Many women notice changes in their body very soon after they become pregnant. The sooner you realize you might be pregnant, the sooner you can take a pregnancy test to make sure. Then you should begin caring for yourself and your baby.
Early signs that you're pregnant
- A missed or late period
- This is the classic sign, but not the only sign
- Implantation bleeding
- An embryo attaches to the womb wall about eight to 14 days after you get pregnant
- This might cause some spotting - lighter and more spotty than your normal period - and maybe cramping
- This can often be the very first sign that you're pregnant
- Changes in your breasts
- Your breasts may feel fuller, sorer or more tender
- The skin near the nipples (areola) may become darker
- Nausea /Upset stomach
- You may feel sick to your stomach as early as two weeks after you become pregnant
- So-called morning sickness can happen at any time of day
- Your stomach might even jump when you smell something strong
- Frequent peeing
- It may feel like you have to pass urine all the time (your womb is expanding and pressing on your bladder)
- New feelings about food
- You may have a new, strong dislike for meats, cheeses or spicy foods
- At the same time, you may strongly crave a pretzel
- These feelings tend to be strongest in the early days
- Feeling tired or worn out
- Your body is hard at work
- Your body is hard at work
- You're making hormones and chemicals that make you sleepy
- Aches and pains
- Many women have headaches and pains in their backs in the early days
Can you trust home tests?
- These tests are often pretty sound when taken two weeks or more after getting pregnant
- If the test says you're pregnant, you most likely are
- Still, see your doctor right away to make sure the results are true and to start taking care of your health
- If you take the test very early on, a result that says you're not pregnant is less sound than one which says you are pregnant
- These tests work by finding a certain hormone that your body makes after getting pregnant, and some women make this hormone a little more slowly than others
- If your test says you are not pregnant, try again a week later
Until you know for sure whether you are pregnant, don't smoke, drink alcohol or do anything else unsafe, just in case.
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