Your Pregnancy Symptoms Week By Week
Check out this week-by-week pregnancy symptom timeline so you know what to expect while carrying a baby.
Your body experiences a wide range of changes throughout pregnancy, ranging from breast tenderness in the first trimester to backaches in the third. Prepare for whats coming with our list of pregnancy symptoms by week.
Food Cravings Or Aversions
If you suddenly want to dip potato chips in mayonnaise or eat a jar of pickles, you may suspect that you are pregnant. On the other hand, your favorite grilled salmon may suddenly make you turn up your nose. Food cravings and aversions are a common symptom of being pregnant. Like most early signs of pregnancy, food preferences are thought to be caused by hormonal changes, especially during the dramatic shifts of the first trimester.
When Does Implantation Occur And What Are Its Signs And Symptoms
Implantation is one of the early events of pregnancy. Cramps and bleeding are some signs that you might experience as a part of this normal physiological process in pregnancy. Read this MomJunction post to know more about implantation, its symptoms, and how you may determine it.
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Can You Improve Your Chances Of Implantation
The day of ovulation and the four days before that are the most fertile days in a menstrual cycle. You may track your ovulation days through some signs and symptoms or an ovulation calculator. Having unprotected intercourse during these days can improve your chances of implantation.
Also, you may follow the below tips to have a healthy lifestyle.
Could I Have The Symptoms Of Early Pregnancy And Not Be Pregnant
Many of the symptoms of early pregnancy overlap with other medical conditions, as well as your typical menstrual cycle. Premenstrual symptoms can be very similar to pregnancy symptoms. This can make it difficult to tell the difference. You can also miss a period without being pregnant. This can happen when you exercise in extreme amounts, lose or gain a lot of weight, or even are stressed. Breastfeeding can also cause your period to stop for a while.
The best way to know youre pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. If you have missed a period and think theres a chance you could be pregnant, consider taking a test.
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Blood And Urine Tests
Pregnancy tests check for the presence of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin . A person might take an over-the-counter test at home, or they might visit a clinic and provide a urine or blood sample for testing.
The body produces hCG after implantation. Some rare conditions and diseases can also raise levels of this hormone. It is a good idea for anyone who has received a positive test result to have this confirmed by a healthcare professional.
Early Changes To Breasts: Tingling Aching Growing
Breast changes can occur between weeks 4 and 6. Youre likely to develop tender and swollen breasts due to hormone changes. This is likely to go away after a few weeks when your body has adjusted to the hormones.
Nipple and breast changes can also occur around week 11. Hormones continue to cause your breasts to grow. The areola the area around the nipple may change to a darker color and grow larger.
If youve had bouts with acne before your pregnancy, you may also experience breakouts again.
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Signs You Should Take A Pregnancy Test: Early Signs Of Pregnancy
Different people have different reactions to the idea that they might be pregnant. Whatever your feelings are, you can prepare for the future by learning about the early signs and symptoms of pregnancy.
If you want to find out if youre pregnant for sure, youll need to get a testing kit. You can buy a pregnancy test at most drugstores and pharmacies or order one online.
Many of the early signs of pregnancy are very similar to those youd experience around the time of your period. None of these early signs of pregnancy can determine that youre pregnant for sure, so consider them symptoms to look out for, rather than a reliable test. Youll need to take a pregnancy test if you want to confirm that youve conceived.
Here are 10 common signs of early pregnancy:
When Pregnancy Is Unintentional
If you had unprotected sex or a contraceptive failure and fear you could get pregnant, emergency contraception is an option. Commonly called the “morning-after pill,” medications are available over-the-counter that can prevent pregnancy if taken within five days of having unprotected sex.
The sooner you take these medications, the more effective they are in preventing an unintended pregnancy. These medications do not cause an abortion, but rather prevent a pregnancy from being established.
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How Soon Can You Get Symptoms Of Pregnancy
Early symptoms of pregnancy are usually different for every woman. Some women might experience the first symptoms a week or two after conceiving, whereas others dont feel anything for months. Many women may tell if they are pregnant within two or three weeks of conceiving, and some women know a lot sooner, even within a few days. It really depends on a womans ability to pick up on the changes occurring within the body and how sensitive they are to them. Doctors may always run a blood test, which can typically detect pregnancy as early as one week after conception.
As per the research done on 136 women who were trying to get pregnant, they kept daily records of their symptoms from the time they stopped using birth control until they were eight weeks pregnant . The results were as follows:
- 50% had some symptoms of pregnancy by the time they were five weeks pregnant.
- 70% had symptoms in six weeks.
- 90% had symptoms by eight weeks.
- The first sign of pregnancy is usually a missed period.
- The most common symptoms to follow are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, frequent urination, breast tenderness, and swelling. These symptoms can be mild or severe.
Some pregnancy symptoms can begin a just few days after conception, even before a positive pregnancy test, which may include:
Your Cervical Mucus Timeline What Does Egg White Cervical Mucus Mean
There’s a clear link between cervical mucus and ovulation, and your cervical mucus can tell you a lot about when you’re most fertile during your menstrual cycle. Your cervical mucus changes can be a fairly reliable indicator of the best and least productive times to try to get pregnant.
If youre hoping to conceive, check your cervical mucus every day so you can start to see the patterns, which vary based on the time of the month.
Here’s an overview of your cervical mucus timeline, including when you’re likely to see egg white cervical mucus and what it means:
Talk to your practitioner if you have any questions or concerns, and be sure to schedule a preconception checkup with your doctor before you start trying just to make sure all systems are go for getting pregnant.
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Elevated Basal Body Temperature
An elevation in your body temperature, also known as your basal body temperature, can be an early signifier of pregnancy as well. Typically, the basal body temperature rises around ovulation as progesterone hormone levels rise and then drops when you begin your period. After conception, your basal body temperature will stay elevated from ovulation and throughout your pregnancy. If it has been over two weeks of consecutive days with a high temperature, you could be pregnant. Taking an at-home pregnancy test will best determine this.
Pregnancy Sign: A Missed Period
Well, duh, of course a missed period is the most common of early pregnancy signs. For many women who havent been pregnant before, this is usually the first symptom they notice, explains Nordahl. But hindsight is often 20/20. A first-time mom usually thinks back and realizes that a few things were different but wasnt sure what they meant, she says.
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What Are The Stages Of Implantation
The embryo implantation occurs on the sixth or seventh day after ovulation. This process has three stages:
- In the first stage, the embryo attaches to the uterine wall . This initial phase of the implantation process is called adplantation. During this stage, the embryo is about five to six days old.
- In the second stage, the fertilized egg penetrates the uterine wall so that it is secure in the uterus. This process is the adhesion of the blastocyst to the endometrium.
- In the third stage, the embryo finally embeds deep inside the uterine wall. At this point, the ovum is located in the endometrial cavity, and as the endometrium grows, the cavity is wrapped better .
What Precautions Should You Take If Youre Trying To Conceive And During Early Pregnancy
If youâre trying to get pregnant, you might need to make some healthy lifestyle changes. Since you wonât necessarily know you are pregnant during the first few weeks, itâs best to take some precautions as soon as you start trying to conceive and then continue with them during your pregnancy.
For example, make sure youâre eating healthily and getting regular exercise.
Your healthcare provider may also recommend you start taking folic acid when you start trying for a baby. Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps reduce the risk of certain birth defects that affect the babyâs brain and spine. Your healthcare provider will be able to recommend a prenatal vitamin that contains the 400 micrograms of folic acid needed.
Pre-pregnancy is also a great time to eliminate some less healthy habits. Quit smoking and drinking alcohol. Some healthcare providers may advise you to limit your caffeine intake, too. Secondhand smoke can be harmful to you and your baby, so if your partner is a smoker, itâs best if he or she quits, too.
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When Can I Take A Home Pregnancy Test
Although you may start to feel early pregnancy symptoms before your period, most women have to wait for an average of two weeks from the time they ovulate for a positive home pregnancy test result. Home pregnancy tests measure levels of human chorionic gonadotropin in your urine.
This placenta-produced hormone makes its way into your urine almost immediately after an embryo begins implanting in your uterus, between six to 12 days after fertilization. You can start using most home pregnancy tests as soon as hCG can be detected in your urine and hCG levels usually arent high enough to be picked up by a home pregnancy test until your periods expected.
Cant wait until then? Some HPTs promise 60 to 75 percent accuracy four to five days before you expect your period. Wait until your period and the rate jumps to 90 percent wait another week and the results are 99 percent accurate.
Know that false negatives are much more common than false positives, so if the time for your period comes and goes without your monthly flow, check in with your health care provider. Either way, youll want to get a blood test to confirm your pregnancy status.
No matter what symptoms you’re having, the only way to know for sure that you’re pregnant is to make an appointment with your OB/GYN.
Reasons You Might Think You’re Pregnant
At some point in time, nearly every woman wonders if she’s pregnant. Perhaps you have some pregnancy symptoms or have a late period. Maybe you’ve been trying to have a baby can are waiting impatiently for a big fat positive. Either way, these are some of the most common questions you’ll get asked by your healthcare professional.
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Can You Feel Pregnancy Symptoms Soon After Sex
While some pregnancy symptoms start very early, most of the time, you won’t notice anything right away. Anything that happens immediately after having sex, like spotting or increased discharge, is usually not related to pregnancy.
Other than a missed period, pregnancy symptoms tend to really kick in around week five or six of pregnancy. One 2018 study of 458 women found that 72% detected their pregnancy by the sixth week after their last menstrual period. Symptoms tend to develop abruptly.
This is about two weeks from when you missed your last period . Occasionally you will hear of someone who has symptoms right around their first missed period.
How Far Along Am I
Knowing how far along you are in pregnancy is useful for both you and your healthcare provider. Your provider will use this information to check on your babyâs growth and development, to keep an eye on your health, and to schedule tests and exams.
The weeks of pregnancy are also grouped into three trimesters:
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First trimester: 0 to 13 weeks
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Second trimester: 14 to 27 weeks
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Third trimester: 28 to 40 weeks
So that you can see at a glance how far along you are in your pregnancy, and which trimester you are in, check out the illustration below:
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What Do Implantation Cramps Feel Like
They feel like a light pricking or pulling pain in the lower abdomen and start about a week before your period is due. Some women may experience only a single episode of it, while some others will have occasional cramping.
Implantation is the first step of pregnancy. It could be so subtle that you may not even realize that it has happened inside your body. But when your urge to get pregnant is high, you tend to relate every minor change in your body to pregnancy. The key is not to get anxious for the result or disappointed if the result is negative. The next menstrual period is just around the corner!
Have any questions to ask or experiences to share? Do write them in the comment section below.
References:
What Are Early Signs Of Pregnancy
Your symptoms likely wont begin until your fourth week. This is when you may experience mild blood spotting and cramping and when you can expect to miss your period. But, if you are asking yourself, How do I know if Im pregnant, see if you can relate to any of these early indications:
1. Missed Period
According to an American Pregnancy Association survey, approximately 29 percent of women claimed their first sign of pregnancy was a missed period. Missing your period is a common symptom of pregnancy and it often leads women to do a pregnancy test. You may notice some bleeding even if youre pregnant, but it will usually be lighter and shorter than your normal menstrual period.
2. Urinating Frequently
A couple weeks after you conceive, you may have to urinate more. This is because of your pregnancy hormone hCG. This hormone causes an increase in blood flow to your kidneys, which helps them eliminate waste from your body more efficiently. As your uterus is growing more quickly the pressure on your bladder is greater. The amount of urine storage space you have decreases which causes you to urinate more often.
3. Swollen, Tender Breasts
4. Nausea and Sometimes Vomiting
Nausea was the first pregnancy indication 25 percent of women experienced. Although morning sickness doesnt usually hit women until around a month of becoming pregnant, nausea is often felt earlier. Its thought that your pregnancy hormones are what cause nausea, but it isnt quite clear.
5. Spotting
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Changes In The Breasts
Breast changes are among the most common early signs of pregnancy. Because our hormones change rapidly after conception, this will cause breasts to feel full and become sore, swollen, tingly, and tender not long afterward. In addition to this symptom of pregnancy before period, your areolas, which is the area around the nipple, may get darker. Little bumps may appear on the areolas as well, signifying the glands that will lubricate your nipples for nursing. Many factors play into breast changes, but know that if these changes are caused by early pregnancy, it will take some time to adjust to the changes in your hormone levels.
Were You Using Birth Control
Birth control is the best way to prevent unintended pregnancy. Contraception is available in many forms, including birth control pills, condoms, diaphragms, Depo shots, IUDs, etc. Each has its own effectiveness rate, but all are more effective than doing nothing. That said, birth control is not 100% foolproof.
For example, were you using it correctly? This means, for example, taking a pill every day at the same time, or using a condom every time you had sex. If you weren’t using birth control correctly, it greatly increases the likelihood that you could be pregnant. If you were, there is still a chance that you could be pregnant, because nothing is 100% effective against pregnancy .
Additionally, there are many things that can potentially interfere with birth control. Some medications taken can nullify the protective effects of the pill. If you have a condom slip or break, you have a greater likelihood of pregnancy.
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