Is It My Period Or Am I Pregnant

Heres How To Figure Out When Implantation Happens

Other common signs of implantation can include: light cramping , mood swings, breast tenderness, nausea and pain in your lower back. Many of these symptoms result from the higher levels of progesterone circulating in your body, which increases to help support the pregnancy . Keep in mind, these symptoms can be similar to premenstrual syndrome or other symptoms that occur between ovulation and a period .

Other Causes Of Light Periods

Aside from pregnancy, there are a lot of other conditions or factors which can cause light periods. For example, stress and anxiety can cause your periods to be irregular, light, or you might even miss one altogether. Once the stressful event has passed the periods should return to normal. Other symptoms that indicate stress or anxiety that might occur at the same time as your light period include palpitations, breathlessness, sweating, or tremors.

Women with an over- or under-active thyroid can also have irregular periods, as thyroid hormones form an integral part of the chain reaction that causes your menstrual cycle.4 Other symptoms you may notice include weight changes, general lethargy or hyper-activity and appetite changes. If you suspect your light period may be related to thyroid issues go and seek advice from your GP.

Taking contraceptive pills or having hormonal intra-uterine devices can lead to light periods, especially when you first start using a new type of contraception, as the body is still getting used to the hormones. Normally, after the body has adjusted, the irregular bleeding may stop.

Taking contraceptive pills or having hormonal intra-uterine devices can lead to light periods, especially when you first start using a new type of contraception.

Changes In Bathroom And Stomach Habits

In addition to nausea and vomiting, you may experience other stomach problems when you first become pregnantlike constipation, frequent urination and bloating, to name a few.

Constipation is normally characterized by fewer than three bowel movements a week, hard stool, dry stool or stool that is difficult to pass. The progesterone that starts to form from the placenta slows the bowels down, says Brown. Constipation can occur early on in pregnancy, but can come back during the third trimester, too.

Frequent urination is common. Symptoms can start even earlier than your missed period, since the fertilized egg implants itself into the uterus and begins making the pregnancy hormone hCG, prompting you to run to the bathroom more often.

Bloating can happen early on in pregnancy, and may continue throughout your nine months. The progesterone hormone causes your muscle tissues to relax, slowing down digestion. That, in addition to an expanding uterus, can put pressure on your rectum and cause it to feel heavy.

Heres how to keep your stomach happy during pregnancy:

• Aim to get at least 25 grams of fiber a day from foods like leafy greens and whole grains.
• Stay hydrated.
• Talk to your OBGYN about any iron supplements youre taking.
• Discuss with your OBGYN whether you need to try over-the-counter medications.
• When you feel the urge, do not hold in bowel movements.
• Eat slowly.
• Take it easy on foods that may upset your stomach, like beans, cabbage and fried items.

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Why You May Bleed During Pregnancy

First Half of PregnancySpotting during this time is common, especially after sex, a pelvic exam, or a transvaginal ultrasound. In these cases, the blood might be coming from the cervix. It becomes tender during pregnancy and could be a bit inflamed or irritated. This type of bleeding can also occur prior to a miscarriage or with an ectopic pregnancy, but most often it is not a cause for concern.

Heavier bleeding during the first trimester can also be a sign of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. This bleeding doesnt mean a miscarriage will occur, or that you have an ectopic pregnancy. About half of pregnant women who have bleeding do not miscarry. The most important thing you can do is to let you doctor know about any bleeding, so that you can evaluated for the cause.

Second Half of PregnancyDuring the late second and entire third trimester, causes of bleeding can include:

When Should I Call My Doctor About A New Pregnancy

If you have missed a period, taken a pregnancy test and gotten a positive result, your next step will be to call your healthcare provider for your first appointment. While scheduling, your provider may ask if you have already started taking a prenatal vitamin with at least 400mcg of folic acid. These vitamins are important in early pregnancy because they help in the development of your babys neural tube. The neural tube will become the brain and spine. Many healthcare providers recommend that any women who could become pregnant take folic acid at all times.

If you are planning a pregnancy, a preconception appointment with your healthcare provider is a good place to start. A preconception appointment is especially important if you take medication for a chronic illness or have other medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension or lupus.

During this appointment, your provider will discuss any current medical conditions, as well as your general health before pregnancy. This appointment is meant to get you into the best place for a new pregnancy.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 04/01/2020.

References

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Reasons For A Missed Period

• When to Call Your Healthcare Provider

Pregnancy is by far the most common cause of a missed period, but there are some other medical and lifestyle factors that can affect your menstrual cycle. Extreme weight loss, hormonal irregularities, and menopause are among the most common causes if you’re not pregnant.

You may miss a period for one or two months, or you may experience complete amenorrheathat is, no period for three or more months in a row. This article explores 10 common reasons your period may be delayed.

Verywell / Cindy Chung

When Might I Experience Pregnancy Symptoms

Whilst perhaps the most noticeable sign of pregnancy is missing a period, there are many other symptoms that may be evident during the early weeks. “Most women will experience some form of pregnancy symptoms and for many these will show up at about 6 weeks of pregnancy . However, some women report recognising symptoms as early as week 3 of pregnancy ,” according to midwife Liz Halliday from Private Midwives.

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Was Your Period Typical

If the flow was normal for you, you are less likely to be pregnant. A light flow may indicate implantation bleeding, and a heavier flow may indicate a placental problem with an early pregnancy like a subchorionic hemorrhage, or a problem like an early miscarriage or blighted ovum.

If you are tracking your menstrual cycles, this will be easier to figure out. A short period may be more likely to be implantation bleeding, whereas prolonged bleeding may be a sign of a miscarriage.

Am I Pregnant Or Am I About To Start My Period

Symptoms of pregnancy and an impending period can be hard to tell apart since they can be very similar: mood swings, abdominal cramping, backaches, breast tenderness, headaches, and food cravings. There are a couple of symptoms that are more often related to pregnancy than to a menstrual period: nausea/vomiting and implantation bleeding. Keep in mind that not all women will experience these.

When a fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine lining around 6-12 days after fertilization, some women will experience 1-3 days of light spotting, which we call implantation bleeding. This typically happens right around or before the time a woman is expecting her period.

Nausea that happens right near when a woman expects her period is more likely due to early pregnancy than due to a menstrual period. Many people will refer to this as morning sickness, even though it can happen at any time of day. Wait, and if you dont end up having a normal period when you expect it, it may be time to take a pregnancy test.

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What Are The Causes Of Early Bleeding

There are a number of causes of bleeding in early pregnancy which include:

Spotting or bleeding may occur shortly after conception, this is known as an implantation bleed. It is caused by the fertilised egg embedding itself in the lining of the womb. This bleeding is often mistaken for a period, and it may occur around the time your period is due.

Hormonal bleeding is when some women experience a light bleed at around four to eight weeks of pregnancy, or around the time their period would have been due. This can be very confusing for women who are pregnant and is the reason many women do not realise they are pregnant for a while. Again, it is totally normal. This usually settles around the 13th week of pregnancy as by this time the placenta is sufficiently developed to produce all of the hormones needed to sustain the pregnancy.

After the egg is fertilised, the fertilised egg then goes on to implant itself into the lining of the womb . Sometimes this results in a little bleeding that shows up on an early scan as a haematoma. This is not anything to worry about. When it happens the woman may notice a small amount of vaginal bleeding, but this is not necessarily the case.

The haematoma will gradually disappear and in most cases, the pregnancy remains safe.

Whats The Menstrual Cycle

Your menstrual cycle helps your body prepare for pregnancy every month. It also makes you have a period if youre not pregnant. Your menstrual cycle and period are controlled by hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Heres how it all goes down:

You have 2 ovaries, and each one holds a bunch of eggs. The eggs are super tiny too small to see with the naked eye.

During your menstrual cycle, hormones make the eggs in your ovaries mature when an egg is mature, that means its ready to be fertilized by a sperm cell. These hormones also make the lining of your uterus thick and spongy. So if your egg does get fertilized, it has a nice cushy place to land and start a pregnancy. This lining is made of tissue and blood, like almost everything else inside our bodies. It has lots of nutrients to help a pregnancy grow.

About halfway through your menstrual cycle, your hormones tell one of your ovaries to release a mature egg this is called ovulation. Most people dont feel it when they ovulate, but some ovulation symptoms are bloating, spotting, or a little pain in your lower belly that you may only feel on one side.

Once the egg leaves your ovary, it travels through one of your fallopian tubes toward your uterus.

If pregnancy doesnt happen, your body doesnt need the thick lining in your uterus. Your lining breaks down, and the blood, nutrients, and tissue flow out of your body through your vagina. Voilà, its your period!

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Is This My Period Or Am I Pregnant

I need some advice cause I don’t have a clue as to what’s going on. Me and my boyfriend had unprotected sex 3 days before the day I was suppose to get my period. The day I was suppose to get my period I started spotting. I had spotting for 3 days, then I got my period and it was really heavy for 1 day, the next day it was normal, and then it went back to spotting, but then that night it was a normal flow, and then spotting again the next day. The spotting stopped for the night. And then the next morning there was just a bit. So I started thinking maybe I’m pregnant? My period is never like this. I took a pregnancy test just to be sure and it came back negative. But I think it’d be to soon to know if I’m pregnant. Help!!!

• Answer #1

  You probably want to get tested for an std. Its possible that thats the reason you’re spotting like that. Its said that within 3 days or more a female can tell if they have contracted sn std and spotting like that is a definate sign of an std. SOORY just check to be sure

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Everybody Poops Except You

PMS

If you feel a little less regular when youre waiting for your period to show up, you can blame your hormones.

Higher than normal levels of progesterone in the latter half of your menstrual cycle have been known to cause digestive disturbances in the form of constipation.

Pregnancy

The hormonal changes associated with pregnancy may make it harder to go number two. Increased progesterone relaxes your intestinal muscles, which can slow things down in the pooping department.

Later on, as your uterus expands and puts pressure on your intestines, it may become even harder to ahem drop a different kid off at the pool.

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What Is The Last Menstrual Period

The LMP is the date of the first day of the last menstrual period you had before conceiving. It is the first day that your last menstrual cycle begins when you see bright red blood, not just a little brown spotting. You should keep track of your LMP each month, either with an online calculator or just by recording it on a calendar each month. That is the date you use when entering the LMP on an online period calculator.

Whether you are trying to get pregnant or not trying to get pregnant, keeping track of your menstrual periods is vital. Besides pregnancy, missing a menstrual period could also be a sign of other issues like missed ovulation.

Is This Spotting My Period Or Am I Pregnant

Lets take a deep dive into implantation bleeding and other early signs of pregnancy.

We all know the basics of how conception works: have vaginal intercourse, wait for and sperm and egg to join and create an embryo, the embryo grows into a fetus and voila, hello baby! While this may appear to be a simple process, theres so much more at play here. Lets fill in the gaps a bit, starting with when the sperm meets the egg.

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Which Pms And Early Pregnancy Signs And Symptoms Are Different

The signs and symptoms of both pregnancy and PMS can be similar and somewhat nonspecific.

• The bleeding of a menstrual period, however, usually is different from that experienced by some women in early pregnancy.
• The bleeding of early pregnancy rarely is as heavy or lengthy as with the typical period. Most bleeding in pregnancy will be less heavy , and often is lighter in color or brownish.
• Implantation bleeding usually is light bleeding or spotting that occurs at the time the fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall. This bleeding takes place around the time of the expected menstrual period so it may be confusing for some women to tell the difference between implantation bleeding and menstrual bleeding.

Do You Have Pregnancy Symptoms

Most pregnancy symptoms don’t show up until about the time that you miss your periodabout two weeks after you ovulate, and about four weeks since your last period. There are a lot of symptoms of pregnancy, but the most common ones reported include fatigue, nausea and/or vomiting, and sore breasts.

Even if you do not have these symptoms , you may consider a pregnancy test if you have missed your period. Sometimes you will not experience pregnancy symptoms until your period is two weeks late, or your symptoms may be masked by something else.

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When Would Pregnancy Begin

Here are some early pregnancy symptoms that are different from signs of PMS:

• Menstrual bleeding is heavier than pregnancy-related spotting.
• Fatigue from PMS usually goes away, for the most part, once the bleeding starts.
• Nausea is a common pregnancy symptom, but not so much with PMS.
• Food cravings or aversions are more intense with pregnancy.
• Cramps can be intense before menstruation but are milder in the early stages of pregnancy.

How Many Weeks Am I Pregnant From My Last Period

Wondering how many weeks pregnant you are right now? Well, you first must know when your last period was in order to find out how many weeks you are right now. Calculating an accurate due date is an important first step in pregnancy. The calculation of the estimated due date is based on the day of the date of ovulation and fertilization. The EDD can be calculated by adding 266 days to the day of ovulation/fertilization.

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