For many women, experiencing a late period for three or more days might be a sign of pregnancy. While some may be happy and excited about this, others may not be too thrilled. It is important to be aware of your body and spot these signs as early as possible so that you can take action according to how you feel about it.
The first action you can take to confirm the potential pregnancy is to take a test. Pregnancy tests can be done at home, with a test kit purchased at the pharmacy, or at the clinic, through blood tests. Both are fairly accurate, the latter being 100% accurate most times.
At first, it might be a bit tricky to spot certain signs of early pregnancy, as they can be quite similar to some women’s PMS signs. If you’re not sure what to watch out for, here are five indications of a potential early pregnancy:
Late or missed periods
This is probably the most common indicator for pregnancy, and the most often associated with, especially for someone with a very regular cycle. But it also doesn’t always mean that you are pregnant indeed since cycles can vary from time to time. It can be relevant to observe the combination of other factors such as: Have you had unprotected sex? Does your period tend to vary a lot? Are there any other symptoms or signs you feel? Have you been under stress?
Certain changes in your routine or environment can also cause delays in your period. Once your period is delayed for over five days to one week, you should take a test to confirm or rule out pregnancy.
Breast Changes
Both in early pregnancy and before your period, it is normal to experience some changes in your breasts sensitivity and breasts weight. What is unique to pregnancy, however, is when you observe changes particular to the aureolas and nipples; if they become darker and larger, that might be a subtle, but positive indication of pregnancy, which are caused due to hormone levels.
Spotting or light bleeding
Another commonality between early pregnancy and period is light bleeding. About 11-14 days after conceiving, the fertilized egg begins to attach itself to the uterus walls, and the process can cause light vaginal bleeding, sometimes even followed by some cramps. Alternatively, you could be experiencing a pink-ish discharge, which is a combination of this light bleeding with the white fluid that comes from your vagina. None of the above is something to worry about, but rather common and normal ways in which your body process what is happening. But, if you experience itchiness or irritation down there, combined with a foul smell, then you should seek medical attention as it could be a sign of infection instead.
Nausea
Nausea is attributed to one of the early pregnancy signs as well, and although it’s most commonly experienced in the morning, it can also occur any time of the day. You are more likely though, to have an episode of nausea in the morning due to an increase in hormones movement in the body.
Frequent urination or “Poly Uria”
Since during early pregnancy your body is experiencing tones of hormonal and physical changes, it can be very common to want to use the bathroom more than usual. If you have not been drinking more fluids than usual and started to notice this, be prepared to by a pregnancy test!
Note that, conditions such as diabetes and urinary tract infections UTI can cause similar symptoms, if your test comes out to be negative, please visit a doctor.
If you’re trying to conceive, keep in mind that women experience different symptoms, a combination of those, or no symptoms at all. If you’ve had unprotected sex and suspect a potential pregnancy, take the test only after one week of a delayed period and not before, since it’s harder or too early to confirm it.
As we always advise, keeping track of your symptoms and being in tune with your body is the easiest and safest way to notice any sudden changes.
Stay informed, stay in control.
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