Could you be pregnant?
Here are more signs than a
missed period to show you've conceived. Here are some things to look out for.
Some women don't know if
they've missed their period or not because their cycles are irregular. Others
have periods throughout their pregnancy. And a missed period doesn't always
mean pregnancy, anyway - it could be caused by stress or illness. So apart from
buying a pregnancy test every time you feel a touch of nausea, how can you tell
if you're pregnant?
CHANGING BREASTS
Even before your period is due you may see some changes in your breasts: they
may become tender and your nipples may become super sensitive. Your boobs may
even start to resemble a road map as the veins on them protrude. The areola can
become darker and the little bumps on them (the strangely named Montgomery's
tubercles) become more obvious.
SOME BLEEDING
Often mistaken for a period, implantation bleeding can occur when the
fertilised egg arrives in your uterus and embeds itself in your uterine lining.
Some women find they lose a small amount of blood around this time, or just
before their period is due. The blood tends to be reddish to start with but
quickly turns brownish. It usually only lasts a day or two and isn't heavy. If
you think you've had an unusually short or light period, you may be pregnant.
URGE TO WEE
As early as one week after conception you may find you're dashing off to the
loo more than usual. This is because the embryo is secreting the hormone hCG,
which increases the blood supply to your pelvic area; this irritates your
bladder and causes it to want to expel urine more frequently.
STRANGE TASTE
The saliva in your mouth often reflects the chemical content of your blood, so
rising pregnancy hormone levels can cause the taste in your mouth to change.
Women have often described their mouth as having a metallic taste, and this can
make the taste of certain foods seem different from before.
OVER-SENSITIVE SENSE OF
SMELL
A heightened sense of smell can be a sign that a baby is on the way. Strong
smells, particularly - such as the smell of brewing coffee or frying onions -
can suddenly make you feel sick, even if you used to love them. Perfume can
have a similar effect, and you may also notice that the way your perfume smells
on your body may change, because of the alterations in your skin's chemistry.
CRAVINGS
You may suddenly start to crave foods you've never even thought twice about
before. Many women crave tangy or citrus foods such as grapefruits, oranges and
lemon juice; other cravings are more peculiar, such as coal and chalk (this is
a condition called pica).
No-one really knows why
pregnant women get cravings. One theory is that they're your body's response to
a deficiency in certain minerals and trace elements. If you crave citrus
fruits, for example, you could be deficient in vitamin C - although we don't
know this for sure yet.
EXHAUSTION
Feeling overwhelmingly tired throughout the day - as if you could just lie down
on your office floor and sleep forever - is partly due to the sedative effect
of the high levels of progesterone in your body. Another reason is that during
early pregnancy your metabolism speeds up in order to support your developing
embryo and your vital organs, which have to cope with an enormously increased
amount of work. Listen to the message your body is giving you: it's working
hard and needs more rest than usual, so try to schedule some in.
FEELING SICK
Morning sickness is a very well known side-effect of pregnancy, but don't let
the name fool you - some women feel sick all day. Nausea can be worse in the
morning, though, because you have an empty stomach and your blood sugar has
dropped. Eating regular, small meals can help. Some women swear by ginger
(snack on a ginger biscuit or try sipping on ginger tea). Hopefully your nausea
will ease by the start of the second trimester of your pregnancy.
At least there's a positive
side to the nausea - it's a sign that your hormone levels are high enough to
ensure that the pregnancy is well established. But don't worry if you're
feeling fine - some women are just naturally lucky enough to sail through their
pregnancies without feeling sick.
JUST TO BE SURE...
Of course, the easiest way of finding out if you're actually pregnant is to do
a test bought from a pharmacy. If you follow the instructions exactly, home
pregnancy test kits are about 97% accurate. You can do a test as early as the
first day of a missed period but the longer you wait, the more likely you are
to get an accurate result.
http://www.elevit.com.au