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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.
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