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.
When To Call The Doctor Or Midwife
If you have questions, it’s important that you call your doctor or midwife. Even if you don’t have an appointment, they can address your concerns and make sure everything is okay.
They understand that you have a lot of questions and are willing to give you the answers, but you have to . Many practitioners have someone available who just answers patients’ questions all day long.
It’s not unusual for the answers to lead to more questions. It is appropriate to ask clarifying questionsdo not feel like you are taking up too much of your doctor’s time. They are there to help.
Dizziness And High Blood Pressure
In the early stages of most cases of pregnancy, high or normal blood pressure will drop. This might cause dizziness, as the blood vessels dilate. On the other hand, there might be hypertension cases within the first 20 weeks of the pregnancy. Although hypertension is difficult to determine, it is what an OB/GYN does to prevent severe problems during your pregnancy.
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What Happens During Week 1
These are the first 2 weeks of your menstrual cycle. You have your period. About 2 weeks later, the egg thats most mature is released from your ovary this is called ovulation. Ovulation may happen earlier or later, depending on the length of your menstrual cycle. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days.
After its released, your egg travels down your fallopian tube toward your uterus. If the egg meets up with a sperm, they combine. This is called fertilization. Fertilization is most likely to occur when you have unprotected vaginal sex during the 6 days leading up to and including the day of ovulation.
Elevated Basal Body Temperature
A persistently elevated basal body temperature is another characteristic sign of early pregnancy. An elevation in the basal body temperature occurs shortly after ovulation and persists until the next menstrual period occurs. Persistence of the elevated basal body temperature beyond the time of the expected menstrual period is another sign of early pregnancy.
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Changes In Vaginal Discharge
Your cervical mucus can get thinner or thicker depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle. These changes in consistency can help you gauge fertility and pregnancy status. Its a thin and watery discharge before you ovulate, says Dr. Jhaveri. Then it becomes thicker after you ovulate and then it gets even thicker if youre pregnant. It just stays that way.
Dr. Jhaveri stresses that this is completely normal and not something to worry about. People say to me, Why am I having this discharge? I must have an infection. Im worried about the baby. But, no its normal to have increased discharge.
What Are The Earliest Signs Of Pregnancy
Some symptoms to watch for before you miss your period are sore breasts, fatigue, sensitivity to smell, food aversions, nausea, and more frequent urination. Keep in mind, however, that it’s very likely you will have no symptoms.
One study found that 50% of women showed no symptoms at five weeks after conception, 30% had none six weeks after conception, and 10% still didn’t have any at two months after conception!3
Below there are three tables.
- One is the signs of pregnancy you might experience before you miss your period.
- The next is the most commonly reported first signs of pregnancy, so you can get a sense of how common these symptoms are.
- The third shows 14 signs of pregnancy you might experience within the first three weeks after conception to get a better look at some other symptom possibilities.
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Introduction To Pregnancy Symptoms
A missed menstrual period is often the first recognizable sign of a possible pregnancy, but there are other signs and symptoms of early pregnancy as well. Some subtle signs appear in the first week, and more may be apparent in the weeks before your first missed period.
Keep in mind that not all women have all symptoms or experience them in the same way. Some of the most common first trimester pregnancy symptoms are discussed in the following slides.
Am I Going Into Labor Should I Call The Doctor
Still feel like you wont know when to announce Its time! and get ready to meet your baby? Try not to stress about it. Youll be seeing your doctor or midwife frequently now, and she will help you spot all the important clues.
If you think you’re going into labor, your doctor has likely advised you on what to do when your due date is near and you think you’re experiencing regular contractions .
Labor contractions wont all be exactly spaced, but if they’re becoming pretty consistent, more painful and longer , its time to check in with your doctor.
If you think you might be in labor but aren’t sure, get on the phone. Your provider can explain whats going on and have you come in if there’s any uncertainty.
Dont feel embarrassed or worry about calling outside of office hours, either: Your practitioner knows it comes with the job.
You should always call your doctor or midwife if:
- You experience any bleeding or bright red discharge .
- Your water breaks especially if the fluid looks green or brown. This could be a sign that meconium, or your baby’s first stool, is present, which can be dangerous if your baby ingests it during birth.
- You experience blurred or double vision, a severe headache or sudden swelling. These can all be symptoms of preeclampsia, which is characterized by pregnancy-induced high blood pressure and requires medical attention.
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Early Pregnancy Symptoms Vs Pms: Whats The Difference
Most early pregnancy symptoms before your period are strikingly similar to the side effects of PMS. However, youll only notice changes in your areolas if youre pregnant. A consistently elevated BBT and creamy vaginal discharge post-ovulation are also both relatively reliable signs of conception, but theyre certainly not foolproof.
Otherwise, the only way to know if other early pregnancy symptoms are due to a baby or PMS is to hold out until you can take a pregnancy test.
Changes In Cervical Mucus
Have you become a student of your cervical mucus? Then check it out now: If it becomes creamy and stays that way after ovulation, its a good sign youll have a positive pregnancy test.
As your pregnancy progresses, youll also notice increased vaginal discharge, called leukorrhea. This thin, milky-white discharge is normal and healthy, but speak to your practitioner if it appears lumpy or thick.
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You Feel Nauseated All Day Long
Morning sickness is one of the telltale signs your pregnancy is going well in the first trimester, although the term is a bit of a misnomer. While you might experience it in the a.m., for many people, pregnancy nausea is a 24/7 deal â and it can be totally miserable. âSome people are more sensitive to pregnancy hormones than others, whether thatâs estrogen, which affects breast tenderness, or hCG levels, which control morning sickness,â Dr. Abigail Cutler, M.D., MPH, an OB-GYN at Yale-New Haven Hospital, tells Romper.
Until morning sickness subsides , there are things you can do to ease the quease. âI recommend ginger tea or ginger candy,â says Skeete Henry. âEating small meals throughout the day may help, too.â Even acupuncture can help relieve nausea.
How Does Your Stomach Feel In Early Pregnancy
Feeling pain in your lower abdomen or feeling like your stomach is hard, swollen, or heavy are not early signs of pregnancy.
To the touch, a person’s stomach and abdomen will not show any noticeable signs of pregnancy until later on, depending on your specific body type. People who are in their first pregnancy usually don’t start showing until twenty weeks or later.1 Those who have already been pregnant might start showing sooner.
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Raised Basal Body Temperature
If you’ve been using a special basal body thermometer to track your first morning temperature, you might notice that it rises around 1 degree when you conceive and stays elevated throughout your pregnancy.
Though not a foolproof early pregnancy symptom , it could give you advance notice of the big news.
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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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.
We Know You’re Wondering: Is It Possible To Be Pregnant And Still Have A Period
Nope, experts say. Some people may experience bleeding or spotting, but those are different bleeding patterns from the cyclical menses your body experiences in absence of a pregnancy.
Dr. Michele Hakakha, an OB-GYN and author of Expecting 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Pregnancy, told Parents that people definitely can experience vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, but that “when they bleed, they are not having a ‘period.'” That’s because your body needs to reserve the uterine lining as nourishment for the growing pregnancy.
Although bleeding during pregnancy doesn’t always mean cause for concern, it can indicate something more serious like a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic.
In the earliest stage of pregnancy, however, some very light bleeding is totally normal and leads us to our first pregnancy clue: implantation bleeding.
Implantation bleeding usually doesn’t last more than a couple of days, and it’s much lighter than most people’s periods .
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You See Thick Vaginal Discharge
Thin, milky, white discharge, or leukorrhea, is a common pregnancy symptom. The discharge is caused by your bodyâs hormonal changes in early pregnancy. The increased blood flow to the pelvic area stimulates your bodyâs mucous membranes. âPregnancy hormones increase the cervical mucus and increase vaginal discharge,â says Skeete Henry. âNormal discharge is typically pasty, clear to whitish in color, and odorless.â
You may need to wear a pad to protect your undies during your pregnancy . If your vaginal discharge has a foul-smelling odor or is green or yellow in color, Skeete Henry says to tell your doctor.
Why Does It Happen
During early pregnancy, levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones spike, which causes increased blood flow to your breasts. These hormones are also why some women experience breast tenderness around the time of ovulation and as part of PMSbut in that case, the hormones begin to plummet as you get closer to the start of your period, and the breast pain subsides. If youve conceived, your hormone levels will rise rather than fall and your breasts will become increasingly tender.
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How Early Do Pregnancy Symptoms Start
Women in the early stages of pregnancy may experience a number of different symptoms that may signal a pregnancy. While a missed menstrual period is often the characteristic sign of pregnancy, women who do not have regular menstrual cycles may not recognize that a menstrual period has been missed. In some cases, breast tenderness or other symptoms are the first sign of pregnancy. Still, other women may not experience any particular symptoms at all during early pregnancy and may not be aware of their condition.
A missed menstrual period is most often the first sign of pregnancy and is a common first-trimester symptom. Sometimes a woman who is pregnant may still experience some bleeding or spotting around the time of the expected period, typically 6 to 12 days after conception. When it occurs, this so-called “implantation bleeding” is generally not as heavy or long as a regular menstrual period. This small amount of bleeding that happens at the time of the expected menstrual period occurs because the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall. This is referred to as implantation bleeding.
The experience of pregnancy symptoms is highly individualized and differs among women. In fact, a woman may experience different symptoms in a second or subsequent pregnancy than she did in her first pregnancy.
What Are 5 Signs Of Pregnancy
There are many signs of pregnancy, but the most common are missed periods, breast tenderness, nausea, fatigue and weight gain.
But if youre pregnant, some of these symptoms can be caused by something else. So its important to know when you should seek medical attention.
Here are some of the most common signs of pregnancy.
Missed Periods
One of the first signs of pregnancy is missing a period. But its not unusual for your period to be late from time to time, especially if you have irregular cycles or have just started taking birth control pills. If youve been recently pregnant and had a miscarriage, you may also notice bleeding that resembles a period.
If you have any concerns about your missed period, take a home pregnancy test or visit your doctor for an evaluation to rule out other causes for your symptoms before concluding that youre pregnant.
If youve been charting your menstrual cycle, then you know when to expect your period. If you dont, or if its been more than two weeks since your last period, its time to take a pregnancy test.
Early on in pregnancy, the growing uterus can put pressure on your bladder and make it difficult to hold urine in. This is especially true during the first trimester, when you may need to pee every 30 minutes or so. It may also be difficult to focus on anything else while youre trying not to pee all over yourself!
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Your First Three Weeks Of Pregnancy
Hereâs the thing: Because of the way pregnancy is usually measured, youâre not actually pregnant during the first two weeks or so of your pregnancy. Healthcare providers calculate the length of an average pregnancy as 40 weeks, starting from the first day of your last menstrual periodâthis is known as the LMP dating method. So, when youâre 1 week pregnant, youâve only just started your period. At two weeks pregnant, youâre ovulating. And since ovulation happens about 14 days after the start of your period you canât really become pregnant until week 3 at the earliest.It can be mind-bogglingâwe get it. But, for the sake of calculation, and what you and your healthcare provider will consider as 1 and 2 weeks pregnant, youâre not actually pregnant! But although at 1, 2, or 3 weeks pregnant you may not notice any of those very early signs of pregnancy, there may be a lot happening on the inside.
