Signs of pregnancy can appear as soon as the egg is fertilized.
When you're trying to get pregnant, the slightest little headache, the slightest nausea, the slightest little sign gives you hope. The first signs of pregnancy can easily be confused with other ailments. Their intensity differs from one woman to another and their occurrence is not necessarily the same in all pregnant women. To give you some idea, we've put together a list of the main signs of pregnancy.
What are the first signs of pregnancy?
Pregnancy is an important event in a couple's life. Nine months of pregnancy during which a baby forms and grows in your uterus. It's natural for this new situation to cause some major changes in your body.
Among the very first signs of pregnancy, delayed menstruation, morning sickness and vomiting are the most common. In fact, 75% of women report experiencing morning sickness during the first trimester of pregnancy, and 50% experience vomiting. Some women experience morning sickness, others suffer all day.
We've designed an herbal tea especially for pregnancy to relieve morning sickness and digestive problems during pregnancy.
Fortunately, these pregnancy symptoms generally cease at the end of the 12th week, but some women are affected up to the 20th week of pregnancy, or even later.
Pregnant women also report other signs of pregnancy, including intense fatigue and drowsiness in early pregnancy. This is explained by the spike in hormones released into your body after fertilization. These hormones have an effect on intestinal transit and the digestive system too. You may therefore experience strong cravings or, on the contrary, a total repulsion to food. You may also find that you salivate more than usual, and sometimes feel sick to your stomach.
Pregnancy can also have an impact on your body in the first few weeks. Although your belly often doesn't start to show for at least 3 months, you may notice that your breasts are getting bigger in the first few weeks. They may even be painful. Your bladder starts to act up, and you feel the need to pee more often. Or you may feel cramps in your lower abdomen, reminiscent of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Can signs of pregnancy be mistaken for something else?
It's easy to confuse the signs of pregnancy with something else. For example, you may feel nauseous if you eat a poor-quality food or one you don't like. Or you may have digestive aversions without necessarily being pregnant.
The only symptom that, in most cases, indicates the onset of pregnancy is a late period. But if you have an irregular cycle or hormonal imbalance, it's best to take a pregnancy test to be sure you're pregnant. Every body has its own way of reacting, and the intensity of pregnancy signs differs from one woman to another.
The main reasons for all these signs of pregnancy
In a woman's body, various hormones act regularly on the cycle. When an egg is fertilized, all these hormones are turned upside down. When pregnancy begins, estrogen levels rise considerably.
These two hormones have an impact on blood flow, blood pressure and intestinal transit. They cause nausea, fatigue and drowsiness. Prolactin, another hormone normally present in small quantities in your body, suddenly increases. This hormone stimulates the breasts to produce milk, making them swell.
Finally, the characteristic hormone of pregnancy is chorionic gonadotropic hormone or hCG. This hormone, which only exists when a woman is pregnant, is secreted once the egg has implanted itself in the uterus. It is also the same hormone detected by a pregnancy test.
Your signs of pregnancy are closely linked to hormonal changes in early pregnancy.
I have signs of pregnancy but am I really pregnant?
Despite all the signs of pregnancy you may be experiencing, there's no better way to know if you're pregnant in early pregnancy than to do the following a pregnancy test.
Remember that the conception process is not an exact science. A negative urine test doesn't always mean you're not pregnant; it may still be too early to detect the pregnancy hormone or hCG in your urine. Wait a few more days and retest if you have any doubts. Our pack contains 3 tests so you can repeat the test twice more. We advise you to repeat the test on the day your period is due and/or on your 2nd day of delay. If you have any questions, your gynecologist can help and reassure you during this delicate process.