When Is The Earliest I Can Find Out I’m Pregnant
But what does that really mean? It doesn’t mean that you got pregnant 4 weeks ago. During the first two weeks of your 40 week gestation, you are actually not pregnant at all. We calculate the beginning of your pregnancy as the first day of your last period. Wild, I know, but that’s the way it is. So, when you miss your period, typically you ovulated about two weeks ago and became officially pregnant somewhere around 10-12 days ago.
Amazing, right? And I’d bet that you want to know exactly when that happens, right? The truth is, you can know that you are pregnant before you’ve missed your period.
The Most Common Early Signs Of Pregnancy Before A Missed Period
Extreme weariness or exhaustion is one of the most common early signs of pregnancy. Even if you have received 7-9 hours of sleep, tasks that have never affected you before may exhaust you. During pregnancy, the bodys energy requirement changes, which might cause fatigue and enhance your nutritional needs. This symptom may normally last during the first trimester. However, with adequate change in the nutrition plan, weakness can be managed well in many cases.
You may notice an increased need to urinate even before you miss a period.
During the first few weeks following conception, sudden and increased sensitivity to smells, intense flavours and food aversions develop, which may or may not remain throughout the pregnancy. You may also notice an increased craving for a particular food.
A week before the missed period, you may notice sore, painful, heavy breasts or darker areolas. Womens breasts become sore and painful as their estrogen and progesterone levels rise after pregnancy.
The temperature of your body rises before ovulation and returns to normal following your menstrual cycle. The basal body temperature, on the other hand, tends to remain elevated during pregnancy due to high levels of progesterone.
Blue Lines On Abdomen And Breasts
- During the early stages of pregnancy, youll notice blue lines on belly and breasts are due to the expansion of blood vessels during early pregnancy. These are also early signs of pregnancy test before missed period.
Remember that these are external things you see if you feel that you show these symptoms you need to meet your doctor.
Relying entirely on external signs for something like pregnancy can be a major blunder.
Also Check: 90 Day Probationary Period Letter
Can You Get A False Positive Pregnancy Test What About A False Negative Pregnancy Test
Yes, you can get both a false positive pregnancy test and a false negative. But false positives are much less common than false negatives. So if your home pregnancy test is positive, it’s likely that you’re pregnant.
If you get a false negative pregnancy test result, it’s likely either because you’ve taken the test too early or you haven’t taken it correctly as outlined on the label.
It is possible to get a false positive result on an early pregnancy test before a subsequent test comes back negative. In some cases, that’s because very early testing detected a chemical pregnancy an egg that was fertilized but for some reason never implanted. These very early miscarriages are actually extremely common, accounting for around 3 in 4 of all pregnancy losses .
If it turns out that you likely have experienced a very early pregnancy loss, its natural to feel confused or upset. Knowing the odds are in your favor to conceive again and give birth to a healthy baby can help. No matter what, its always best to see your medical practitioner to get a more definitive pregnancy test result.
Other Causes Of A Missed Period
A missed period can occur for many reasons, including:
- Period delay: If a woman ovulates a few days later than usual, this may delay her period by a few days.
- Hormone disorders: Numerous conditions can cause hormonal imbalances that delay ovulation, or even suppress it, resulting in a missed period.
- An early pregnancy loss: A chemical pregnancy, or early pregnancy loss, can sometimes cause a positive test that a negative test then follows. In some cases, the late period that occurs is an early pregnancy loss.
- Malnourishment: Women who are very underweight or eating too few calories may not ovulate, which can cause their periods to disappear. Doctors refer to this as amenorrhea.
- Perimenopause: A woman entering menopause may ovulate less frequently, causing fewer periods. This stage is known as perimenopause.
Don’t Miss: Can You Donate Blood While Menstruating
When Does One Start Experiencing Pregnancy Symptoms
The earliest pregnancy symptoms are revealed 6 to 14 days after conception. Once you have sex during the ovulation period, the body starts preparing itself for the growing foetus. After fertilisation, the embryo implants itself to the uterine wall. You get pregnant around ten days before your periods are due. That is when you start experiencing the early signs of pregnancy such as fatigue, nausea, and tiredness. However, the pregnancy test gives the best results only after a week or two of a missed period, as the level of pregnancy hormone in the urine is up to a reasonable level by then.
When Can You Confirm Your Pregnancy
If you think you might be pregnant because you missed your period or are experiencing some of the early symptoms of pregnancy listed above, you can take a home pregnancy test.These tests can confirm a pregnancy by checking your urine for the presence of a hormone called hCG.
If you think you may be pregnant, but the test says otherwise, test again after a few more days or speak to your healthcare provider. You can also ask your provider to confirm your pregnancy with a blood test. Think you might be pregnant? Take our Am I Pregnant quiz. It wonât tell you for sure, but itâs all good fun!
Read Also: Usaa New Car Insurance Grace Period
Your Body At Week 2 Of Pregnancy
Its still the early days of pregnancy, and changes are subtle. During the second week of pregnancy, your body will provide signs that its getting ready to ovulate. Keeping track of these symptoms can help you determine your fertile window and improve your chances of conception. Some of the most common ovulation symptoms include:
- Changes in your basal body temperature: your BBT drops to its lowest point exactly as you ovulate, and then it rises by about half a degree. Tracking your BBT is a good way to determine the exact moment you ovulate.
- Different cervical mucus: many women examine their cervical mucus to know when ovulation is approaching. As your ovulation approaches, your cervical mucus will become clear, thin, stretchy, and egg white-lie. These changes allow sperm to travel up the cervix more easily.
- Increased sense of smell: due to the hormonal changes that trigger ovulation, some women might notice a heightened sense of smell around these first days of pregnancy.
- Breast tenderness: its not uncommon for women to have sore breasts as they approach ovulation.
- Abdominal pain: some women feel slight discomfort or twinge in their abdomen when they release an egg. This symptom is called Mittelschmerz.
- Spotting: as the egg ruptures the follicle and bursts into the Fallopian tube, you might see some very light spotting.
- Increased sex drive: since your body knows now is the best time for a baby, you might notice your libido increases around ovulation.
The Bottom Line On Unusual Early Pregnancy Symptoms
These unusual early pregnancy symptoms are the only way you can find out youre pregnant without taking a test. You may have a number of these unusual early pregnancy symptoms, or maybe 1 or 2. But the more you have, the more likely it is that you could be pregnant.
The only way youll know for sure is by taking a test. Even if you get a positive result, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor to confirm it and get ready for the wonderful road to Motherhood ahead!
Recommended Reading: 90 Day Probationary Period Policy Examples
Sore Sensitive Heavy Boobs
Soreness or tenderness in your breasts can be one of the very earliest pregnancy symptoms. Changes to the breasts can actually start as early as 1 to 2 weeks after conception, says Dr Larisa Corda, obstetrician, gynaecologist and IVF consultant. Pregnancy hormones can make breasts swollen and sore. Or they may feel heavier or fuller or more tender to touch.
Its certainly a symptom many of the mums on our forum recognise. I started getting really sore boobs and sore nipples 7 to 10 days after my last period finished, says DemWatson. I thought it was due to my period because I was also experiencing cramping. I took a pregnancy test around 2 weeks later and it was positive!
I tested because I had really sore boobs, adds ErinDsoontobeB. They were that sore, I had to wear a bra in the bath!
When To See A Doctor
It is important to see a doctor for:
- a period that is very late, even if a pregnancy test is negative this is especially important if the woman is trying to get pregnant or is worried that she may have a hormone issue
- symptoms of pregnancy that do not go away following a negative test, as they may signal another problem, such as an infection
- a positive pregnancy test
- bleeding following a positive pregnancy test
- persistent or severe abdominal pain
Read Also: New Hire 90 Day-probationary Period Template
False Positive Pregnancy Tests
False-positive pregnancy tests are rarer than false negatives, but they do happen. Certain things, such as medications, blood transfusions, renal failure, or taking hCG as a supplement, like to increase fertility, can all cause a false positive.
This is because all of these things can raise the hCG levels in your body, resulting in a false positive. If youve any conditions that could result in a false positive, ask for an ultrasound to confirm your BFP.
Basal Body Temperature Charting
Basal body temperature can predict and suggest ovulation. This only works if you have been taking your temperature in the days prior to ovulation. Temperature elevation begins one or two days after ovulation and persists for several days.
Temperature elevation identifies prior ovulation it does not diagnose pregnancy.
Don’t Miss: Usaa Grace Period
Early Pregnancy Symptoms Vs Pms: Whats The Difference
Most early pregnancy symptoms before your period are strikingly similar to the side effects of PMS. However, youll only notice changes in your areolas if youre pregnant. A consistently elevated BBT and creamy vaginal discharge post-ovulation are also both relatively reliable signs of conception, but theyre certainly not foolproof.
Otherwise, the only way to know if other early pregnancy symptoms are due to a baby or PMS is to hold out until you can take a pregnancy test.
Achy Hips Legs And Arms
Yep, its not just your back your hips, legs and even arms may also ache at different times during early pregnancy due to hormone changes.
Yesterday I had a achey left leg and an achey right arm and I was like, Am I falling to pieces? And then this morning I got a BFP . At least I know why! says Sparkling_DiamondButton.
Yes, says Dr Larisa. Its those pregnancy hormones loosening up your ligaments and joints to prepare for accommodating your growing baby.
Read Also: 90 Day Probationary Period Template
What Are The Most Common Early Signs Of Pregnancy
- Missed period. If youre in your childbearing years and a week or more has passed without the start of an expected menstrual cycle, you might be pregnant. However, this symptom can be misleading if you have an irregular menstrual cycle.
- Tender, swollen breasts. Early in pregnancy hormonal changes might make your breasts sensitive and sore. The discomfort will likely decrease after a few weeks as your body adjusts to hormonal changes.
- Nausea with or without vomiting. Morning sickness, which can strike at any time of the day or night, often begins one month after you become pregnant. However, some women feel nausea earlier and some never experience it. While the cause of nausea during pregnancy isnt clear, pregnancy hormones likely play a role.
- Increased urination. You might find yourself urinating more often than usual. The amount of blood in your body increases during pregnancy, causing your kidneys to process extra fluid that ends up in your bladder.
- Fatigue. Fatigue also ranks high among early symptoms of pregnancy. During early pregnancy, levels of the hormone progesterone soar which might make you feel sleepy.
How Soon Can I Take A Pregnancy Test
You should wait at least one to two weeks after you have sex to take a home pregnancy test. That is the earliest the test will detect levels of human chorionic gonadotropin , a hormone produced during pregnancy.
If you take a test too early, it may not yet be able to detect hCG. If possible, you should wait and test the week after you miss your period.
After getting a positive home pregnancy test, see a doctor and let them know. They will be able to confirm the pregnancy and discuss next steps in your prenatal care.
Don’t Miss: Brown Stuff Instead Of Period
Do You Have Food Cravings
- A: I cant resist egg and cheese sandwiches and coffee milkshakes! And my period is due.
- B: I haven’t noticed any appetite changes or unusual cravings.
If you answered A: Food cravings and insatiable hunger are a pretty solid PMS sign, so theres probably no baby yet, unless your period is also late. During pregnancy, appetite changes or cravings tend to emerge at the end of the first trimester.
If you answered B: Of course, not all women have noticeable cravings before their period is due, but if your period is late and you aren’t experiencing some typical PMS symptoms you otherwise would, take a home pregnancy test.
Are Your Boobs Feeling More Tender
- A: Ouch! Theyre so sore, though my period is due soon.
- B: No, they feel pretty normal.
If you answered A: Both PMS and an early influx of pregnancy hormones can cause this symptom, so give it a few days. If your period doesn’t show up, its time to pee on a stick.
If you answered B: Lucky you this symptom is no joke for many women. And, again, not all moms-to-be experience breast tenderness or changes so early on.
Also Check: Period Blood Stains On Sheets