9 Ways Your Body is Trying To Tell You You’re Pregnant
July 21, 2018
When you’re trying to get pregnant or when you’re really afraid you might be pregnant, the days between when you have sex and when you’re supposed to get your period can be filled with anxiety. You might be paying extra attention to your body, watching for signs of pregnancy. So what are the early signs of pregnancy? What clues does your body give even before you miss a period?
Many women experience some of the following symptoms beginning as early as conception (approximately 2 weeks after the last period). Because pregnancy symptoms are so different from woman to woman, you may have some of these symptoms or none of these symptoms.
- Cramping – Cramping in early pregnancy can come from a surge of blood to the uterus. Some mildly uncomfortable, generalized cramping is normal in early pregnancy. If you have cramping that makes you double over in pain or that’s concentrated in one place, you should call your doctor right away.
- Spotting – When the newly-conceived baby attaches to the uterine wall, there can be some implantation bleeding. This bleeding is usually light pink or brown and isn’t as heavy as a normal period. Because of the timing – 6 to 12 days after conception – it easily can be confused with a light period. So if you have this symptom along with other symptoms, you might want to take a pregnancy test.
- Bloating – As your hormones change, you might feel bloated similar to that bloated feeling you get during your period. These same hormones can slow down your digestive system, so you might be constipated along with the bloating.
- Sore Breasts – Sore breasts and nipples are often one of the first signs of pregnancy. As your levels of estrogen and progesterone spike, blood flow to your breasts increases. This can make your breasts feel sore or tingly or extra sensitive. Many women experience this same thing during the monthly cycle. But as the hormone levels dip back down during the regular cycle, the breast tenderness goes away. During pregnancy, your hormone levels stay elevated, so the tenderness doesn’t go away like it does during your monthly cycle.
- Fatigue – As soon as you get pregnant, your body starts making a placenta and producing more blood to carry nutrients to your baby. Add to that all the extra hormones, which can cause sleepiness, and it’s no wonder you’re exhausted! Extreme fatigue during the first trimester is very common.
- Peeing More Often – As soon as the newly-conceived baby implants in the wall of your uterus, your body starts making a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, which is more widely known as hCG. This is the hormone that shows up in your urine and causes the pregnancy test to be positive. It’s this same hormone that can make you feel like you have to pee every five minutes.
- Nausea – Some people call this morning sickness, but that’s really a deceptive name because you can feel sick at any or all times of the day or night, not just in the morning. Some women vomit; others feel nauseous but never vomit. More rarely, some women experience extreme vomiting, leading to dehydration and other problems. If your morning sickness seems especially severe, talk with your doctor and she can offer solutions.
- Mood swings – You know all those hormones we keep talking about? Well, they can cause your moods to shift like sand on a windy day. You might feel perfectly fine one moment and burst into tears the next. And maybe you don’t even know why you feel so sad or so happy or so irritated. The good news — this isn’t permanent. Pregnancy doesn’t last forever, and your moods will eventually even back out again.
- Food cravings (or food aversions) – You know all those stories about pregnant women wanting pickles and ice cream? That’s not just a myth or old wives’ tale. You might not want pickles and ice cream exactly, but food cravings are a real thing. Some people believe it’s your body’s way of telling you what nutrients you need, though there isn’t much science or data to back that up. Similar to cravings, some women experience intense food aversions — you can’t even stand the smell of certain foods or you become nauseous. What should you do about the cravings? Most doctors agree that giving in to cravings in moderation is OK, but be careful about eating too many empty calories. Your growing baby needs nutrients.
If you suspect you’re pregnant, call us and schedule a time to meet with one of our staff members. We can offer a pregnancy test at no cost to you and possibly an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy. Whether you’ve been trying to get pregnant or whether this is the biggest surprise of your life, we’ll do our best to help you navigate this next step – You don’t have to do this alone.
If you're considering the abortion pill, knowing what it actually involves is an important first step as you weigh your decision. Schedule a free, confidential appointment at Collage to talk through your questions and get accurate information at no cost. How the Abortion Pill Works The abortion pill uses two drugs taken at different times. Mifepristone , the first, blocks progesterone, a hormone the body needs to maintain a pregnancy. Without it, the pregnancy stops developing. The second drug, misoprostol , causes the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy. Risks and Side Effects Cramping and bleeding are expected parts of the process. Additional side effects can include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches. Complications include: Incomplete abortion (pregnancy tissue remaining in the uterus) Heavy bleeding that does not stop Infection Without in-person medical care, distinguishing normal symptoms from those requiring urgent attention is difficult. Why Gestational Age and Pregnancy Location Matter The FDA approved the abortion pill through 10 weeks of gestation. It is important to know how far along you are for your health and safety as you move through making your next decisions. A limited OB ultrasound also screens for ectopic pregnancy , a pregnancy outside the uterus that the abortion pill cannot treat and requires urgent care. A positive test alone does not rule out an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage , since hCG can remain elevated after pregnancy loss. Getting the Full Picture Collage offers free pregnancy testing and limited OB ultrasounds to give you the medical details you need before deciding anything, whether you're considering parenting, adoption, or abortion. Schedule your free, confidential appointment at Collage today. Kindly call the numbers for the branch nearest to you: Kearney: (308) 234-9880 Grand Island: (308) 675-2217 All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing. Collage does not provide or refer for abortions; however, we do offer pre-abortion screening through our no-cost services.
If you're considering abortion, there's one medical step that protects your health before anything else. An ultrasound confirms your pregnancy and provides information that a positive test alone cannot.
If you’ve recently learned you are pregnant unexpectedly, we understand how overwhelming this might feel right now. If you're considering abortion as an option, taking time to understand how the process works is important so you can make an informed decision. Collage is here to help provide you with confidential support and abortion information at no cost. We offer a safe space, free of judgment, where you can think calmly about your options, receive lab-quality pregnancy testing, and get a complimentary ultrasound so you can get the facts around your pregnancy and learn what options are available to you. Schedule your free appointment today. Medical Abortion Medical abortion, also known as the abortion pill, ends a pregnancy by using two drugs taken at different times. The first pill, mifepristone, works by blocking progesterone and causes the embryo’s death. The second drug, called misoprostol, is usually taken a day or two after and causes the uterus to contract, expelling the pregnancy tissue through cramping and bleeding. Common side effects can include bleeding and cramping, bleeding with blood clots, and a low-grade fever. Medical abortion is only approved through ten weeks of gestation by the FDA . Follow-up care is typically recommended after a medical abortion to make sure the process is complete. Surgical Abortion Surgical abortion terminates a pregnancy in a clinic or medical setting and involves removing pregnancy tissue from the uterus through a suction device or a tool called a curette. This can also be called dilation and evacuation or dilation and curettage . Common side effects of surgical abortions are bleeding and cramps. You may also have a late or early period as your uterus has to build a new lining after the procedure. What Are The Risks Of Abortion? Medical and surgical abortion both have possible risks that you should be aware of. Some women may also experience emotional responses afterward. Complications that can arise from abortion are: Infection. Scar tissue on the uterine wall, known as Asherman's syndrome . Heavy bleeding that may not stop. Diarrhea and digestive pain. An incomplete abortion. Confirm Your Pregnancy With An Ultrasound Before making a pregnancy decision, it is important to verify your pregnancy with an ultrasound. An ultrasound provides important medical details such as how far along you are, the location of the pregnancy, and whether a heartbeat is detected. These details are important since the abortion pill is not FDA-approved for over ten weeks, and it also rules out ectopic pregnancy, which requires urgent medical attention. As many as 26% of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage, and you can still get a positive pregnancy test result for days or weeks after a miscarriage because it takes time for hCG to leave the body. An ultrasound will confirm whether or not you have miscarried. We provide no-cost pregnancy services at our center, including limited OB ultrasounds, so you can get informed about your pregnancy and options. Get Pregnancy Support at College If you're considering your next step after learning you are unexpectedly pregnant, we are here to give you a safe place to ask questions and learn more about your options. Collage provides confidential appointments and no-cost pregnancy services, including medical-grade pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, and STD testing . You don’t have to figure this out alone. We are here to listen. Schedule your free confidential appointment to learn more about your options. Collage does not provide or refer for abortions; however, we do offer pre-abortion screening through our no-cost services.
