How to understand that you are pregnant? The first signs in the early stages

Subjective first signs of pregnancy

Often the first changes in the body that a woman differentiates as signs of pregnancy may turn out to be symptoms of PMS. However, if you have never suffered from premenstrual syndrome before, you should pay attention to these:

Feeling of weakness, malaise and increased fatigue even with usual exercise.
The appearance of drowsiness during the day and insomnia at night.
Unstable emotional state. A woman’s mood can change dramatically in a matter of seconds without good reason.
A feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen, lower back and pelvic area.
Constant headache and dizziness.
Change in libido. Moreover, it can either decrease or increase.
Periodic sensations of heat or chills that replace each other.
Increased sensitivity of the mammary glands to the point that any touch to the breast results in extremely unpleasant sensations and even pain.
Increased appetite or change in eating habits. From the first days of pregnancy, a girl may want to eat more or eat dishes that she did not like before.
The appearance of an unreasonable feeling of nausea. In some cases, heartburn and vomiting occur. This condition is called toxicosis.
Increased sensitivity to odors and distortion of the sense of smell.

All of the above signs cannot accurately answer the question: has pregnancy occurred or not? However, they allow us to suspect it and move on to more accurate and reliable diagnostic methods.

Spinal pain in the first trimester of pregnancy

What is the cause of sudden pain in the spine at the beginning of pregnancy? And is it possible to fight this?

Changes in a woman's body immediately after conception

As a rule, early discomfort is completely physiological and is caused by changes in the biomechanics of the pelvis and spine. Almost 90 percent of women experience back pain during pregnancy. The enlargement of the uterus puts pressure on other organs, causing them to become displaced. Excess weight creates additional stress.

Backache

- a kind of signal that the expectant mother’s body is getting used to its new state. The ligaments in the groin area become tense, and muscle pain appears, radiating to the back. The pregnant woman’s condition is aggravated by severe fatigue - the woman continues to live and work at the same rhythm as before pregnancy, while often experiencing toxicosis, problems with sleep and digestion.

Common causes of spinal pain

As a rule, pain is associated with a change in body position in space, but there may be other problems, such as:

Changes associated with hormonal levels - the mobility of the hip joints and in the sacral area increases, the body of the expectant mother prepares for the upcoming birth in advance. These changes are natural and do not require treatment.
Increased load on the lumbar spine due to a shift in the center of gravity. Typically, pain in the lower back goes away on its own by the 2nd trimester, but wearing a brace may be necessary.
Impaired functioning of the urinary system, urolithiasis and other kidney diseases. Along with the pain, the woman feels increased swelling and high body temperature. There is a risk of an attack of renal colic. This is a sure sign that you need to see a doctor.
Gestational pyelonephritis is another common disease that causes pain in the lumbosacral spine. Accompanied by fever and nausea.
Severe episodic pain, similar to contractions, signals an incipient miscarriage. As a rule, they are accompanied by pain in the groin area of the abdomen, reminiscent of premenstrual pain, and spotting. In such cases, it is necessary to seek emergency medical help.
Girdle pain in the lower back, accompanied by loss of appetite and digestive problems, signals the presence of pancreatitis or cholecystitis. You should visit a gastroenterologist.
Worsening of advanced spinal diseases, such as osteochondrosis or hernia, can also appear at the very beginning of pregnancy. Sudden pain can occur both during movement and at rest.

Treatments that are safe in early pregnancy

If the expectant mother does not have infectious diseases and there is no exacerbation of pathologies, discomfort in the lower back will most likely not cause concern for long. To diagnose the disease, an ultrasound of the pelvic organs and other tests may be required to help exclude acute stages of the disease. Instead of magnetic resonance imaging, CT is usually prescribed as the least harmful test during pregnancy.

However, not every woman can endure pain, so there are several universal ways to alleviate the condition:

Purchasing a special brace for pregnant women will help to correctly distribute the load from the spine to the hips.
Special therapeutic exercises, preferably developed by an individual instructor or attending physician. They can be used when there is no threat of miscarriage in the early stages.
Ointments and creams for topical use, the use of which is harmless to the baby.

It is not recommended to make sudden movements, lift heavy objects, or wear high-heeled shoes during pregnancy. In case of severe pain, you should contact an osteopath; acupressure on the spine without using the usual massage movements will help relieve pain. A competent specialist will detect not only foci of inflammation, but also those areas of the spine that have been subject to various injuries in the past.

Prevention of back pain

spine health

- one of the main goals of every expectant mother, because the increase in load on the back in the first trimesters is just beginning. In order to strengthen muscles and make joints more flexible, you can resort to special exercises, for example:

Walks in the open air.
Yoga for pregnant women.
Visit to the pool, water aerobics.

Walking helps maintain muscle tone and allows you to get rid of excess weight, often caused by overeating.

Yoga is the best way to prepare your body for childbirth, develop flexibility and improve muscle tone. If it is not possible to attend classes under the supervision of an experienced trainer, you can do exercises at home yourself, using video lessons for pregnant women.

The pool is ideal for relaxing the back muscles, swimming is good for good posture and promotes spinal traction. In water, the body is in a state of weightlessness, this perfectly relieves stress and strengthens the body.

We must not forget about the correct position while sleeping.
While you're expecting your baby, it's time to think about a good orthopedic mattress. It should be rigid enough to evenly distribute the load on the spine. A healthy back will help maintain good sleep and keep the nervous system in a stable state. During sleep, the body of the expectant mother should rest as best as possible, and often an uncomfortable position is the cause of pain. It is best to sleep on your side, placing a pillow between your knees to reduce the arch in your back. Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr

External changes during the first days of pregnancy

Also, in addition to the symptoms indicated in the previous section of the article, which the woman notes herself, certain external changes occur that are noticeable to the people around her.

Due to hormonal changes, skin problems may appear. Many girls who have not previously suffered from acne notice that rashes begin to appear.

Swelling of the face, arms and legs also accompanies pregnancy, including in the early stages. Sometimes their severity reaches such an extent that the girl cannot walk in her usual shoes.

Breasts can increase by 1-2 sizes already in the first weeks of pregnancy. At the same time, the appearance of a venous vascular pattern and darkening of the nipple areola are noted.

The pigmentation of the midline of the abdomen, running from the navel to the pubis, also increases. This symptom is observed in most pregnant women.

A blush often appears on the skin of the face. This sign is explained by increased blood flow in the body of the expectant mother.

Ultrasound examination of a woman 3 weeks after IVF

After testing for the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood, a woman can already know that she is carrying a new life within herself. After 3 weeks of pregnancy, what is happening to the fetus can be seen using ultrasound.

At this stage, the embryo is a tiny ball with a barely visible head and tail, surrounded by a fertilized egg. Ultrasound diagnostics in early pregnancy is carried out in two ways:

Transvaginal, in which a small sensor emitting ultrasound waves is inserted directly into the vagina. It is this procedure that allows you to examine in more detail the condition of the uterus and the fertilized egg in it. To prepare for the scan, no special preparations are required, except for eliminating foods that cause increased gas formation from the diet a few days before the ultrasound, as well as emptying the intestines and bladder immediately before the procedure;
It is recommended to use the transabdominal method for longer periods. Such an examination does not require any preparation, but is also less detailed due to the greater number of structures in the ultrasound path.

It is ultrasound in the third week after the introduction of embryos that is a method that allows one to reliably determine the presence of pregnancy, since IVF, unfortunately, cannot always guarantee a successful result.

In addition, using ultrasound scanning you can see:

Number of viable embryos in the uterus;
Location of the fertilized egg;
Changes in the ovaries.

The first ultrasound is extremely important to exclude serious pathologies such as ectopic pregnancy, fetal development arrest, determination of multiple pregnancy and the need for further or correction of maintenance therapy.

Clinical symptoms at the beginning of pregnancy

Already in the first few days after conception, the following conditions and changes in the body of a pregnant girl may develop:

Early factor. This is the name of a special substance that is released 1-2 days after fertilization. According to the data obtained, it is found in 67% of examined women whose pregnancy was subsequently confirmed.
Bloody discharge from the genital tract. They may have a yellowish or pinkish tint and appear when the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine walls. This usually happens at the end of the first, beginning of the second week after conception.
The increase in basal temperature that appeared at the time of ovulation persists for a long time if fertilization has occurred. Its measurement can indirectly confirm the occurrence of pregnancy. The general body temperature may also rise to 37 degrees.
Paresthesia, pain and cramps in the calf muscles. As a rule, they occur late in the evening or at night, causing sleep disturbances and even insomnia.
A decrease in blood pressure, which is manifested by severe weakness and dizziness. With significant hypotension, fainting is possible. The risk of developing this condition is prolonged exposure to a stuffy, unventilated room or standing position.
Decreased immunity. Manifested by frequent colds. Also, against the background of immunodeficiency, pregnant women may be bothered by genital candidiasis or, in other words, thrush.
Increased urge to urinate. Most often this symptom appears in later stages of pregnancy, but it can also occur in the first days.

Despite the huge number of signs, most often a woman pays attention to a delay in menstruation. And for good reason. This is the most obvious and accurate symptom that should lead you to certain thoughts. Of course, menstrual irregularities occur in a huge number of pathological conditions. However, if you are planning a pregnancy, a delay may be the first bell indicating the onset of the long-awaited conception.

Immediately after the onset of the above sign, you can conduct a test that is sensitive to an increase in hCG.

So, let's start, 29 first signs of pregnancy in the early stages:

Implantation bleeding . When a fertilized egg enters the walls of the uterus, a slight discharge of blood may occur. If there is profuse bleeding, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Nagging pain in the lower abdomen can also be the first signs of pregnancy before menstruation. You will feel slight cramps, the uterus will contract and give you the feeling of premenstrual pain.
Basal temperature . Its increase - this first sign of pregnancy is one of the most accurate, with the exception of serious gynecological diseases. Let us remind you that the basal temperature is measured in the rectum in the morning; during pregnancy it will remain more than 37 degrees.
Delayed menstruation . However, it is worth remembering that there can be many reasons for cycle disruption, and to accurately determine the first signs of pregnancy, it is necessary to exclude possible causes of delay, such as stress, menopause, excessive physical activity, lack or, conversely, excess weight and others.
Menstruation is not like previous ones . This sign of pregnancy in the first days can manifest itself as: less abundant discharge, a shift in the cycle, a change in its duration.
Toxicosis . The most common first sign of pregnancy before delay. Morning sickness and malaise may indicate pregnancy.
Breasts swell. This is another common sign. You will notice that the breasts are swollen and enlarged.
Breast sensitivity increases.
The labia will change color , they will become more swollen and take on a bluish tint. As a rule, this sign is noticed by the gynecologist during examination.
Fatigue and drowsiness are also sure signs of a pregnant woman.
Increased sensitivity to smells is one of the first signs of pregnancy before your period. Your sense of smell will change, smells will be more pronounced, and your feelings for them will be heightened.
, a change in taste preferences may also be a sign . You may want new foods, in different combinations.
Intuition . Many women feel their pregnancy intuitively.
An increased urge to urinate, mainly at night, may also indicate pregnancy.
Changes in sexual desire . This occurs due to changes in the sensitivity of many receptors in the body of a pregnant woman.
Montgomery tubercles on the areola of the breast - small bumps.
The appearance of age spots on the face .
A dark line in the lower abdomen , as a rule, appears by the end of the first trimester and is a sign of pregnancy at 2-3 months.
The appearance of spider veins not only on the legs, but also on the face, neck, and chest.
Stretch marks . This sign of pregnancy appears after 3 months, when the tummy begins to grow. Stretch marks appear due to rupture of collagen fibers, which are responsible for the elasticity of the skin.
A sign of pregnancy will also be an increase in the size of the uterus , this will be determined by the doctor at the appointment.
Abdominal enlargement . This sign becomes clearly visible after the third month, but in some women the tummy begins to increase in the second month of pregnancy.
Changes in the shape of the uterus can also be determined at an ultrasound appointment with a gynecologist.
Positive pregnancy test . As a rule, modern tests only err in the opposite direction - they may not show pregnancy; if the test shows two lines, then this is one of the most accurate first signs of pregnancy before menstruation.

Physiological signs

Before your period is missed, you may experience frequent urination. This is explained by an increase in the amount of female hormones. This leads to changes in kidney function. In addition, the uterus enlarges slightly after conception and puts pressure on the bladder. Of course, this symptom manifests itself more pronouncedly in the later stages of pregnancy.

Immediately after conception, progesterone production increases. This hormone causes salt and fluid retention in the body. Because of this, swelling of the legs and arms occurs, but in the early stages of pregnancy, they are practically invisible.

In the early stages, heaviness and weak nagging pain in the lower abdomen may be felt. They resemble premenstrual syndrome and do not cause severe discomfort. This is explained by the fact that when the embryo attaches to the uterus, blood circulation in the pelvic area increases.

It is important to understand that severe and unexpected pain may indicate an ectopic pregnancy or be a harbinger of spontaneous miscarriage. This is a dangerous condition that requires emergency medical attention.