Signs Of Pregnancy!!

Early signs of pregnancy

For women who have a regular monthly menstrual cycle, the earliest and most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period.

Sometimes women who are pregnant have a very light period, losing only a little blood. Some of the other early pregnancy signs and symptoms are listed below. Every woman is different and not all women will notice all these symptoms.

Feeling sick and vomiting

You may feel sick and nauseous, and you may vomit. This is commonly known as morning sickness, but it can happen at any time of the day or night. If you're being sick all the time and can't keep anything down, contact your doctor.

Feeling very tired

It's common to feel tired, or even exhausted, during pregnancy, especially during the first 12 weeks or so. Hormonal changes taking place in your body at this time can make you feel tired, nauseous, emotional and upset.

 Changes in your breasts

Your breasts may become larger and feel tender, just as they might do before your period. They may also tingle. The veins may be more visible, and the nipples may darken and stand out.

Urinating more often

You may feel the need to pee more often than usual, including during the night.

Other signs of pregnancy that you might notice are:

     constipation

    an increased vaginal discharge without any soreness or irritation

    a strange taste in your mouth, which many women describe as metallic

    craving new foods

    losing interest in certain foods or drinks that you previously enjoyed, such as tea, coffee or fatty            food

    losing interest in tobacco

    having a more sensitive sense of smell than usual, for example to the smell of food or cooking.

Am I pregnant?

As soon as you think you could be pregnant, you should check to find out if you are. There are several ways to find out if you are pregnant:

    you can have a blood test

    you can test your urine at home with a home pregnancy test

    you can have your urine tested by your doctor

    your doctor can do an internal examination.

Once your pregnancy is confirmed, you should start thinking about the type of care you want throughout your pregnancy and the birth. If you are in the workforce this is also the time to find out about your rights at work and about maternity leave.

Blood test

A blood test will give you a reliable result, even at the earliest stage of pregnancy. Your doctor will order the blood test that will check for the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), in your blood. You can have this test done as soon as you have missed your period.

Urine test

You can buy pregnancy urine testing kits from your local pharmacy. Make sure you follow the instructions on the test very carefully to get the most accurate result. If you are taking fertility drugs or you are an older woman, you may get false results. If you first do the test soon after your missed period and the result is negative (it says you aren't pregnant), you may want to do the test again two weeks later when the results will be more reliable. Many home pregnancy test kits include two tests for this very reason.

You can also have a urine test done at a hospital clinic, by your doctor, or at family planning clinics.

Internal examination

At least two weeks after your missed period, your doctor can examine you internally to check for changes in your uterus and cervix (the lowest part of your uterus (womb)). When you are pregnant, your doctor will be able to tell that your cervix has changed colour and is softer. Your uterus is already getting bigger in the first few weeks of pregnancy. Most doctors will still do a blood or urine test to confirm your pregnancy.

Baby due date

Once you know you are pregnant your doctor or midwife will help you work out when your baby is due (the 'estimated date of confinement' or EDC). This is done by adding 40 weeks to the date of the beginning of your last period.