Early Pregnancy - Symptoms, Cramping, Bleeding and Pregnancy Calendar

Confirming the Suspicions

Although a missed period may indicate different physiological issues in a woman's body, the most common association is with pregnancy. With today's exceptionally accurate home pregnancy tests, available at most drug stores in most countries, it is relatively easy to confirm the suspicion. Some of these tests are both advertised and are confirmed by consumer reports to be accurate as far in advance as six days before the missed period. Many women, their hopes high, do an early pregnancy test even if there is no other evidence of a possible pregnancy. If it's confirmed, they immediately do an early check on a pregnancy calendar to determine when their baby will be born.

Pregnancy Symptoms - An Introduction to the Next 9 Months

It's an exciting time, filled with anticipation and assorted other things. Like nausea, vomiting, and too many trips to the bathroom to count. Early pregnancy symptoms, including missed periods, are pretty consistent for many women during pregnancy. Although, some women manage to go through their entire pregnancy without so much as a headache. One early pregnancy sign is breast swelling and tenderness. The feeling is similar to that of pre-menstrual breast pain except that the breasts begin to feel heavier rather quickly. This early pregnancy sign usually starts around two weeks after conception.

Another early pregnancy symptoms are fatigue, and even though there is no exact reason for this, it is presumed that the rising level of progesterone is the culprit. A woman in early pregnancy may go through her entire first trimester with this pregnancy symptom sapping her energy. All she wants to do is sleep. It's during this time that she'll be checking her pregnancy calendar to see when she'll begin to feel revitalized and to check on her baby's rapid growth in these beginning weeks.

Early Pregnancy Bleeding - It's Common

Any bleeding that occurs during pregnancy is lighter and lasts only a couple of days. While missing a period is one of the more common early pregnancy signs, it is not uncommon for a woman to experience a very light period even though she's pregnant. Also, there may be bleeding during the time of implantation, when the fertilized egg makes its way down from the fallopian tube and implants in the uterus. Generally speaking, early pregnancy bleeding is nothing to be alarmed about, as long as it is very light and doesn't last long. However, if the bleeding increases or doesn't go away and the early pregnancy cramping increases and lasts past the sixth week, contact your doctor.

Early Pregnancy Cramping - When to Check It Out

Early pregnancy cramping is a very common pregnancy symptom, and while it may be uncomfortable and even a little scary, it is normal. Implantation can cause cramping, along with spotting or light bleeding and it signifies that the uterus has begun the preparations for expansion and growth during the pregnancy. Abdominal cramping can also indicate adjustments to the weight of the uterus as the baby develops and the ligaments stretch to accommodate the enlarging uterus. Indigestion and constipation are also common causes of abdominal cramping. Let's not forget stress as a contributor to cramping. Feeling stressed can cause muscles all over the body to tighten, and that includes abdominal muscles, which are already under strain.

There are more serious situations associated with early pregnancy bleeding and early pregnancy cramping. Severe abdominal pain to one side of the abdomen, usually accompanied by bleeding, can indicate an ectopic pregnancy. Severe abdominal cramping with heavy bleeding or spotting can be the precursor to a miscarriage. High blood pressure may cause a condition called preeclampsia, which also has cramping associated with serious swelling of the extremities. If the cramping and bleeding occur later in the pregnancy, between the 24th and 35th weeks of pregnancy, preterm labor could be the cause.

If the cramping and spotting is causing concern, don't wait - call the doctor and put your mind at ease.

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