Signs and Symptoms Of Pregnancy

The degree of signs and symptoms of  pregnancy in every woman varies since some show the signs a few days after conception, other take weeks while others feel no discomforts at all. It is therefore important to confirm this by a pregnancy test. Here are some common pregnancy signs.

Signs and symptoms of pregnancy may be emotional and physical. If you identify with these signs, and feel that you may be pregnant, it is important to confirm it as early as possible in order to begin antenatal care for you and your new baby. Most of these symptoms are non specific and may mimic other health conditions such as the flu. They include:

o Missed periods. By the time this is happening, the pregnancy may be 2 to 3 weeks old.
o Fatigue
o Headache
o Light spotting (Implantation bleeding)
o Breast pain and enlargement
o Mood swings
o Nausea
o Frequent urination
o Odd food cravings

Fatigue, swollen and tender breasts, headaches, flu like symptoms, and mood swings can begin as early as one to two weeks into your pregnancy. As your pregnancy progresses, the breast areolas will darken and swell, and some of the early symptoms will subside. Many women report feeling severe fatigue very early in their pregnancy; the fatigue quickly goes away and then they feel quite energetic until late in the pregnancy.

Mood swings can be quite severe early in a pregnancy, and may include feelings of euphoria followed by depression or sadness; again, many of these mood swings are similar to emotional changes that women experience during PMS.Pregnancy symptoms such as frequent urination, morning sickness and nausea, and odd food cravings generally begin around 2-3 weeks into the pregnancy; sometimes these symptoms do not occur until 4-6 weeks into the pregnancy.

Some women do not experience a missed period during the first few weeks of pregnancy; a period that occurs during the first weeks of pregnancy may be either normal or abnormal. Abnormal periods that occur during the first few weeks of a pregnancy can include a lighter than normal period, spotting, or a very short period. Of course, any bleeding that occurs when you may be pregnant needs to be checked by a doctor immediately.

If you are experiencing some of these symptoms, and there is a possibility that you may be pregnant, you should take a pregnancy test as soon as possible. Over the counter urine tests (available in pharmacies) and blood tests performed by a physician detect levels of a hormone called HCG in your blood; this hormone is released by the developing placenta and begins to appear in the blood as early as 5 days after conception. Over the counter urine tests are up to 97% accurate but are not able to detect HCG in your urine until one week after your missed period. Blood tests are up to 99% accurate, and these tests can detect HGC in your blood as soon as 7 days after your ovulation.

It is important for you to confirm your pregnancy as early as possible so that you can begin your antenatal care. Early antenatal care is important to the health of your new baby and you during this time. Once you begin to notice any early pregnancy symptoms, and you believe that you may be pregnant, take a test as soon as you can. If you take an over the counter test and it is positive, have the test confirmed by your physician. Remember to stay relaxed during this time, and try to keep your stress levels down