When you have baby on the brain the question you keep asking yourself is am I pregnant?
There are many ways to know if you are pregnant like taking a home pregnancy test, missing your period or visiting your doctor but there are also many early signs of pregnancy to look out for if it’s too early to tell if you are pregnant or just feeling a little off. Wait at least one week before trying a home pregnancy test for valid results.
How to Know If You are Pregnant?
The only way to be completely sure if you are pregnant is to visit your doctor’s office. They will take a blood test and can determine if you are pregnant about 6-8 days after you ovulate. They can also use a urine test like the one you can get at the pharmacy. Both tests will show hCG levels if you are pregnant. Only a tiny amount of hCG needs to get detected to confirm a pregnancy. hCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin, also known as the pregnancy growth hormone, because it’s made by cells that are forming in the placenta.
The First Symptoms and Signs of a Pregnancy
The first signs of a pregnancy include a missed period, spotting or light bleeding and cramps called implantation cramps. These feel like a moderate tingling in the abdomen that can occur for a few days. Other traditional symptoms of an early pregnancy can include higher body temperature, fatigue, and breast tenderness or swelling. These are the signs you usually look out for but there are many uncommon signs and symptoms of pregnancy that you can look out for if you are wondering if you are pregnant before visiting your doctor or taking a test. Not everyone will experience them all, or any, but it’s always good to know what are the early signs of pregnancy if you are trying to get pregnant or think you are.
11 Uncommon Pregnancy Symptoms
- Nosebleeds: Because of the hormonal changes in your body, you can experience nose bleeds when you become pregnant. This is quite common but there is nothing to worry about, a nosebleed can easily be managed at home.
- Hungover: A hangover feeling is another early pregnancy sign. You might be feeling a little nauseous and like you want to throw up after a meal but can’t. If you didn’t party like a rockstar the night before, chances are you might be pregnant.
- Wisdom Teeth: A very uncommon and weird sign that you might be pregnant is your wisdom teeth hurting. Wisdom tooth pain is an early sign of pregnancy, and this symptom is brought on my increased blood flow in your body and hormone changes. If your wisdom teeth are hurting too much during pregnancy, you can get them removed while pregnant.
- Heartburn: From the moment you become pregnant your body starts to change and this includes your digestion. Heartburn in your chest after meals can be an early sign of pregnancy to look out for. If you were wondering is heartburn an early sign of pregnancy, the answer is yes, this is telltale sign that you might be pregnant.
- Dizziness: When you are pregnant the most important thing is your uterus and from day one your body starts to send more blood to the uterus to help you baby grow. With the extra blood flow pumping you might experience reduced blood pressure which can cause dizziness. Try to eat small regular meals and stay stress free to keep this under control.
- Acne: Like when you were a teenager and went through other kinds of hormone changes, pregnancy is also known to bring on acne. It can get worse during a pregnancy but there are many ways to keep this under control like washing your face daily, choosing oil free cosmetics, and refraining from picking or scratching the sores.
- Stronger Sense of Smell: This weird symptom is related to feeling nauseous while pregnant. Some pregnant women experience a stronger sense to smell which can present as a reduced tolerance to a certain smell or a sensitivity. Learn what is bothersome to you and try to avoid those smells on days that you are feeling under the weather.
- Shortness of Breath: Some women describe feeling like they cannot get enough air to their lungs or breath normally during the first few weeks of pregnancy. This is due to the increased hormone called progesterone in your body. If you cannot get your breathing under control after a few minutes consult an expert for advice on what to do and to see if something else is causing the issue.
- Constipation: Elevated progesterone levels can cause your bowel walls to relax and lead to constipation. This means stools that are hard to pass. Constipation isn’t common with early pregnancy, but it can happen. You are most likely to experience this symptom of pregnancy near the third trimester. Adding more fiber and water to your daily routine can help with this.
- Feeling Frisky: Pregnancy hormones that are blooming in your body can increase your libido. The extra blood flow being sent to your genital area that causes most of the symptoms above can also increase your sex drive.
- Lower Immunity: When you are pregnant your body has a lower immunity which means you are more prone to catching a cold or flu. A lot of women thought they just had a cold but when added to a missed period and other early signs of pregnancy like those above the conclusion turned out to be a bun in the oven.
There are many early signs and symptoms of an early pregnancy that can just mean that you are worn down and it’s time to take some time off. Pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you and look out for any changes in your body like sensitivity to smell or sore wisdom teeth after a missed period. If you are experiencing a few of the symptoms above, it might be time to see your doctor because the signs are pointing to the fact that you might be pregnant.
