How to Identify Early Signs of Pregnancy

The early signs of pregnancy vary from woman to woman; some may have all of the proverbial "signs in the book" and others may have just a few or no symptoms. Each pregnancy differs from woman to woman, whether it is her first or fourth time.  There may be similarities, but no two pregnancies are exactly alike. The early signs of pregnancy might be noticed right away or two weeks after conception.

Obviously, the main early sign of pregnancy is if a woman who usually has regular monthly cycle misses a period.  There is a good chance that she is pregnant. However, if a woman does not have regular cycles due to endometriosis or some other reason, a missed period may not mean pregnancy.  In this case, there are other ways to determine a pregnancy before seeing a doctor.

Pregnancy Tests

An over-the-counter pregnancy test is reasonably inexpensive and will confirm or deny the early signs of pregnancy. Depending on what type of pregnancy test is used, the length of time after conception may impact the results of the test.

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Blood testing is a more reliable pregnancy test because pregnancy hormones are detected in as little as 48 hours after conception, but this is a more costly option. Since urine testing is so inexpensive, this is the most common pregnancy test used, but the over-the-counter urine method cannot detect pregnancy until at least 2-4 weeks after conception, or 1-2 weeks after a missed period.

Other Early Signs of Pregnancy

Classic early signs of pregnancy are nausea upon arising in the morning (morning sickness), breast tenderness, and fatigue. Many women never experience morning sickness while others experience it throughout their entire pregnancy. Two other early signs of pregnancy are frequent urination and increased vaginal secretions. As the uterus changes and grows, pressure is placed on the bladder which is why pregnant women are constantly visiting the restroom. The increased vaginal secretions are a sign of hormone production and formation of the mucous plug that will protect the developing fetus from bacteria and other harmful substances.

Birth Control and Other Considerations

In some women, the early signs of pregnancy can be missed. If monthly cycles are irregular or absent, it may be very difficult for such a women to know she is pregnant. Certain types of birth control, such as the pill or Depo-Provera injections may cause periods to be very light or absent.

Being aware of the early signs of pregnancy gives a woman more control over the pregnancy, whether it is planned or not. There is a lot of information available on conception and the early signs of pregnancy from health care providers, women’s clinics, public health departments, and especially online for all women of child bearing age.

"How to Identify Early Signs of Pregnancy" contributed by Georgia Millinowski