Doubts about whether you are pregnant or not? The first pregnancy symptoms are significant to give you clues about whether you are pregnant when you have the suspicion, and the pregnancy test has not yet confirmed it.
For that reason, when you are looking for a pregnancy, there is nothing you want more strongly than confirmation that a baby is on the way. You are willing to find any indicator in your body that anticipates the good news.
Often, the first pregnancy symptoms occur without even the lack of menstruation, so they can be confused with the usual premenstrual symptoms. Anyway, you know your body and its behavior perfectly, so your intuition and feelings can also tell you if you expect a baby.
Knowing that you are pregnant will be easier when you are at your second pregnancy.
If you wonder how to know you are pregnant without taking a test, we will let you know throughout this article.
The Days Before The Test
In many cases, pregnancy can take you by surprise: because you are not consciously looking for it, or because it was not in your plans at that time, or because although the desire to get pregnant is there, you have decided to take it easy and not think about it.
In many other cases, pregnancy is something fervently desired, planned, programmed, and it’s hard to get the idea out of your head of whether you have achieved it this month, if something inside you is happening, etc. Sometimes people just don’t want to be pregnant.
There is a period past the ovulation date in which you unconsciously or consciously “look for signs,” signs that in most cases do not exist, are not concrete or real, and definitely do not help those days pass soon.
But there you are, insisting, looking at your breasts in the mirror, trying to detect an anomaly, wondering if that yawn was because you slept poorly or because it is the sign you are looking for.
You also know that you cannot do the test until after the expected date of menstruation (about 15 days after ovulation, at least). You search the internet again and again for the first symptoms of pregnancy, but everywhere you read that the first symptom will always be the lack of your period, which tells you that you should wait a few days, and those days seem to last forever.
In any case, if you want to find out as soon as possible if you have become pregnant, pay attention to these first symptoms of pregnancy!
Symptoms Before The Menstrual Delay
During the first days of gestation, the fertilized embryo begins its development in the fallopian tube as it moves towards the uterus.
At this point, you still don’t know you are pregnant. Only those who actively seek pregnancy or those who undergo assisted reproduction treatments are alert to identify any signs or symptoms that indicate success.
These first signs of pregnancy appear at the earliest around the third or fourth week, taking into account that the weeks of pregnancy are counted based on the date of the last menstrual period (LMP) and not on the sexual relationship.
Next, we will discuss the first symptoms of pregnancy before the menstruation delay:
1. Changes in the breasts
They become more sensitive and large. Besides, the areolas begin to darken, and small eruptions may appear on them (Montgomery glands).
2. Increased vaginal discharge (leukorrhea)
This is due to increased estrogens. This vaginal discharge is white, slightly thick, and odorless. The cervical mucus will form the mucous plug, whose function is to protect the pregnant woman’s uterus from the entry of harmful microorganisms.
3. Mild and occasional vaginal bleeding
Sometimes a little abundant bleeding, pinkish or brownish, may appear between 7 and 10 days after fertilization. This slight bleeding is due to the implantation of the embryo in the uterine walls.
4. Feeling tired
It is normal to feel slight discomfort during the first days of pregnancy due to the increase in basal temperature, the acceleration of the heart rate, the drop in blood pressure, and the increased sleep feeling. Your body is preparing for pregnancy.
5. Changes in smell
The smells’ sensitivity increases, and smells that previously went unnoticed begin to be perceived. It is also possible that you feel repelled by aromas that you were used to before.
6. Dizziness and nausea
Do not usually begin to feel until at least a month after conception. However, just as there are lucky ones who never have nausea or vomiting, there are also those who notice them very early.
The appearance of a single symptom before the first delay does not imply that pregnancy has taken place. However, if you have several symptoms simultaneously, the probability of pregnancy will be higher.
On the other hand, these symptoms can also arise in the premenstrual period and are not necessarily indicative of pregnancy. For this reason, if these symptoms appear, it is best to wait to confirm the menstrual delay and carry out tests to confirm the pregnancy.
First Signs of Pregnancy
The appearance of typical pregnancy symptoms can vary from woman to woman. Some present the first symptoms within a few days of implantation of the embryo in the uterus. Others take longer to notice them, and there are even women hardly have any particular pregnancy symptoms.
The most obvious sign of pregnancy in the first month is a menstrual delay, usual in all pregnant women.
Important: A delay in your period does not always indicate pregnancy, as it can be due to many other factors. The menstrual cycle of women is affected by many external causes that can alter it, such as stress, age, breastfeeding, or certain eating disorders.
The symptoms of a possible pregnancy usually appear in the first 15 days after the menstrual absence and are the following:
Abdominal swelling
It is due to hormonal changes in early pregnancy. In addition to feeling bloated, estrogens also cause increased fluid retention, leading to a feeling of pressure.
Increased urge to urinate
The chorionic hormone gonadotropin (hCG) is responsible for increasing the blood supply to the pelvic region and increasing the urge to urinate in the first weeks. Later, this increased desire to urinate will be associated with the uterus’ volume pressing on the bladder, but this will be in the last trimester.
Mood swings
They are also due to hormonal changes. Each woman responds differently: some feel more euphoric, and others more depressed or anxious.
Aversion to flavors
The hCG hormone is responsible for sensory changes that cause craving or rejection of certain foods. An increase in salivation may also occur.
Constipation
The increase in progesterone causes a slowdown in the activity of the intestine and hence constipation. The pregnant woman needs to drink a lot of water, eat fruits and vegetables, and take daily walks to counteract this.
Drowsiness and fatigue
They are also associated with the hormone progesterone. Also, waking up frequently to urinate or nausea also contributes to fatigue.
Dizziness and nausea
They usually start a little later than the rest of the symptoms, but some women can feel them from the beginning of pregnancy due to hormonal changes.
It is essential to indicate that the absence of symptoms does not mean that there is no pregnancy or does not evolve as expected. As we have said, some women suffer symptoms of greater intensity, and others do not notice remarkable changes.
How to Know If You Are Pregnant by the Flow
How to know you are pregnant by the flow? Each menstrual cycle is an opportunity to get pregnant, and each month, the body prepares for it. The average duration is 28 days, and ovulation occurs in the middle of the cycle or so.
For this reason, the vagina flow changes throughout the cycle, going from being thicker to being liquid to promote fertilization. However, many women have shorter, longer, or irregular cycles and, to know if you are pregnant due to the flow, you must first understand what it is like at all times:
- During menstruation: there is no flow. Only bleeding is present.
- Days after menstruation: there is no flow. There is dryness in the area.
- Days before ovulation: A thick, yellow, or white discharge begins.
- Ovulation (around day 14): fluid and elastic flow, very similar to egg white. It allows the arrival of the sperm to its destination.
- Days after ovulation: the flow becomes pasty again to prevent the entry of other sperm and protect the possible fertilized egg.
- Lastly, if the egg has not been fertilized, it will lead to new bleeding.
If the ovum has been fertilized and, therefore, a pregnancy has occurred, your flow will be more abundant, milky, whitish in color. With it, the mucous plug is formed little by little, which will function as a barrier against possible infections that may reach the uterus’ interior.
Therefore, if you have this type of flow and your period does not come, you may be pregnant, but it is not a reliable test.
When Is It Possible to Know for Sure?
The best way to know you are pregnant or not is by visiting your doctor or taking a home test that you can get at any pharmacy.
Of course, you must be patient and wait for the first delay to become a reality since the tests cannot detect the pregnancy hormone (hCG).
At this stage, some people are already planning the maternity photo shoot and are looking for maternity clothes.
