Pregnancy Guides

By keeping an eye out for the earliest signs of pregnancy, you can learn to distinguish between false alarms and when it is really time to visit the doctor or purchase a pregnancy test. The most common and reliable sign of a positive pregnancy is the missed period, but the earliest signs of pregnancy may be noticeable in some women before a missed period occurs.

There are a few common earliest signs of pregnancy that are experienced by a wide range of women as soon as a couple of weeks after conception. These include:

. Tenderness or swelling of the breasts and nipples
. Cramping
. Fatigue
. Headaches
. Mood swings
. Spotting

Many of these earliest signs of pregnancy are physical symptoms that occur in response to changes in hormone levels such as estrogen and progesterone. Pregnancy symptoms resulting from hormone changes are most noticeable during the earliest stages of pregnancy since this is when the increased production of hormones first occurs.

For example, hormones that are increased in your body during the early pregnancy stages can cause you to have sudden mood swings. Also, headaches may become more frequent as a result of increased blood circulation as hormone levels rise.

Some or the other earliest signs of pregnancy that are more likely to occur after a missed period include:

. Food cravings or food aversions
. Nausea or vomiting
. Increased urination
. Changes in libido
. Constipation

One of the earliest signs of pregnancy are different responses to food than you is normal for you. Cravings or aversions for certain types of food are also caused by changes in hormone levels.

Does the smell of a food suddenly cause you to feel sick to your stomach? This is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy reported by the experts. Some of the most common foods and drinks avoided by pregnant women include meat and dairy products, coffee, and spicy food. Food cravings are also common as your tastes for certain foods are slightly modified due to increased hormone levels.

Another of the earliest signs of pregnancy for some women is frequent urination. This is caused by the enlarged uterus that can put pressure upon the bladder. Some women may experience constipation as one of the earliest signs of pregnancy as the increased presence of the hormone progesterone causes digestion to slow down.

Keep in mind that there are many alternative explanations for some of these earliest signs of pregnancy.

The signs may be a clue that you are pregnant, or they may also have another cause and do not serve as proof of a pregnancy. If you feel you may be pregnant, be sure to take an at-home pregnancy test and make an appointment with a doctor.

Many women of childbearing age have had moments in time when they began to wonder if a little bundle of joy was on the way. In some cases, the thought occurs before a missed period and becomes a nagging thought in the back of her mind.

Other times, it may be a fervent wish to be pregnant or an equally strong hope that she is not pregnant. Even before a late menstruation cycle, early signs of pregnancy can be detected if you know what to look for.

Missing a period is one of the classic early signs of pregnancy. However, interestingly enough, in some cases, a new mom to be may have a light period shortly after conception.

It isn’t an indication that anything is wrong necessarily, it just throws the progression of normal symptoms off and mom may not realize she is pregnant from this event alone. If the possibility of exists, an unusual period may be reason enough to explore some other pregnancy signs and take a home test just to be sure.

One of the lesser known early signs of pregnancy is a sudden sensitivity to scents. Maybe while getting ready for work one morning, you apply your favorite perfume and immediately are hit by a wave of nausea.

Maybe you normally hate the smell of gasoline, but when you fill your car’s tank, for some reason the scent isn’t as unpleasant as before. Experts attribute this sign of pregnancy as a result of high levels of estrogen in a newly pregnant woman’s body. This symptom can show up even before a missed period.

Just like scent sensitivity, food cravings and aversions can be early signs of pregnancy.

Strange food combinations eaten at weird times aren’t uncommon in the beginning stages of pregnancy. Some women report suddenly developing extreme aversions for foods or specific types of food that they used to love. While this pregnancy sign can be humorous due to its unpredictable nature, it can be an early indicator of future joy.

Many times when a woman claims that she just feels pregnant, people discount the validity of the statement.

Often though, she is ultimately proven to be correct. A variety of small, seemingly insignificant feelings can add up to early signs of pregnancy. No one knows how a body feels better than the person who resides in it.

A little nausea, a bloated feeling, and tender breasts may not sound like much at first, but the woman who is experiencing it may be on the right track to confirming a pregnancy.