How to identify the early signs of pregnancy
Can you ‘feel’ pregnant even before it’s been confirmed? While pregnancy tests or
ultrasounds are the most secure way of finding out, your body has many ways of dropping you hints — even before you miss a period. If you’re in tune with the changes in your body, you may be able to follow these signs and make an informed decision before taking a test — hopefully with a joyful result!
Pregnancy signs vary greatly between women. Many women experience symptoms within a few days, others after a few weeks, and some don’t have very noticeable symptoms at all. But most will experience some, if not all, of the following major early signs of pregnancy.
Listen to your body: 10 signs that you might be pregnant
- Tender breasts: This is often one of the first signs that you’re pregnant — and unfortunately it’s one of the most uncomfortable. Your breasts may be tingly, painful or feel heavy just days after conception, as oestrogen levels in the body rise.
- Fatigue: If you’re feeling more tired than usual, it could be an early sign that you’re pregnant, and feeling the effects of hormonal changes. It’s also an overriding signal from the body to take it easy.
- Nausea and vomiting: Just because it’s one of the more obvious and expected signs, it doesn’t make morning sickness any easier. In fact, it can strike in the afternoon or the evening, and it can arrive in the first week of conception.
- Higher basal body temperature: If you’ve been tracking your temperature while trying to conceive, you’ll know your temperature rises during ovulation then drops after your period. If your temperature stays elevated for over two weeks, you may be taking a trip to the pharmacy for that kit.
- More trips to the loo: If you’re pregnant your uterus swells immediately to accommodate the growing foetus, which puts pressure on your bladder, and more toilet breaks. This occurs within one or two weeks.
- Light spotting: Sometimes a small amount of light spotting — or implantation bleeding — is one of the first signs of pregnancy, and happens around 10 to 14 days after conception.
- Heightened sense of smell: Many women in the first few weeks of pregnancy report an increased sensitivity to smells. A double-edged sword, as bad smells may overpower the good, especially when combined with #3 above.
- Food cravings and aversions: Another classic sign of pregnancy, brought on by hormonal changes. If you’re suddenly bingeing on a random snack or you’ve been turned off your go-to comfort food, your body may have bigger news for you.
- Heartburn: When the uterus swells it starts to push upwards, and as HCG hormone levels increase, this slows down digestion, which in turn increases stomach acid.
- Moodiness: With an influx of hormones as well as some — or all — of the above, there’s no surprise women often suffer mood swings during the first stages of pregnancy — which may begin within the first two weeks.
If you’ve missed a period and you’ve noticed some of the above signs, it might be time to take a pregnancy test — if it’s positive, it’s important to begin prenatal care.
Early pregnancy scan
If you are pregnant, and you’ve had your first consultation with your doctor, here at
ReproScan we offer an
Early Pregnancy Scan, usually performed between 8 and 14 weeks after conception. At this time, you can see their baby for the first time, check their heartbeat, verify if you’re expecting one little one or more, and have an idea of your due date.
If you’ve just found out you’re pregnant:
Even before you visit us for your first Early Pregnancy Scan, you can estimate your baby’s arrival date with our
Due Date Calculator.
Click here to find out more.
