When planning a pregnancy, a woman may warily “listen” to unusual bodily sensations or believe that abdominal pain and irritability are just harbingers of imminent menstruation. The obstetric classification divides symptoms indicating an “interesting situation” into three groups: doubtful, probable and reliable. Signs of pregnancy in the early stages, which women pay attention to, usually belong to the first and second groups, since they are based on subjective sensations or can appear in other conditions and diseases.
How to determine pregnancy by the state of the body?
The first signs of pregnancy appear very early - even a few days before the delay of menstruation occurs. Of course, it is impossible to judge with 100% certainty that pregnancy has occurred, but it is quite possible to suspect it.
Most women in the early stages of pregnancy note the following changes occurring in their body:
- Emotional instability. After conception, hormonal levels begin to change, which can affect the state of the nervous system. Pregnancy will be indicated by sudden changes in mood during the day, increased irritability, tearfulness, and sometimes even aggression.
- Sometimes in the first days of pregnancy a woman experiences malaise, which can be mistaken for an incipient cold. At the same time, fatigue and weakness are present all the time, despite the usual daily routine.
- Drowsiness is observed, and the sleep itself becomes restless. Even after sleeping about 12 hours a day, a woman in the early stages of pregnancy will feel insufficiently rested.
- A feeling of heaviness or fullness may appear in the pelvic organs, which is associated with increased blood circulation in this area.
- Mild tingling may periodically occur in the area of the uterus, which does not cause significant concern.
- The chest becomes more sensitive, it can react with pain even to the slightest touch.
- Appetite begins to increase literally from the first days of conception, but the desire to eat something unusual and changes in taste preferences may appear a little later.
- In the morning, you may experience a feeling of nausea, which becomes stronger when you remember certain foods.
- A pregnant woman also becomes more sensitive to odors. This applies to aromas emanating from food, perfume, household chemicals, etc.
It is worth understanding that the combination of all of these symptoms is observed quite rarely, and they can be caused not only by pregnancy. However, a combination of 3-4 “symptoms” should give rise to certain thoughts. It would also be useful to take a closer look at your own appearance.
It may change somewhat after pregnancy:
- The face, arms, neck and legs may begin to swell slightly. Puffiness of the face is more noticeable in the morning, while the lower limbs swell in the evening.
- Hormonal changes in the body often lead to acne appearing on the skin.
- From the very first days of pregnancy, the intestines begin to work more slowly, which will lead to constipation. Hormones, in turn, provoke swelling of the intestinal walls, which is expressed in bloating.
- The veins on the chest increase in size and begin to appear under the thin skin. These are not all changes affecting the mammary glands. Often women note that the nipple areolas become darker.
- Increased blood circulation in the body as a whole can lead to the appearance of a blush on the cheeks, which appears especially clearly in the evening hours.
- Pigmentation may intensify not only on the nipple areolas, but also on the abdomen. It often has a distinct dark line running from the navel down.
If a woman is expecting a child, then she will definitely pay attention to these early signs of pregnancy, which make it possible to determine it without a test.
How to determine pregnancy without a test: advice from doctors
Doctors have their own criteria for assessing a woman’s condition. With their help, the doctor can suggest that the patient is pregnant, even without examination and testing. Knowing these medical “secrets”, you can try to independently detect signs of pregnancy.
- The appearance of bloody discharge from the vagina. It is impossible to call such discharge menstrual bleeding, since it will be very insignificant. Moreover, the color of the discharge will be close to pink or brown. They usually appear 7-12 days after conception has occurred and indicate that the embryo has implanted into the wall of the uterus. In this case, small capillaries may collapse and bleed slightly. This is what explains the appearance of bloody discharge. Although, there is another reason why droplets of blood may come out of the vagina after pregnancy - cervical erosion. The fact is that after conception, the pelvic organs begin to be more actively supplied with blood, which leads to increased bleeding of existing epithelial damage.
- Calf muscle cramps that occur at night may indicate pregnancy. Moreover, their intensity is great enough to wake up a woman.
- Blood pressure very often decreases in the first months of pregnancy. Moreover, in hypotensive patients it can reach extremely low levels. This will lead to dizziness and weakness. Sometimes women even lose consciousness due to a sharp drop in blood pressure.
- Immunity deteriorates, which can lead to the development of colds in early pregnancy.
- A woman's drooling increases, and very often this symptom is combined with the appearance of a feeling of nausea.
- There is more vaginal discharge, but normally it should not change its consistency, color and smell. This is explained by increased blood supply to the pelvic organs.
- Very often, in the early stages of pregnancy, a woman’s thrush worsens. This, first of all, will be associated with a deterioration of immunity. Thrush is always accompanied by severe itching and burning in the vaginal area, as well as the appearance of a cheesy discharge.
- Urination becomes more frequent, and this phenomenon is observed throughout the entire period of pregnancy. If in the early stages of gestation frequent trips to the toilet are associated with increased kidney function, then in later stages the woman is forced to urinate more often due to excess pressure of the fetus and uterus on the bladder.
The most important sign that allows you to suspect pregnancy is the absence of menstrual bleeding on time. It is this symptom that both doctors and women themselves focus on. But when a delay in menstruation is accompanied by the above changes in the body, you can once again be convinced that your assumptions are correct.
Weight loss
It happens that a pregnant woman's human chorionic gonadotropin levels may remain so low that it will promote weight loss. A common consequence of this is also low birth weight in newborns.
Weight can also decrease, even during pregnancy, due to dehydrating diets, certain pathologies associated with the thyroid gland, oncology and brain disorders, as well as stress.
If there is no significant weight gain, the thought of pregnancy goes away up to a certain point.
Main signs of pregnancy
One of the most obvious signs of pregnancy is a feeling of heaviness or fullness in the lower abdomen. Sometimes discomfort also spreads to the lumbar region. They occur because the uterus increases in size, however, this happens in later stages of pregnancy.
As the uterus and the baby inside it grow, pressure on the bladder will increase. As a result, the urge to urinate will become more frequent. It is worth considering that this sign of pregnancy also appears at later stages of its development.
Discharge may increase slightly during pregnancy. At the same time, they should remain transparent and should not emit an unpleasant odor.
Read more: First week of pregnancy, what are the first sensations?
How to determine pregnancy using traditional methods?
A woman does not always have a pregnancy test at hand, and the desire to find out about her situation often arises spontaneously. In this case, folk methods that do not require special costs can come to the rescue.
How to determine pregnancy using iodine?
Iodine is always available in any first aid kit, so performing a pregnancy test with its help can be very simple. First, you need to collect urine in a small container, and then drop 1 drop of iodine into it. If it remains floating on the surface of the liquid, then the woman is pregnant. If a drop of iodine completely dissolves, then there is no pregnancy. There is another method for determining pregnancy using iodine. You will need to take a small piece of paper, moisten it in your own urine and drop iodine on it. If the paper changes color to lilac or purple, then there is pregnancy. If the paper turns blue, then there is no pregnancy.
How to detect pregnancy using baking soda?
Popular folk methods for determining pregnancy include the soda test. To carry it out, you will need to collect urine and add a teaspoon of soda to it. If the soda sizzles, then there is no pregnancy. When the soda simply precipitates, the test can be considered positive.
How to determine pregnancy by pulse?
To determine pregnancy by pulse, you need to place your hand four fingers below the navel. Then you should listen carefully to your own feelings. If a woman feels a pulsation, this indicates pregnancy.
How to determine pregnancy by urine?
To diagnose pregnancy in urine without a test, you need to collect the liquid in a separate container and bring it to a boil. If flakes appear in the urine and precipitate, then there is pregnancy. If the urine remains clear, then there is no pregnancy. Another way to determine pregnancy by urine is to mix it with natural wine. When the resulting “cocktail” curdles and becomes cloudy, this indicates pregnancy. If the wine with urine remains clear, then there is no pregnancy.
How to determine pregnancy from dreams?
Sometimes the dreams a woman sees can help determine pregnancy. Dreams with rivers, reservoirs, seas and slaves may indicate that conception has occurred. However, this method of determining pregnancy is, of course, auxiliary and not primary.
What to do if there are no characteristic symptoms and you think you are pregnant?
If you have any suspicions, contact your gynecologist. He will do a human chorionic gonadotropin test and an ultrasound of the uterus. An ultrasound will definitely detect a hidden pregnancy, even if it occurs without symptoms. The sooner you do this, the more options you will have to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.
A voluntary abortion can only be done up to 12 weeks. Further, special testimony is required, to which the excuse “I didn’t know I was pregnant” does not apply in any way.
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Abortion and contraception clinic in St. Petersburg - department of the medical gynecological association "Diana"
Make an appointment, tests or ultrasound via the contact form or by calling +8 (812) 62-962-77. We work seven days a week from 09:00 to 21:00.
We are located in the Krasnogvardeisky district, next to the Novocherkasskaya, Ploshchad Alexander Nevsky and Ladozhskaya metro stations.
The cost of a medical abortion in our clinic is 3,300 rubles. The price includes all pills, an examination by a gynecologist and an ultrasound to determine the timing of pregnancy.
How to determine pregnancy without a doctor's examination?
As for doctors, they are all quite skeptical about traditional methods of determining pregnancy. However, there are also methods for diagnosing a conception that has occurred that have a scientific basis. For example, regularly measuring basal body temperature can help determine pregnancy. To do this, you will need to draw up a schedule and, based on it, evaluate your position. In addition, doctors do not deny the fact that pregnancy is indicated by signals sent by the body.
Basal body temperature and pregnancy
Measuring basal body temperature is one of the methods for determining pregnancy that has a scientific basis. Basal body temperature is the temperature inside the body. It can be measured in the mouth, rectum and vagina. To obtain the most reliable results, you will need to measure your temperature every day for 3-4 months. In this case, all indicators must be recorded.
Measurements should be taken every morning, immediately after waking up. On the day of ovulation, the average body temperature in the rectum ranges from 37.2 to 37.5 °C. While on ordinary days it remains at 36.4-36.8 °C. After ovulation, if conception does not occur, the temperature begins to gradually decrease and returns to normal a few days before the start of menstruation. If pregnancy occurs, the basal temperature does not fall, but remains at consistently high levels. This method is one of the auxiliary ones in determining whether pregnancy has occurred. The fact of conception is confirmed by the fact that the woman does not get her period on time.
To take measurements, you need to use an electronic thermometer to minimize the risk of device breakdown during the procedure. If a woman has a regular menstrual cycle, does not have any diseases, and she keeps a schedule of measuring basal body temperature for several months, then this method allows you to diagnose pregnancy with high accuracy.
To be able to determine pregnancy in the early stages using this method, you should adhere to certain rules:
- You need to measure your body temperature without getting out of bed.
- The position of the body should not be changed during measurements.
- In the evening you need to make sure that the thermometer is at hand.
- You need to measure your body temperature for 5-8 minutes, trying to remain motionless.
- To carry out measurements, you should use the same device.
- The most accurate measurement results can be obtained in the rectum.
The information content of this method of determining pregnancy can be affected by factors such as taking hormonal drugs and sedatives, and alcohol abuse.
Taking a pregnancy test online
On the Internet you can find many sites that are dedicated to pregnancy. Some of them offer the woman to take the test online. You can find many variations of tests, which are often humorous in nature. Accordingly, the results of such “research” should not be taken seriously.
These tests detect pregnancy based on common symptoms. However, even a pregnant woman can take such a test and get a negative result, so do not rely on their result!
Some signs of pregnancy
Doctors recommend that women pay attention to signs of pregnancy such as:
- The appearance of pigment spots in places where they were not previously present. For example, on the face or along the abdomen, starting from the navel and below.
- Changing taste preferences.
- Swelling of the mammary glands and increased sensitivity.
- Increased emotionality.
- Weight gain.
- Change in stool character.
- Fatigue and drowsiness. Sometimes women in the early stages of pregnancy feel very tired, which is typical for the recovery period after suffering from colds.
A woman who decides to try one or another folk method of determining pregnancy can be advised only one thing - not to take the results obtained too seriously. After all, the most reliable and reliable method for diagnosing the onset of conception is a pregnancy test. They can be purchased at an affordable price at almost any pharmacy.
Irregular menstrual cycle
Many women blame irregular monthly cycles for unplanned pregnancy. This most often occurs in the case of very young women who do not yet know the rhythm of their cycle, or in women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome or other hormonal disorders.
Irregular menstrual cycle
Many of them find out about pregnancy only when a significantly larger belly can no longer be justified by overeating, and the baby’s movements can no longer be justified by poor intestinal motility.
Why shouldn’t you trust 100% traditional methods of determining pregnancy?
If it were possible to determine pregnancy so easily at home, the manufacturers of rapid tests would have long ago suffered multi-billion dollar losses. It is simply impossible to obtain accurate results using iodine, urine and soda.
Soda is an alkali that reacts with an acidic environment. Therefore, it is not surprising that after soda gets into the urine, a violent reaction can occur. After all, it is impossible to determine the acidity of urine at home. Its pH level depends largely on what the woman drank and ate, as well as on the presence of diseases of the urinary system.
Now a few words about tests using iodine. Paper soaked in urine can actually turn blue if iodine gets on it. However, it is possible that starch is present in the urine. For example, this can happen if the liquid collection container is poorly rinsed. And such tests have no scientific basis.
Whether or not to trust home tests is a personal matter for every woman. Surely it would be a good idea to double-check the results using a pharmacy rapid pregnancy test.
