There is no one sign of pregnancy, but in fact there are several. As a woman's system accommodates a new life in her fetus, it manifests itself into a series of symptoms which vary from woman to woman. It is necessary to understand each sign of pregnancy, in case it is related to something apart from a woman's pregnancy.
Below are some important symptoms of pregnancy:
- Delayed or irregular menstrual cycle: In such a case, a woman should take a home pregnancy test
- Sore breasts: Darkened areolas around the nipples, heavier or sensitive breasts are tell-tale signs
- Vomiting or morning sickness: This is common during the first few weeks of pregnancy, accompanied by weakness. Of course, nausea can also occur in the afternoon or night too.
- Food cravings: Women experience food cravings which increase their appetite. Conversely, they could also develop an aversion for certain foods.
- Spotting: In the first few weeks of pregnancy, women experience light bleeding or spotting. It is light pink in color. A pregnant woman might also have discharge, which should not normally be accompanied by itchiness, odor or a burning sensation.
- Fatigue
- Constipation and stomach ache
- Heartburn, increase in basal body temperature and heavy urination
- Increased sensitivity to smell and crying
If you subscribe to any or some of the symptoms, it's a sure sign of pregnancy. Now, determining the duration of your pregnancy is the next step. This is calculated by taking the first day of your last period, though you might conceive two weeks before or after the due date.
Detecting Pregnancy
You could either ask your doctor to test for a sign of pregnancy or do it yourself. You can use home pregnancy tests on Day 1 of your missed period. If you try taking this test any earlier than this, you won't get accurate results.
However, check for 'false negatives' or the tests that prove you aren't pregnant, though you are. A home pregnancy test might also test correctly in your first pregnancy, but not the second. If your home test does throw up a pregnancy symptom, you don't need to have it confirmed by your doctor. But you do need to tell him, particularly if you aren't sure of your dates. In this case, he might advise a 'dating' scan or an ultrasound scan which determines the size of the uterus and embryo. From this, your doctor will know how many weeks pregnant you are.