Am I Pregnant?
Finding out whether you're pregnant and establishing the date of conception isn't quite as simple as you may expect. Although pregnancy officially lasts for 40 weeks, this time is calculated from the first day of your last menstrual period - around two weeks before your baby was actually conceived.
This is done because the exact moment of conception is so hard to pinpoint. There are no physical symptoms that tell you that fertilisation has taken place and it's not until the fertilised egg implants in your uterus around seven days after conception that it really begins to make its presence felt. It is not unusual though for some women to report feeling 'strange' or 'different' the very next morning after conception has taken place. But if you do not have the benefit of knowing straight-away, there are a rather uncertain few weeks ahead, waiting and watching your body for any obvious sign of pregnancy. Missing a period is probably the most obvious indication, but it is not unknown for periods to occur for up to six months into a pregnancy, and in rare cases their continuation even leads to surprise deliveries.
In the early days you may experience all or some of the signs, and you may find that this pregnancy differs significantly from your last.
Some Early Signs To Look For:
Breast Changes: Your breasts may feel a bit more tender and 'fuller' than usual, you may even mistake early changes in your breasts for premenstrual tenderness. But this is often one of the first signs to look out for. By the time you are six weeks pregnant, they would have increased considerably in size and you may well notice that the veins seem more obvious.Periods: The cessation of periods is probably the best-known sign of pregnancy, although it isn't foolproof. You may also experience partially suppressed periods in early pregnancy when the hormone levels in the body aren't high enough to completely stop menstrual bleeding.
Taste: It is extremely common for women to experience a change in their sense of taste from very early pregnancy onwards, sometimes even before the first missed period. It is difficult to be precise about the effect as this differs from woman to woman, but it is often described as a 'metallic' or 'bitter' taste. This is usually a 'blessing in disguise' as it often affects the taste of stimulants such as coffee, alcohol and cigarettes, sometimes to such an extent that one can't bear the taste or even smell of them.
Tiredness: An almost unbelievable feeling of tiredness is probably the sign that correlates most closely to the tremendous development your baby is undergoing. It is most likely also nature's way of ensuring that the mothers body receives sufficient rest during the miracle creation of a new being.
Urination: As soon as the fertilised egg implants, the womb begins to prepare for pregnancy. It starts the softening and enlarging process which allows it to accommodate the developing baby and therefore may put added pressure on the bladder, which increases the desire to urinate. After 16 weeks it normally becomes less of a problem, as the uterus grows up out of the pelvis and puts less pressure on the bladder.