We often receive in Babies and more comments on the entries and questions in our Answers section with questions about a possible pregnancy, in which the readers tell us your symptoms with the final question "will I be pregnant?".
It is very difficult to give a concise answer to the question because a pregnancy test or a blood test is necessary to confirm the pregnancy (and sometimes not even so), but for you to have an orientation and to know when it is a good time to buy a pregnancy test we tell you what are the first symptoms of pregnancy that could make you believe that you expect a baby.
Have you had sex?
I know it's a bit of a weird question, but sometimes there are those who ask us if there can be a pregnancy without penetration and since the answer is "no", doubts about a possible pregnancy should come from suspicion after having had sexual intercourse in the days or previous weeks. When I say days, in addition, I mean a minimum of twelve days.
Before it is possible for a pregnancy test to be positive, but it is also very possible to give negative even when the woman is pregnant (I still remember a woman asking us at the health center, a few years ago, a pregnancy test because she had had relationships sexually the night before and without any lack of menstruation, of course).
The first symptoms of pregnancy
Having then maintained unprotected sex, the suspicion of pregnancy comes when the following symptoms occur, which are the most common, but not all women notice, because there are women who only suspect the most logical, lack of menstruation, without having any other discomfort or without notice any other changes:
- Lack of menstruation: When the ovum is fertilized, all the thickening of the endometrium that is prepared monthly and that goes away with menstruation is finally left and therefore menstruation disappears. It is called amenorrhea and is the first clear symptom, although not always reliable, especially in women who have irregular cycles.
- Breast changes: Another symptom that gives a lot of information is when the breasts begin to change. It is possible that small bumps appear in the areolas, which are the Montgomery tubers or areolar glands that thicken and will be responsible for lubricating the areola for breastfeeding. Further, the breasts become more sensitive, getting to annoy more than when the period arrives and for more days.
- Implantation bleeding: There are women who have the so-called implantation bleeding, which occurs when the fertilized egg is implanted and can be confused with the period. Is bleeding darker than usual, like brown, of smaller quantity and that lasts less days. It only happens to 25% of women, so most women will not suffer.
- Symptoms of tiredness: Another possible symptom is fatigue, such as mild discomfort. It is difficult to define it and is very subject to the subjectivity of each woman, but it may happen that the woman feels more tired than usual, as if she was beginning to catch some disease. This is because slightly increase the basal body temperature as increase blood volume, which makes the heart go faster and blood pressure drops a little.
- Changes in the sense of smell: Many women who have already been pregnant realize that they are again by noticing the changes in the sense of smell again. Things that didn't bother you now produce even nausea from just smelling them, they start rejecting some foods because they smell weird (when they used to eat them without problems), etc.
- Nausea and dizziness: It depends a little on each woman, as there are women who begin to feel these symptoms later and others who barely suffer, but many are nauseous and even vomit from the beginning, with awakenings quite hard, dizzy and with great discomfort.
When to do the pregnancy test
All the symptoms mentioned can give us a clue that the woman is pregnant, and if they all, or most of them, it is almost certain that she is. Now, there are menstruations that can confuse a lot and, as many of the symptoms depend on each woman, on how she feels them, and sometimes they may feel more like reality, there are those who believe they are pregnant without actually being pregnant.
Therefore, the ideal is to do a test that confirms or not the pregnancy. There are faster tests and others less, some that can be positive one week after the ovulation period, or conception, and others that need more days. Just in case, when in doubt, it is advisable to do the test at least ten days after the first lack of menstruation, that is, ten days after the day the rule should have come. If we do it before, it could happen that I was positive in case of pregnancy, but it could also happen that I was negative without really being.
