It’s very alarming that women, especially those who have never been pregnant in their lives, don’t know how to detect pregnancy. Pregnancy is a delicate condition that needs utmost attention because two lives are at stake here. Here are some guidelines on detecting pregnancy, in no particular order.
How to Know If your Pregnant: Missed Period
A missed period is the most common sign of pregnancy among women who have a regular menstrual cycle. It simply means that no egg was fertilized so no implantation will occur.
How to Know If your Pregnant: Tender Breasts and Darkening of Areolas
Breasts usually become swollen and tender, like they usually would right before the start of the menstrual cycle. The hormonal changes in the body also cause the areolas to darken.
How to Know If your Pregnant: Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is a very common symptom among pregnant women but not all suffer this. This is the body’s response to the fluctuating hormones in the body. It does not just occur in the morning, as the name implies. Pregnant women who suffer from morning sickness are sensitive to certain food and scents. They get nauseous and vomit easily.
How to Know If your Pregnant: Unusual Fatigue
Pregnant women become unusually tired easily because of the high levels of progesterone excreted by the body. This is usually a symptom that surfaces on the first trimester.
How to Know If your Pregnant: Light Bleeding and Cramping
The light bleeding is caused by the implantation. A slightly pink or brown stain will appear when the egg embeds itself into the endometrial lining. Cramping should be expected around this time. This is usually common symptom that occurs eight days after ovulation.
How to Know If your Pregnant: Frequent Urination
Pregnancy signals the increase of the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) production. This hormone stimulates progesterone production, which in turn nurtures the fetus. Don’t be surprised if you find your pregnant self taking bathroom trips more often.
How to Know If your Pregnant: Constipation
The increased progesterone production will also slow down the digestion process. That’s why pregnant women find that their bowel movements become irregular.
How to Know If your Pregnant: Mood Swings
This symptom is too common among pregnant women. The dramatic change in hormonal levels usually causes mood swings. Hormonal changes have a great effect on mood swings. Just think about pregnant women, menopausal women, and teens about to hit puberty.
How to Know If your Pregnant: Increase in Basal Body Temperature or BBT
The BBT usually increases during ovulation and drops right before menstruation occurs. If your BBT doesn’t drop after ovulation, this could be a sign that youre pregnant.
How to Know If your Pregnant: A COMBINATION of Symptoms
The word “combination” is written in all caps because no single symptom can determine pregnancy alone. Not all women who miss their period can possibly be pregnant because some women suffer from an irregular menstrual cycle. Morning sickness could be caused by migraine or something else.
If you experience two or more symptoms listed above, buy a pregnancy test kit or go to the doctor immediately.