A missed period is an indicator of pregnancy and an obvious sign, but it’s not the only symptom or sign of pregnancy. You may experience other signs and symptoms of pregnancy before you missed period. Fertilization and implantation of egg or conception in the uterus wall happens, well before you miss a period. Ideally, a woman becomes pregnant once the implantation of the egg happens in the uterus. The implantation of the egg is also called conception.
How Quickly You Can Know if You are Pregnant
The signs and symptoms of pregnancy vary from woman to woman. One can feel early symptoms of pregnancy and early body changes even first few weeks, on another hand a woman may not experience any signs and symptoms of pregnancy at all. Even there are some women who don’t know if they are pregnant until months after the conception.
Lactating or Breast-Feeding mothers also miss the pregnancy symptoms in absence of periods during the location and they only realize when abdomen size increases with the age of the pregnancy.
Symptoms of Pregnancy
Common very early signs and immediate symptoms of pregnancy before missed period may include:
- Increased frequency of urination
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Light Headedness
- Nausea and Vomitings
- Sensitivity to smell and Craving for certain food
- Changes in Breasts (Tender Breasts)
- Elevated Basal Body Temperature
- Mood swings
- Constipation
Following early symptoms of pregnancy appears generally after a month or post you miss your period.
- A Missed Period or Missed Menses
- Changes in Food preferences
- Bloating and feeling of tightness in the abdomen
- Spotting
- Vagina Mucous change
- Increasing abdomen size
What Are The Stages of Pregnancy Symptoms
Pregnancy is divided into 3 trimesters; first, second and third trimester. Each trimester is 12-13 weeks longer and Signs and symptoms of pregnancy advance as the pregnancy progresses into the next trimester.
First Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms (1-12 Weeks)
The body of a pregnant woman undergoes many hormonal changes during the first trimester of pregnancy. These hormonal changes start happening even in the very first week of pregnancy and trigger signs and symptoms in the early weeks.
Increased frequency of urination
Frequent urination or frequent trips to the bathroom can be the first symptoms of pregnancy even you miss a period. You may notice that you are urinating more frequently.
Fatigue and Tiredness
Many women feel fatigued and extremely tired in the early weeks of pregnancy. The level of Progesterone hormone increases in early pregnancy which causes tiredness and fatigue. Fatigue improves in the second trimester but comes back in the third trimester in many women.
Light Headedness
Light headaches, dizziness, and a feeling of-headedness are very common in early pregnancy. This happens because of hormonal changes in your body and increasing blood volume.
Nausea and Vomitings
Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy vary from woman to woman. It can happen in a very early stage even in the first weeks of pregnancy after conception. But in a few women, it can start a few months after the pregnancy or conception. Nausea is very common but if you vomit a lot, it can lead to dehydration which is a problem and can cause medical attention. Excessive vomiting during pregnancy is called Hyperemesis Gravidarum and if you experienced it you should contact your gynecologist.
Oversensitivity to Smell and Craving for certain food
Oversensitivity to smell becomes a problem during pregnancy. Food can be complicated during early pregnancy because of oversensitivity to smell. You may experience entirely different flavors of food items. Some flavors may seem pleasant and wonderful, but others are unpleasant even if you used to love those flavors. All this happens because of hormonal changes.
Tender and painful Breasts
You may feel tenderness in your breast similar to the way you feel before your periods but it can be the same or more. The tenderness in the breast settles once your body gets used to the changed or increased level of hormones.
Elevated Basal Body Temperature
Generally, your body’s basal temperature increases before every ovulation cycle and back to normal after your period. However, during pregnancy, it remains elevated through the pregnancy. The cause of elevated basal body temperature is high progesterone hormone levels during pregnancy.
Mood swings
You may experience frequent mood swings during pregnancy, the culprit for the mood swings is hormonal changes. You may feel very happy but suddenly you feel sad. if you feel depressed or sad for a longer period of time please contact your healthcare provider.
Constipation and Heart Burn
High progesterone levels lead to constipation because it decreases intestinal motility or bowel movement. Hurt burn is another sign of pregnancy but varies from woman to woman.
Second Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms (1-12 Weeks)
Most of the first trimester continues to the second trimester may up and down which varies from woman to woman. The Symptoms like nausea and vomiting start going away.
- Your abdomen expands further as the baby grows
- You will start feeling baby movement at the end of the second trimester
- The color of your nipples begins to darken from pinkish to black and enlarge.
- Backache, Bodyache, thigh pain, and groin pain are very common in the second trimester
- Stretch marks on the abdomen, Back, or Thighs
- Darkening of the skin around the nipples
- Weight gain
- Swelling of face, fingers, and ankles
- A dark line on the skin from the umbilical area or belly button to the pubic hairline
- Melasma – patches of darker skin around lips, nose, face, cheeks, or forehead
- Numb hand or tingling sensation in hands
Third Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms (1-12 Weeks)
Your abdomen expands further and you start feeling heaviness as the baby’s weight increases. Symptoms and discomfort of the second trimester will continue. Some of the new symptoms you will experience in the third trimester of the pregnancy.
- Heartburn and discomfort in the epigastric region
- Shortness of breath
- Constipation
- Anal Fissure or Hemorrhoids
- Tender breasts and, breast size increase. A fluid start leaking out from the breast which is called colostrum
- Trouble sleeping
- Pain in the rib cage and rib muscles
- The belly button bulges out
- You feel the baby moving down in your abdomen
- Contractions in abdomen
- Hair Loss and Hair Fall
If you start feeling more contractions this can be a happy moment in the form of labor pain. Please contact your service provider if you start feeling labor pains.
