Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy

The first signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy may arise before the delay of menstruation, but they can be so subtle that only women who are very attentive to their body or who are trying to get pregnant can notice it because most of the time they go unnoticed. The first symptoms to be aware of are:

1. Pink vaginal discharge;
2. Colic and abdominal swelling;
3. Sensitive and swollen breasts;
4. Easy tiredness;
5. Aversion to strong odors;
6. Mood variations;
7. Nausea, vomiting or excessive salivation; 
8. Dizziness, sleep and headache;
9. Increased urge to urinate;
10. Pimples and oily skin.

However, these symptoms must be taken into account, especially after the menstrual delay occurs, because they can also be confused with PMS. Know the main symptoms of PMS.


How do I know if I'm Pregnant

The best way to confirm if you are pregnant or not is performing a pregnancy test, the pharmacy can be done at home from the 1st day that has a delay in menstruation and the blood can be done 10 days after having sex within the fertile period. See when is the right time to do the pregnancy test.


There are other causes of menstrual delays that are common in addition to pregnancy such as stress, hormonal alterations or contraceptive pills for continuous use. Learn more about this matter here.

Symptoms of Pregnancy at 7 Days

The first typical pregnancy symptoms during the first week are the most difficult to identify, however, some women manage to perceive small differences in their body, these are:

1. Pink Vaginal Discharge

When the egg is fertilized, there may be a slight discharge of pinkish flow, which is actually the normal discharge that the woman presents (excess vaginal mucus) with traces of blood caused by the entry of the sperm into the egg and its displacement To the uterus This discharge may appear a few minutes after the relationship or up to 3 days after intimate contact, the sperm's life period within the female body. Sometimes, this discharge is only observed when the woman is cleaned after urinating.

2. Colic and Abdominal Pain

With the fertilized egg there is an increase in blood flow in the pelvic area and, the female hormones come into action to preserve the embryo and continue a pregnancy. This can cause some abdominal discomfort that can be recognized as menstrual cramps of weak to medium intensity. Also, the woman may still have a small loss of blood, similar to menstruation, but in smaller amounts.

Inflammation of the belly is also one of the first symptoms of pregnancy and is caused by the intense pelvic alterations that are occurring, occurring more frequently in the first 7 days to 2 weeks. Increased blood flow and adaptation to uterine growth are the major causes of this mild abdominal swelling, which for some may go unnoticed. Around 7 weeks of gestation, the lower part of the navel begins to harden.

Symptoms of Pregnancy in the Second Week

The symptoms that begin to appear around 15 days of pregnancy are some of the most typical, and can be maintained for several weeks:

3. Sensitive and Inflamed Breasts

In the first 2 weeks of pregnancy, the woman may notice that her breasts become more sensitive and this is due to the action of hormones that stimulate the mammary glands, preparing her for breastfeeding. In this way, there is also an increase in the volume of the breasts, which begins to have the most developed mammary glands to support the needs of the baby after birth.

In addition to this, the nipples can also suffer some alterations, becoming more sensitive and swollen, and the areola may be darker than normal due to the increase in blood flow in the region. Some women may even feel uncomfortable with the simple touch of the blouse.

4. Easy Tiredness

Tiredness is one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy that may be present throughout pregnancy, beginning to emerge around the second week. It is normal for this fatigue to increase during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, while the body adapts all its metabolism to provide the energy necessary for the development of the baby.

This type of fatigue is easy to identify when the woman begins to feel that the tasks she was doing before are becoming very exhaustive, reaching the end of the day without energy or needing to sleep more than 10 hours per night to restore the energy she spent.

5. Aversion to Strong Odors

It is very common that at the beginning of pregnancy the woman has aversion to strong odors, although they are apparently pleasant as a perfume. Most pregnant women can even vomit after feeling a strong smell like gasoline, cigarettes or cleaning products, for example.

In addition to this, as smell is altered, some women may also report that there is a change in the taste of food, which becomes more intense, causing nausea.

6. Mood Variations

In the first 2 weeks of pregnancy, the woman may notice some mood swings, with no apparent cause. It is very common for the pregnant woman to cry for situations that would not make her cry before she was pregnant, and this symptom could remain throughout the pregnancy.

This occurs because strong hormonal abnormalities, normal pregnancy, can cause an imbalance in the levels of neurotransmitters, making the mood more unstable.

First-month Pregnancy Symptoms

After the 1st month of gestation, in addition to the delay in menstruation, many women begin to have other characteristic symptoms such as:

7. Nausea, Vomiting, and Salivation

Nausea and vomiting are frequent in the morning, and these are the best-known symptoms of pregnancy, usually appear after the 6th week of gestation and can last throughout the pregnancy. increase in saliva can remain throughout the pregnancy.

8. Dizziness, Sleep and Headache

Dizziness and sleeplessness are symptoms of pregnancy caused by the drop in blood pressure, the decrease in blood glucose and poor diet caused mainly by nausea and frequent vomiting. These symptoms appear in the first weeks of pregnancy but tend to decrease from the twentieth week of gestation.

Headache is also common during pregnancy due to hormonal alterations, it is usually mild but persistent and many times women may not associate it with pregnancy.

9. Increased Urination

With the advance of pregnancy, the pregnant woman's body needs to produce several hormones such as progesterone, to ensure that the baby develops in a healthy way. When this occurs, the bladder muscles relax and, therefore, it is more difficult to completely empty the urine that is inside the bladder, so the woman may feel more like going to the bathroom to urinate than before.

10. Pimples and Oily Skin

Hormonal changes can lead to the appearance or worsening of blackheads and pimples, scientifically called acne, and that is why in the first weeks of pregnancy the woman can notice the oiliest skin, which can be controlled with the use of products skin cleanser and proper personal hygiene.

When Can the Pregnancy Test be Done?

The pregnancy test purchased at the pharmacy can be performed on the first day of the delay of menstruation. If the result is negative you can wait 3 to 5 more days, and if the menstruation continues late, a new pregnancy test can be performed. If the result is still negative, you should evaluate the possibility of doing a blood test because it is more reliable and shows the amount of the Beta hCG hormone that is only produced during pregnancy. This test can indicate the Positive or Negative result and indicate how many weeks of gestation you have:

• 7 days after fertilization: up to 25 mUI / mL
• 4 weeks after the Date of Last Menstruation: 1,000 mUI / mL
• 5 weeks after the Date of Last Menstruation: 3,000 mUI / mL
• 6 weeks after the Date of Last Menstruation: 6,000 mUI / mL
• 7 weeks after the Date of Last Menstruation: 20,000 mUI / mL
• 8 to 10 after the Date of Last Menstruation: 100,000 mUI / mL

However, if after 10 days of delay the pregnancy test continues to be negative, the woman should not be pregnant but should consult a gynecologist to verify the cause of her menstrual delay.

In the case of psychological pregnancy, all these symptoms may be present and the only way to verify that there is no developing fetus is through examinations. If the test was negative on 2 different days and you want a lot or on the contrary, you are afraid of getting pregnant, these symptoms may be present. If this is your case, see how to identify and treat psychological pregnancy.

What to do if the Result is Positive

If the urine pregnancy test is positive it is advisable to perform a blood pregnancy test, because it indicates the amount of the beta hCG hormone present in the bloodstream and an appointment should be scheduled as soon as possible with a gynecologist or obstetrician to Be able to start the accompaniment of pregnancy. It is important to perform these two tests so the doctor can compare the results.

When Should the Ultrasound be Done?

From 5 weeks of pregnancy the doctor can do a transvaginal ultrasound to observe the gestational sac and verify if the pregnancy is developing inside the uterus, since in some cases, an ectopic pregnancy can occur, which is when despite that the woman may be pregnant, the baby is developing at the level of the fallopian tubes and rarely in the ovaries, abdomen or cervix. Resulting in a situation that puts the woman's life at risk.

If the doctor has not performed the ultrasound between the 8th and 13th week of pregnancy, you should ask for that test to also confirm what the gestational age is and when the baby should complete 40 weeks, to calculate the expected date for delivery.

In this test, the baby is still very small and can be difficult to see, but it is usually very exciting for the parents. It is too early to know the sex of the baby, but if the doctor mistrusts that he is a child, it is likely to be, but still, it must be confirmed on the next ultrasound, in the second trimester of pregnancy, around 20 weeks.