Introduction
The symptoms of pregnancy can vary greatly from woman to woman. The same applies to the intensity of typical pregnancy disorders, which can also vary greatly. Especially the initial symptoms of pregnancy can be very similar to typical premenstrual complaints.
Therefore, there is a risk that the symptoms may be misinterpreted as signs of pregnancy. In general, however, it can be assumed that women who know their bodies very well are more likely to determine whether or not they are pregnant. In most cases, however, pregnancy will go completely unnoticed by women until their periods stop and for a few days after that. At the latest, the absence of menstruation tempts most women to have a pregnancy test or to consult a gynecologist.
When do symptoms appear?
The time of onset of the first pregnancy symptoms can vary greatly from woman to woman. Women who have a very fine feeling for their body may already feel the time when the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. This can manifest itself as a stabbing pain in the abdomen and can be the first of the typical symptoms of pregnancy.
At the same time, the pregnant woman may secrete small amounts of blood from the vagina. This bleeding, which is often mistakenly confused with a very weak menstrual period, is called “implantation bleeding“. It differs from menstrual bleeding mainly in the quantity and color of the blood secreted.
A menstrual blood therefore appears darker and more viscous than the blood of the implantation bleeding. In many cases, however, women only notice a pregnancy when their periods stop. Complaints that indicate pregnancy, such as breast tenderness, fatigue and mood swings often occur after several weeks of pregnancy or are interpreted by the women concerned as normal cycle-dependent complaints and are not immediately associated with pregnancy.
Typical symptoms of pregnancy
There are typical symptoms that can occur in the first weeks of pregnancy. These include among others: Not all women feel these typical signs of pregnancy. If there is a suspicion that a pregnancy exists, a pregnancy test can be carried out after the period has stopped.
Commercially available pregnancy tests measure the pregnancy hormone beta-HCG in urine. In general, it is important to note that the symptoms mentioned are so-called uncertain or only probable pregnancy symptoms. Reliable proof of pregnancy can only be provided by an examination by a gynaecologist, by detecting fetal heart sounds or by visualization of the fetus.
- Absence of menstruation
- Tiredness
- Increase in body temperature
- Breast Sensitivity
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Pulling in the lower abdomen
- Ravenous hunger
- Changes in the sense of taste/odor
- Frequent urge to urinate
The most important and best known early symptom of pregnancy is the absence of menstruation. Especially in women who normally have a very constant and regular cycle, the absence of menstruation quickly leads to the suspicion of pregnancy. In women with a less constant cycle, on the other hand, it may simply be a delay in the menstrual cycle.
Many women therefore wait a few days before doing a pregnancy test or seeing a gynecologist. It should be noted that the so-called “implantation bleeding” may be confused with normal menstrual bleeding. If pregnancy is suspected despite the onset of bleeding, a pregnancy test should be carried out urgently and/or a specialist in gynecology should be consulted.
The consistency of the secreted blood can provide an initial indication as to whether it is menstrual bleeding or implantation bleeding. While menstrual blood is usually dark and viscous, the blood secreted during implantation appears much lighter and thinner. Another early symptom of pregnancy is pronounced fatigue.
Some of the affected women even speak of states of exhaustion in this context.A pregnancy-induced increase in the progesterone release leads to an increase in the energy consumption of the organism. For this reason, many women feel as if they have been exercising for hours even after a normal working day. Although pronounced fatigue is one of the most common early symptoms of pregnancy, it is considered an uncertain sign of pregnancy.
A subtle increase in body temperature is considered another early symptom of an existing pregnancy. However, the increase in temperature is only about 0.2-0.5 degrees. However, a rise in body temperature is not a reliable sign of pregnancy, as other causes can also be responsible for a slight rise in temperature.
Increased breast sensitivity, or a strong pulling in the breasts, is also considered one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy. In most cases, the breasts begin to hurt between the fifth and eighth week of pregnancy. The reason for the appearance of this symptom is the incipient remodelling of the breast tissue.
Inside the breasts, the glandular cells increase significantly in mass and prepare to produce sufficient quantities of breast milk. Already during the first three months of pregnancy, the breasts can therefore grow by one to two cup sizes. However, since pain or a strong pulling in the breast is also one of the typical premenstrual symptoms, this is a rather uncertain sign of pregnancy.
As a rule, breast sensitivity also increases significantly a few days before the onset of menstrual bleeding. However, if the symptoms persist for several days and steadily increase in intensity, they may indicate a pregnancy. In addition, a dark discoloration of the nipples and areola is another symptom that can indicate pregnancy.
Breast growth during pregnancyThe notorious morning sickness is probably one of the most well-known signs of pregnancy. While many, rather unspecific complaints occur already within the first weeks of pregnancy, many women are spared from morning sickness until the seventh week. Other women, on the other hand, do not suffer from nausea and vomiting during the entire pregnancy.
Although in most cases, nausea that occurs during the morning hours is the only term used, pronounced morning sickness can persist throughout the day. Nausea is considered one of the most variable symptoms of pregnancy. In some cases, vomiting may be so frequent during the first three months of pregnancy that hospital treatment may be necessary.
In this context one speaks of the so-called “hyperemesis gravidarum”. A hormone-induced loosening of the so-called maternal ligaments can already occur in the first weeks of pregnancy. As a consequence, expectant mothers usually feel a pulling sensation in the right and/or left abdomen.
Diarrhea is one of the unspecific symptoms of pregnancy. The causes of diarrhea have mostly nothing to do with the actual pregnancy. Basically, it can be assumed that the physical changes during pregnancy lead to an inhibition of the immune system.
For this reason, various infection-related symptoms can occur. Since important stations of the immune system are located in the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea is considered one of the most common symptoms. Affected women should urgently consult a doctor if diarrhoea persists.
Through the permanent excretion of liquid stool, important vitamins and electrolytes can be flushed out of the body. This in turn can provoke the development of other physical symptoms. Diarrhea becomes particularly problematic when the expectant mother suffers from severe nausea with vomiting at the same time.
