Mood swings.
- Headache
- Mild pain in the lower abdomen.
Causes
The early signs of pregnancy first weak represent the signal with which the body communicates to the expectant mother the changes. The changes begin immediately after conception: in the first weeks, chorionic gonadotropin levels ( hCG) double every 48 hours, whose function is to stimulate the corpus luteum to produce progesterone, the main hormone of Pregnancy Chiropractor Redwood City.
How Does Conception Happen?
Conception occurs after sexual intercourse, when the spermatozoa, going up the uterus, reaches the mature egg cell, is released from the ovary during ovulation, and available for fertilization. The fertilized egg is transported by the fallopian tubes’ hair cells’ movement towards the uterine cavity. It nestles in the endometrium, which is the internal mucosa of the uterus.
These events occur approximately 6-7 days after unprotected intercourse (i.e., around the 21st day of a regular 28-day menstrual cycle, if fertilization occurred on the fourteenth day). At this point, chorionic gonadotropin production also begins, the “beta” subunit of which is important for the pregnancy test’s functioning.
When Can Pregnancy Begin?
The period in which the egg is possible to be fertilized starts 4-5 days before ovulation and ends 1-2 days later. This is possible in consideration of the fact that the mature egg cell, when expelled from the ovary, manages to survive for about 24 hours, while the spermatozoa can remain viable in the female genital system for up to 72-96 hours. Therefore, unprotected sexual intercourse, even 3 or 4 days before ovulation, can lead to fertilization.
Early Signs of Pregnancy: Why Do They Occur?
The presentation of symptoms in the first weeks of pregnancy depends on metabolic, hormonal, gastrointestinal, and psychological factors. As soon as conception occurs, the female body begins to feel some disorders due to hormonal variations and other gestation onset changes.
such as:
- The rapid increase in estrogen and progesterone.
- The reduction of blood sugar levels.
- Lowering of blood pressure.
- The increase in volume (total volume of circulating blood).
These and other factors add up and contribute to menstrual flow’s disappearance and the widespread feeling of tiredness at the beginning of pregnancy.
- Furthermore, progesterone is responsible for:
- Changes in taste and smell.
- Mood swings.
- Headache.
Meanwhile, the metabolism slows down, and it is easier for the pregnant woman to suffer from:
- Stomach acidity.
- The difficulty of digestion.
Early Signs of Pregnancy: How Long Do They Take?
The symptoms of the first weeks of pregnancy are very subjective. In fact, not all women feel the same signals with the same timing: some future mothers begin to feel the first ailments very early. Others do not perceive anything until the first visit to the gynecologist. In most cases, the other symptoms are felt from the fifth to sixth week of gestation, which is approximately 3-4 weeks after conception.
Symptoms
Early Signs of Pregnancy: How Are They Recognized?
Symptoms in the first weeks of pregnancy can be diverse and numerous and vary from woman to woman. Sometimes, even the same mother can experience two gestations differently. In some cases, it is possible that the desire for motherhood affects perceptions and suggests that you are pregnant. It can also confuse the early signs of pregnancy with the banal flu or premenstrual disorders, especially if it is not planned.
Amenorrhea or Absence of Menstruation
One of the early pregnancy symptoms that a woman of childbearing age and sexually active thinks about when she suspects she is pregnant is delayed menstruation. If after conception, the lack of flow on the expected day (or close to it, based on your menstrual cycle) strongly indicates pregnancy onset. Clearly, the delay in menstruation is not always attributable to this situation.
Menstrual flow may be delayed or not present due to numerous factors such as:
- The abrupt weight changes.
- Stress.
- The climate changes.
- Taking particular medications.
To rule out doubts, a home pregnancy test can be performed.
If a woman has a regular menstrual cycle of 28 days, this can be done from the first day of the delay in menstruation, that is, about 7 days from the fertilized egg’s nesting and 14 from the presumed conception. In general, these tools can identify the beta-HCG hormone 8 to 11 days after ovulation.
However, since:
Not all tests can detect the lowest concentrations of the hormone in the urine is. It is impossible to establish when the ovulatory phase occurs, especially when the cycles are irregular. It is best to test after four or five days of menstrual delay. In any case, if the test has been performed correctly, you can wait a few days and repeat the test to confirm the result (often, the package contains two sticks).
When the home pregnancy test is POSITIVE, it is practically certain that the pregnancy has begun. Still, it is advisable to confirm the result through a blood sample ( plasma test ) and arrange a first gynecological visit. If the outcome is DOUBT or NEGATIVE and the menstrual delay continues, it is good to talk to your doctor or gynecologist.
Small Blood Leaks: Early Signs Of Pregnancy
The embryo’s spotting implant is one of the early pregnancy symptoms manifested by small bleeding, from bright red or dark. These droplets of blood occur in some cases, about a week or two after fertilization of the egg (just when menstrual discharge would be expected), when the embryo begins its nesting process in the endometrium of the uterus. Implant spotting can be confusing for women, as it may be similar to a very slight menstrual flow.
In fact, these blood losses are among the symptoms of the first weeks of pregnancy. When a pregnancy has just begun, a minor blood loss can also occur for other causes, such as the rupture of capillaries in the cervix (this organ is, in fact, richer in blood in the months of waiting), which can happen after intercourse sexual. If the bleeding becomes abundant, it is better to consult your gynecologist promptly.
White Vaginal Discharge
From the onset of pregnancy, some women notice the presence of milky-looking white discharge. This symptom may be the consequence of the thickening of the vaginal wall, a completely harmless phenomenon that begins almost immediately after conception.
However, when combined with bad smells, a burning sensation, or itching, you should discuss this with your doctor to rule out that the basis of the losses there is an infection bacterial or fungal infection by Candida.
Breast soreness
Symptoms in the first weeks of pregnancy include changes in the breasts and nipples.
- Otherwise
From the first period of gestation, the breasts increase in volume and are turgid due to estrogen and progesterone. A few days after conception, the breasts can hurt or become particularly sensitive. The feeling of tension experienced in the first weeks of pregnancy is similar to what many women experience before menstruation. The breasts can also become covered with more noticeable veins.
These symptoms tend to subside within a few weeks: it is sufficient to give the body time to adapt to the new hormonal levels.
- Areola and Nipples
Other symptoms of the first weeks of pregnancy involve the nipples, which may protrude more than usual and are more sensitive. The areola, on the other hand, can become darker, tending to purplish, and widens.
Nausea in the morning: Early Signs Of Pregnancy
During the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, about 80% of pregnant women suffer from so-called ” MORNING NAUSEA. ” This unpleasant sensation is accompanied, in about half of the cases, by vomiting and a strong aversion to certain smells, such as, for example, that of coffee. Some pregnant women experience this disorder but manage to experience it as a minor annoyance, which does not compromise daily life.
Like the other early signs of pregnancy, some women begin to have nausea as early as one month after conception, while others do not suffer from it at all for the entire duration of gestation. In most cases, morning sickness disappears between the 16th and 20th weeks of pregnancy or by the third month; on some occasions, however, the disturbance continues beyond the 20th week.
Usually, morning sickness does not endanger the baby’s health, but it can indicate a PREGNANT HYPEREMESIS’s presence when it is very severe. The latter situation requires specialist treatment and sometimes even requires hospitalization.
Tiredness and a strong desire to sleep
One of the most common symptoms of the first few weeks of pregnancy is fatigue. The fatigue and sleepiness resulting from the new hormonal and metabolic structure that is being established to accommodate a new life early as a week after conception and, more generally, especially during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, the increase in progesterone causes a sense of fatigue accompanied by an irrepressible desire to sleep and rest. The dilation of blood vessels by lowering blood pressure and reducing blood glucose may even lead to dizziness and fainting.
Abdominal cramps
In the first weeks of pregnancy, painful sensations and cramps may be felt in the lower abdomen. This manifestation results from the expansion of the uterus, which expands to make room for the embryo’s development.
If the pains are particularly severe and persist for several days, however, it is advisable to consult the gynecologist, as they could indicate the presence of some minor or more serious pathologies, such as:
- Urinary tract infections.
- Nephrolithiasis.
- Spontaneous abortion.
- Rupture of the fallopian tube in ectopic pregnancy.
Belly Pain in Pregnancy
Frequent urination
Another of the first weeks of pregnancy symptoms is the more frequent urge to urinate than usual. This phenomenon depends on the increase in the blood circulating during gestation, a consequence of the formation of the placenta, and on the action of progesterone, a hormone that relaxes the bladder muscles, thus making it more difficult to hold pee.
Pollakiuria does not usually present with the exact onset of pregnancy but a few weeks later. The increased need to go to the bathroom to empty the bladder usually begins between the sixth and eighth week after conception. In case you suspect it is not due to a simple consequence of pregnancy but is related to a urinary tract infection or health problems (for example, diabetes ), it is good to talk to your doctor.
Mood Swings: Early Signs Of Pregnancy
Already from the first days of gestation, hormones affect many sensations. They can cause irritability and mood swings, so the woman likely feels more emotional and fragile, prone to crying and anxiety, and more euphoric.
Other early signs of pregnancy.
In the first weeks of pregnancy, the following can also occur:
- Headache.
- Feeling of a vague uneasiness.
- Increased sensitivity to certain smells and changes in taste (e.g., the strange metallic smell in the mouth, aversion to coffee, loss of interest in tobacco, etc.).
- More abundant salivation than normal.
- Changes in appetite (for example, unusual greed for certain previously indifferent foods).
- Stomach pain or a bloated feeling similar to that felt in the first few days of menstrual flow.
- Back pain.
- Constipation.
Sciatica in Pregnancy
Are these symptoms always indicative of pregnancy?
Some of the manifestations listed as symptoms of the first weeks of pregnancy may be due to other causes. However, if the various disorders are associated with specific organic signs (e.g., breast tenderness, increase in the uterus volume, etc.), the pregnancy diagnosis is practically obvious.
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Diagnosis: Early Signs Of Pregnancy
In case of delayed menstruation, it is always important to consider the possibility of pregnancy. If your period is a few days late, it is always good to take a pregnancy test (easily available at the pharmacy).
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Symptoms of the First Weeks: when to take the pregnancy test?
The test must be performed when the menstruation fails and can be repeated after 7 days, following the instructions correctly.
Other tests that can be done in case of suspected symptoms of the first weeks of pregnancy include:
- Hormonal dosages.
- Blood analysis.
- Pelvic ultrasound.
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