Verified By Dr Jaya Prakash Pani September 9, 2023
5163If you are sexually active, you might have come across a situation where you felt you were pregnant. In such a situation, it is important to be sure. You must keep a check on your body; if you experience any changes, seek medical assistance, or use an at-home pregnancy test. A pregnancy test is the best way to be sure about being pregnant.
Could you be pregnant? There are several symptoms related to pregnancy which may point towards you being pregnant. You must be aware of these symptoms. Different pregnancy symptoms and why they occur are given below:
If you keep a regular check on your waist size, you will be able to notice the bloating. As the body starts preparing itself for a new life, the stomach and thighs start increasing in size. In just two-three weeks you might notice your skinny jeans becoming tight.
If your period gets delayed by a week or so, you must consider pregnancy as a reason. This symptom might be just irregular periods. If you normally experience irregular periods, then you need to take extra measures to be sure.
As the fertilized ovary sets in the uterus, it sometimes bleeds a little. This may lead to spotting. This generally occurs after 10 to 14 days of implantation. However, not all women experience it.
As the body prepares itself for a new life, hormonal changes take place. This makes your breasts tender and sore. This can make things a bit uncomfortable at the start. This discomfort might subside with time.
During pregnancy, the blood in the body increases; this leads to more fluid passing through your kidneys. This increases urination frequency.
Nausea is quite common in the early stages of pregnancy. Hormonal changes are a major reason for morning sickness in pregnant women. Nausea can cause discomfort in your day-to-day routine.
Nausea can be often accompanied by vomiting. Vomiting makes a pregnant woman feel sick. This causes a lot of discomfort in the initial stage.
Due to a surge in the levels of progesterone, you can feel sleepy. This can also cause high levels of fatigue, even with slight activity. If you feel tired, you must take rest and eat healthy food.
There are some other less common symptoms of pregnancy observed in pregnant women. These might not manifest in all pregnant women or might be affecting slightly
Extreme mood swings: Pregnancy brings in a rush of hormones inside your body. This can make you experience bouts of extreme emotions. Extreme mood swings are common in the early stages of pregnancy.
Cramping: Due to high activity in the uterine cavity, the muscles in the abdomen tense up. This may cause light cramping. You can use a hot water bottle or electric hot jacket to relieve these cramps.
Food cravings: Pregnancy comes with high sensitivity to odors and taste. This may narrow your food choices. You might crave for one kind of food item and start avoiding others. Your food preferences might be changing due to your altering emotions.
Constipation: Digestive system is highly affected by hormonal changes. This can lead to constipation.
Nasal Congestion: Increased amounts of blood and hormonal changes can make your mucous membranes in your nose swell up. This can stuff up your nose, causing nasal congestion or a runny nose. Sometimes your nose might run dry or even bleed.
Even if you can identify these symptoms, you might not be pregnant. Many of the mentioned symptoms can be related to other conditions. These symptoms are not at all unique to pregnancy. Some of these might indicate sickness or in other cases that the onset of your periods is near.
If you missed a period and have some of these symptoms, you must take an at-home pregnancy test or visit a doctor. If the home pregnancy test turns out to be positive, you must seek medical care.
The doctor will conduct an ultrasound test to confirm the pregnancy and also to check if the embryo is in a safe place in the uterus. Ectopic pregnancies can be problematic; in such pregnancies, the fertilized egg attaches itself outside the uterus. The earlier the pregnancy is confirmed, the earlier prenatal care can be provided to the child. You must keep in mind that caring for your own body is equivalent to caring for your baby.
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Senior Consultant - Obstetrics & Gynecology, Apollo Hospitals Bhubanswar
October 25, 2024