Some Common Very Early Symptoms

Spotting
Spotting is the earliest pregnancy symptom. When the embryo is formed, it implants itself in the uterine walls. This usually occurs 3 to 4 days after conception. Due to implantation of embryo in the uterus, you may notice slight spotting. However, all pregnant women may not notice this spotting.

Missed Periods
One of the very early symptoms of pregnancy is a missed period. Once the egg has fertilized, you won’t get your periods. However, some pregnant women may experience light period.

Fatigue
During pregnancy, the body works hard to develop the fetus. There are various hormonal changes that take place. This is the reason why many pregnant women experience fatigue during the first few months of pregnancy. Fatigue is an early pregnancy symptom that reduces in second trimester.

Morning Sickness
Morning sickness too is a very early symptom of pregnancy that usually disappears during second trimester. The main cause of morning sickness is changes in hormones. You may feel nausea especially during early morning, when you eat after long hours. In some cases this may be accompanied by vomiting.

Frequent Urination
Due to increase in the size of the uterus, your bladder may feel pressure. You may have to make many visits to the washroom.

Mood Swings
Some women experience mood swings during pregnancy. You may get easily irritated during this period. You can blame the sudden rush of hormones for mood swings and irritability. Besides, some women get stressed and irritable due to the new responsibility and changes in their body.

Food Cravings
Food cravings generally occur when the body needs some specific nutrients for the proper functioning. The pregnant woman has to take care of the nutritional needs of her baby too and hence her nutritional requirements are more. Food cravings are the signals that the body sends when it requires food or when it lacks specific nutrients. It is important that you consult your doctor and take supplementary vitamins and minerals.

Breast Tenderness
Breast tenderness, sensitivity and soreness occur during early pregnancy. The main cause for this is changes in hormones. The breasts are also preparing them for feeding the baby at this time.

Headache
Headache is also one of early pregnancy symptoms. The reason for headache could be fatigue, low blood sugar, stress, or changes in hormones.

Aversion To Foods And Aroma
During pregnancy, you may not even like your favorite food. You may also be sensitive to some specific aromas.

It is not necessary that you will experience all of the very early pregnancy symptoms. The extent also varies among women. If you are facing tough times due to any pregnancy symptom, then you should consult your doctor. Proper medication and advice can provide you much relief.

If you want to ascertain whether you are carrying single or multiple babies, then you should seek medical advice. With advancement in medical science, it is very easy to find whether you are expecting twins or single baby. One such technique is the ultrasound. However, in some exceptional cases, even ultrasound may not detect twin pregnancy during early stages.

Twin Pregnancy Symptoms Or Signs That You Should Look Out For

Weight gain
Weight gain is greater and more rapid in women who are pregnant with multiple babies. During the entire pregnancy term, a woman carrying twins on an average gains 10 pounds more than woman carrying a single baby.

Increased size
The pregnancy is visible early in case a woman is carrying twins. This is because the uterus enlarges more than in case of singleton pregnancy.

Fatigue
Women expecting twin’s experience more fatigue than those carrying a single baby. The greater the number of babies, a woman is pregnant with, the more tired she feels. This is because when you have a twin pregnancy, your body is working double hard to develop the fetuses and hence you feel tired all the time. You may be required to take sufficient rest and naps during daytime.

Fetal movement
During twin pregnancy, the mother may feel more fetal movement. Some women who have had twins have reported that they felt fetal movement very early during their pregnancy.

Morning sickness
Women feel more nausea in case of twin pregnancies. Since the hormonal changes are more in their case, the women experience more morning sickness.

AFT test
AFT test measures the amount of the protein secreted by the fetus. If your AFT test shows high level of fetal protein, then you may be pregnant with multiple babies. This is because when the number of babies in the womb is more, the protein secreted is more.

It is not necessary that if you are having twins you will experience exaggerated pregnancy symptoms. Pregnancy symptoms vary from woman to woman. A woman pregnant with twins may have easier pregnancy than one pregnant with single baby. Also, if it is your first pregnancy, it is very difficult for you to determine yourself whether you have twins or single baby. This is because you have no parameters for comparison. You are experiencing all this for the first time and you do not exactly know what to expect. Only a proper medical examination can reveal whether you have twin pregnancy or a single pregnancy.

Morning sickness

During first trimester, most women experience morning sickness. This is caused due to various factors like low blood sugar levels and changes in hormones. If you also experience nausea and vomiting, then you should keep the following things in mind -

Symptoms That Confuse You

Many women usually overlook the very early pregnancy symptoms. For example, feeling increased fatigue may be dismissed by many working women as a result of office work and family duties. But, the truth is: it could be that you are pregnant.

One of the very early pregnancy symptoms is cramping. This, too, is mistaken by many women as menstrual cramps. This is accompanied by mild bleeding or spotting, which further add to the confusion of whether it’s menstruation or pregnancy sign. Moreover, there are women who don’t experience this implantation bleeding, at all. So, although it’s one of the earliest possible signs of pregnancy, it’s not enough to confirm a pregnancy.

Combination Of Symptoms

It’s a combination of signs, not one sign alone, that should make you sit up and take notice. Some of the famous earliest possible signs of pregnancy include fatigue, tender breasts, spotting, irritability, morning sickness, frequent urge to urinate, backache and headache, craving for particular foods, missed period, higher sensitivity to smell, change of taste in mouth (usually it gets metallic), and mood swings.

Severity Of Symptoms

Morning sickness is not experienced by every pregnant woman on earth. There are some lucky ones who escape the wrath of this symptom. Similarly, the severity of symptoms varies with women. For example, some women may feel completely devoid of energy, while some manage to be on their toes till the end of the day.

Another sign of pregnancy that varies among women is mood swings. Some women are able to handle mood oscillations better than others. But then there are also women who go into depression during this stage. The ability to handle emotions depends on your attitude and, to some extent, on your diet. There are foods that can keep your mood cheerful.

Again, some women experience the earliest possible signs of pregnancy in less than a week of conception, while some experience them only after a couple of weeks. Ladies who are in tune with their body are able to identify the first signs of pregnancy in a better manner than others. This is because they can detect even the slightest change happening in their body at once.

As soon as you begin getting the earliest possible signs of pregnancy, consult your doctor. Only a pregnancy test will confirm your pregnancy. Besides, your doctor can advise you on how to handle the symptoms efficiently. If your test shows positive, he or she can also calculate your due date.

This is because there are other factors too that can make you miss your period. These include stress, sickness, birth control pills, abrupt gain or loss of weight, or new medication. Besides, certain medical conditions can also lead to an irregular or missed menstrual cycle.

So ladies if you’re waiting for your missed period to confirm pregnancy - remember – it’s not 100% accurate.

Is It Period Or No Period?

Symptoms of pregnancy in the first week can be quite baffling, especially when you experience bleeding around your menstruation date. Is this your period? Does this mean you are not pregnant? Well, if the bleeding is light brown or pinkish and is not accompanied with menstrual cramps, it’s not your period. This is implantation bleeding, which takes place between 6 and 12 days of ovulation. It occurs when your egg gets fertilized and is implanted in your uterus. (Congrats!)

Most women mistake this bleeding for menstruation and think they are not pregnant, when they actually are. The first symptoms of pregnancy are there to make you sit up and take notice that there is something happening inside your body. However, the ideal way to assure your pregnancy is through a pregnancy test.

More Symptoms Of Pregnancy In The First Week

Here are some more symptoms that need your attention:

Missed Period

This is one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms. When your egg gets fertilized, you miss your next period. Many women experience light bleeding around their period date. This is normal.

Other causes: If your pregnancy test is negative, your missed period might be due to a medical condition, new medication, stress, stoppage of contraceptive pills, hormonal disruption, abrupt weight gain or loss, or breast feeding.

Implantation Bleeding

This occurs when fertilization takes place and your fertilized egg gets implanted in the uterus. It happens 6-12 days after you conceive. Some women get spotting, along with cramps.

Other causes: If you’re not pregnant, this bleeding can be your actual period, or it may be due to alteration in birth control pills, infection, or abrasion during intercourse.

Tender Breasts

Within a week or two of conception, you may notice your breasts getting tender or sore. They may even appear larger. This is one of the early signs of pregnancy.

Morning Sickness

This is one of the early symptoms of pregnancy that almost every woman loathes! The worst thing about this symptom is its deceiving name! You can get morning sickness throughout the day and not just in the morning. Now dig this: there are some women who do not experience this symptom at all. How lucky can one get!

Other causes: If it’s confirmed you’re not pregnant and you still throw up; you may be a victim of food poisoning, stomach trouble, or stress.

Fatigue

This is also one of the early signs of pregnancy. You may feel extremely tired, even though you might not have exerted yourself physically. This is your body’s way of telling you to rest more, so that you are better prepared to nurture your baby in your womb for the next 9 months.

Other causes: If you’re not pregnant and still fatigued, you’re probably stressed out, depressed, exhausted, suffering from cold or flu, or some other ailment that’s sucking up your energy.

Frequent Urination

Be prepared to visit the loo many times in a day. As your uterus grows larger, it exerts pressure on your bladder, thus, making you urinate often.

Other causes: Other than pregnancy, frequent urination is caused by diabetes, urinary tract infection, consumption of excessive diuretics, or taking large amounts of fluids.

Headaches And Backaches

Ouch! Get ready for pain! Lower back pain is not only one of the early signs of pregnancy, but also stays throughout the pregnancy as a dull pain. Headaches occur due to high levels of hormones.

Otter causes: If not pregnancy, then backache can be caused due to stress, approaching periods, back troubles, or back strain. Headaches can also be due to dehydration, stress, eyestrain, excessive intake of caffeine or withdrawal of caffeine.

Craving For Food

You start craving for certain foods. And this lasts all of those nine months!

Other causes: Deficiency of certain nutrient, imbalanced diet, depression, or approaching menstruation.

Remember; once you experience the early signs of pregnancy, you should take a pregnancy test immediately to confirm it. If a series of tests show a negative result, you must shift your attention to other causes of these symptoms.

One of the pregnancy signs that you can’t overlook is ovarian discomfort that occurs during ovulation. Also, you may notice an increase in the amount of vaginal discharge. When you get a high amount of discharge, which is slippery, clear, and stretchy, it indicates you are in your most fertile days and have a high chance of conceiving. Fertile cervical mucous is so stretchy; you can stretch it between your fingers to an inch or more!

Another common sign that’s hard to miss is mild cramping during ovulation. You may experience this either on one or both sides of your body.

Knowing Your Basal Temperature

Basal temperature helps to know your most fertile days and also tells whether you’ve conceived. Every woman is at the peak of her fertility on certain days while the lowest on other days. For couples who are trying to conceive, knowing your peak fertility period can prove to be of great help in getting pregnant.

In the first 15 days of your menstrual cycle, the temperature of your body is lower than normal. It is generally between 97.0 and 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit. When you ovulate, this temperature increases by 0.4 to 0.6 degrees due to high levels of progesterone. If you get pregnant at 2 weeks, your temperature will remain a bit elevated during your pregnancy. So, your basal temperature can be one of the earliest signs of pregnancy.

Basal temperature is easy to measure. Take a basal thermometer and measure your body temperature as soon as you wake up in the morning. Do this before getting out of bed, because even a small physical activity like hopping out of bed would increase your temperature and the results thereafter will deviate from accuracy.

When Really Do Pregnancy First Signs Appear?

True pregnancy signs show their face only after 10-14 days of ovulation. However, there are women who have reported experiencing symptoms just a couple of days after conception.

Here is a list of true pregnancy signs:

You Experience Severe Morning Sickness

Be prepared for more severe nausea. This is one of the first signs of twin pregnancy. More than 50 percent of twin moms-to-be have reported to get more of this symptom than mothers with a singleton pregnancy.

You Gain Weight Quickly

In the first trimester itself, you may gain upto 10 pounds. This is due to the high volume of blood and increased size of uterus. As you approach your third trimester, you may have already gained 15-25 pounds. In singleton pregnancy, this would be 10-20 pounds.

Your Uterus Is Larger Than Expected

If you notice your uterus expanding quicker than expected, you can expect a multiple pregnancy. However, there are other causes for an exceptionally large uterus. It may either be due to presence of uterine fibroids, or excessive amniotic fluids, or a wrongly calculated due date.

You Get Tremendously Tired

One baby is enough to drain all energy from the body. Imagine having twins! Your body gets extremely tired. Many women overlook their fatigue thinking it to be due to work and family responsibilities. However, exhaustion is one of the common multiple pregnancy symptoms reported by women.

There Is Early Fetal Movement

This is under debate. Most medical experts disagree that there is early fetal movement in multiple pregnancy. However, women having twins have claimed to experience early kicks and flutters that indicated there was more than one baby growing inside!

Your Doctor Hears Multiple Heartbeats

This depends on the position of the fetuses. Just hearing multiple heartbeats doesn’t confirm there are twins. This is because even the heartbeat of a single baby can be heard at various spots. One can say it’s a multiple pregnancy, if the rates of heartbeats are different.

There Is High Water Retention

This is one of the pregnancy signs and symptoms that indicate you might be nurturing twins inside.

The AFP Test Results Are Abnormally High

If you do not experience the above first signs of twin pregnancy, then this is the thing that confirms a twin pregnancy. The AFP test is actually a measurement of protein secreted by the liver of the fetus. If there is more than one fetus, there will naturally be more protein in your blood, giving a higher test result. However, this does not confirm twin pregnancy, as there can be other causes for more protein, such as abnormalities in single fetus. Only an ultrasound after the test can confirm your doubts.

Magnified Symptoms Of Pregnancy

The classical symptoms of pregnancy are more severe in case of multiple pregnancy.

So, if you think you’re experiencing first signs of twin pregnancy, it’s time to call your doctor for confirmation.

Some early pregnancy symptoms that could occur as a result of health problems are -

Missed Periods
Missed period is usually considered to be the first sign that the women may be pregnant. However, some health problems could also result in delayed or missed periods. You can miss your periods if you are undergoing excessive stress. Missed period could also be due to thyroid problems, fatigue, hormonal problems, or malnutrition. It is common for women to have delayed periods, once in a while. So, if you have missed your periods, you should consult your doc.

Spotting
Spotting can be an early symptom of pregnancy or could indicate health problems like vaginal infections or sexually transmitted diseases. Women who take birth control pills also can have spotting. So if you have noticed spotting, it is not necessary that it may be an early pregnancy symptom. It is necessary to see the doctor to rule out any health problem.

Frequent urination
Frequent urination may be a sign of pregnancy. However, it can also occur due to diabetes and urinary tract infection. Higher intake of water or foods having high water content can also increase the frequency of urination. If you are running to the wash room every few minutes, it does not necessarily indicate that you are pregnant.

Food cravings
Craving for specific foods during pregnancy is common. However, few women also crave for certain foods like sweets or high carbohydrate food when they are stressed or are feeling low. Depressed women also like candies and chocolates as it induces a feel-good factor.

Fatigue
Pregnant women generally feel tired during the first few months of pregnancy. But fatigue is something that anybody can experience not necessarily only pregnant women. It could be the result of overwork, stress, improper diet, or thyroid disorder. Common health problems like infection, cold, and fever can also cause fatigue. So, if your energy levels are low, it may not be necessarily an early pregnancy symptom.

Nausea
Some pregnant women experience morning sickness during first few months of pregnancy. However, nausea can also be caused due to factors like indigestion, worm infestation, and flu.

Tender breasts
Tender breasts are not only an early pregnancy symptom but are also a sign of approaching menstruation or hormonal fluctuations.

If you have been experiencing any of the above early pregnancy symptoms, you should consult your doctor. You can also conduct pregnancy test with a home kit. If your symptoms are due to a health problem, they should be diagnosed and appropriately treated.