Early Symptoms of Being Pregnant

Women who suspect they are pregnant often obsess over signs and symptoms that may reveal whether they are or aren't. There are many websites and forums dedicated to early pregnancy symptoms and women flock to these sites trying to find the answers to their question.

Significance

• Early detection of pregnancy leads to healthier outcomes if the mother takes proper steps to ensure prenatal health. It allows the woman time to find an obstetrician and start receiving prenatal care and adequate time to stop harmful behaviors such as smoking, drinking or drug abuse.

Time Frame

• Ovulation occurs roughly halfway through a woman's monthly menstrual cycle. For pregnancy to occur, sperm must fertilize the egg during ovulation and then the egg must implant in the lining of the uterus. This happens within a few days of ovulation. With this in mind, a woman is technically pregnant two weeks before her next period is due.

Identification

• Early symptoms of being pregnant are mild and impossible to attribute specifically to pregnancy. These symptoms include bloating, stomach upset, mood changes, breast tenderness, fatigue and cramping. Sometimes these symptoms are more severe, but sometimes paying closer attention enhances the perception of the symptoms, making them seem more severe when they're the same as always. A missed period is generally the first true sign of pregnancy.

Considerations

• Although most women don't get their period while they are pregnant, some women do continue to have monthly bleeding. Spotting is also very common, especially around the time of the first period after implantation. Most of the time bleeding during pregnancy is lighter than normal cycles.

Misconceptions

• Early pregnancy symptoms vary from person to person, and are so similar to Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) and regular signs of impending menstruation that there really is no way to tell. While some of the symptoms appear to increase when pregnant, it is often such a small increase that differentiating between the two is nearly impossible.

Prevention/Solution

• Most pregnancy tests available can detect pregnancy before the first missed period by testing for hCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin) in the urine. Blood tests for hCG are available by physician's orders. Quantitative hCG blood tests are almost 100 percent accurate for determining pregnancy within days after implantation of the embryo of the uterus, which is normally over a week before a due menstrual cycle. Qualitative hCG tests simply test for hCG over a predetermined level, with only positive or negative results.

Warning

• If pregnancy is a possibility, make an appointment with a doctor. Blood and urine tests rule out any early problems and an ultrasound can assist a doctor if there are any concerns. Fertility drugs can cause false positive pregnancy tests, so check with a doctor if you are using fertility drugs to become pregnant.