Having a baby is one of the greatest miracles in the world. Millions of women around the world are looking forward to this moment in their lives. It is not surprising that when planning their child, they want to know what are the very first signs of pregnancy. In the first week, the body is already beginning large-scale restructuring, it is preparing to bear the fetus, but to feel all these innovations is not so easy at once. Changes are made to the internal organs of the expectant mother, her endocrine system and emotional background.
Difficulty counting
Before we begin to find out what are the first signs of pregnancy in the first week, we need to understand at what point the bearing begins at all. In obstetrics, it is customary to take the day when the first menstruation began as a starting point. Thus, it turns out that the first signs of pregnancy, in the first week of the menstrual cycle, are physically impossible, because the fertilization of the egg and the birth of a new life inside the mother's body will in fact occur a little later - during ovulation.
It happens on average 12-14 days after the onset of menstruation. If sexual intercourse occurs during the release of an egg from the ovary, the chances of a sperm meeting it are very high. But it is also worth considering that male seed has been viable for quite some time. If they had unprotected sex four to five days before ovulation, the sperm would also likely fertilize the egg. This can happen one to two days after ovulation. This temporary corridor in medicine is called the fertile window.
So, from the moment when the sperm and the egg meet and reunite, and we can talk about the onset of pregnancy. The first signs in the first week according to the generally accepted obstetric calendar will correspond to the third week, while the development of the embryo is only just beginning.
Surely most mothers are interested in the question of what they can feel at the time of pregnancy and during her first week. We’ll talk about this now.
What happens to a woman’s body?
And the body is undergoing tremendous changes. He is getting ready to feed a new life. In this regard, the expectant mother can observe several signs that indirectly indicate her interesting position:
- a slight increase in basal temperature;
- pressure reduction;
- drowsiness and fatigue.
Few notice early signs of pregnancy in the first week. Only those women who planned the birth of a child and know the exact date of conception will listen carefully to the sensations. The rest is likely to associate mild ailment with premenstrual syndrome.
In fact, the woman is already undergoing a restructuring of the circulatory system, the heart begins to work more intensively. Because of this, a decrease in blood pressure occurs. The first weeks of pregnancy are the most risky. The likelihood of a woman having a miscarriage is very high. Therefore, the body tries to “drive” the expectant mother into a state of peace and stability, as evidenced by her constant drowsiness. Also, from the moment of fixing the fetal egg on the wall of the uterus, the hormone hCG is intensively produced, which is so necessary for maintaining the onset of pregnancy.
The physical condition of the future mother
Aching pains in the lower abdomen, swelling of the mammary glands, darkening of the areoles around the nipple are possible first signs of pregnancy. The first week after conception usually goes unnoticed, and women can only feel their new state intuitively. Doctors say that this period in the physical plane is nothing special for them. Moreover, even a pregnancy test will not show two treasured stripes, since the level of the hCG hormone has not yet reached a sufficient value.
Hormonal background
As we have already said, chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone of pregnancy. It begins to be produced just a few hours after the fertilization of the egg. But this process is gradual. The normal development of the embryo implies a constant increase in the hormone in the body up to 11-12 weeks of pregnancy. Then this figure begins to decline. Using home test systems, it is possible to determine the fact of fertilization after the first delay of menstruation, that is, when the embryo has already reached the age of at least two weeks.
Then hCG in sufficient quantities is also present in the urine. A little earlier - about 6-8th day after fertilization, chorionic gonadotropin is already in the blood and, having passed it for an appropriate diagnostic study, you can find out about pregnancy even before the date of the alleged menstruation. It happens that the results of a home test are not informative:
- one strip appeared - there is no pregnancy or its period is too short;
- the second strip appeared very weakly - this happens if a woman has a short gestation period, she has a multiple or ectopic pregnancy.
Another important hormone during gestation is progesterone. He is responsible for the safety of the embryo, its development, subsequent birth and lactation. It is progesterone, or rather, its insufficient amount, often becomes the culprit in miscarriages.
Hormone tests are the only way to see real signs of pregnancy before menstruation. The first week after conception is too short a period, even for an ultrasound examination or examination by a gynecologist.
Emotions
Despite the fact that doctors convince patients that it is impossible to establish the fact of fertilization at such an early date, expectant mothers themselves often feel the appearance of pregnancy on an emotional level. Some women become too tearful and irritable, others begin to be cautious, others dream of “prophetic” dreams about the desired baby. All these symptoms are caused by a new hormonal background, which will change the worldview of the expectant mother, not only during pregnancy, but also after childbirth. Her emotional state is not normalizing soon, and the woman herself and her loved ones need to be prepared for this.
Pain in the lower abdomen
Aching and drawing pains in the ovary region without pronounced localization and with weak severity often accompany the first weeks of pregnancy. Signs and sensations of this kind appear as a result of fixing the embryo on the uterine wall. However, it is a question of minor discomfort, which is not burdened by vaginal discharge or a general deterioration of a woman's well-being.
Pain can be a symptom of various infectious diseases, often it becomes an alarming bell warning about the threat of pregnancy failure. In order to avoid a negative scenario for the development of the situation, the expectant mother needs to be more attentive to her health than ever and, in the event of a serious ailment, seek help from her doctor.
Chest changes
The mammary glands almost immediately after the birth of a new life in the body of a woman react to future changes. Their swelling, the appearance of discharge from the nipples are the first signs of pregnancy. In the early stages (first week), not all future mothers have them, but they sometimes occur. So the breast prepares for lactation and the long process of breastfeeding the baby. However, there are no uniform standards and norms in this matter. Some women do not notice either an increase in the mammary glands or colostrum until the very birth, when others have to change their underwear from the first weeks to special bras for pregnant and lactating women.
Discharge in the first week of pregnancy
Normally, the discharge during this period should be colorless, without clots and lumps. Such mucus should not have a smell. You need to be alert if the discharge is colored yellow or green, accompanied by itching or pain in the lower abdomen. This, most likely, indicates the presence of an inflammatory process or infection in the genitourinary system.
Mucus with streaks of blood or blood discharge is also not the norm. Menstruation after fertilization of the egg and fixing the corpus luteum in the uterus can no longer be. Any spotting indicates a threat of abortion or miscarriage, uterine bleeding.
Nausea
Vomiting and nausea in the morning are the main manifestation of toxicosis and the main clear signs of pregnancy. After the first week, however, they are not so common. Toxicosis usually occurs between 4-6 weeks and lasts up to 15-16. Therefore, immediately after conception, it is too early to talk about morning ailments.
If a woman feels nauseous, suspecting pregnancy, she should be very careful about her diet. Improper nutrition often adversely affects the condition of the liver, which signals its problems precisely with nausea. Helping the body deal with this problem is not so difficult:
- you need to abandon fatty and fried foods;
- consume more protein foods, vegetables and fruits;
- drink enough water (1-1.5 liters).
If a woman is one of those whom toxicosis overcomes immediately after conception of a child, her body needs to be helped to cope with the new load. To do this, you should start the morning with a light breakfast, and during the day do not limit yourself to walks in the fresh air and a good rest.
Pregnancy test
A little higher, we already touched on the topic of pregnancy tests, although for sure many women still have questions regarding them. All home test strips respond to the presence of hCG hormone in a woman's urine. Their reliability is in no way dependent on price. Both cheap and expensive systems usually show the same result. It is not in vain that manufacturers recommend a procedure in the morning and use the first portion of urine. It has the highest concentrations of chorionic gonadotropin.
If you do everything according to the instructions, the test will show the most reliable result. This is important when it comes to pregnancy in the first week after conception. Signs of the presence of hCG in the body are more accurately shown by blood. With the help of laboratory analysis, it is even possible to determine the exact duration of pregnancy.
Ultrasonography
Ultrasound at this time will not show anything interesting and understandable for mom. Moreover, not every doctor will be able to determine the first signs of pregnancy. 1 week after conception is too short a time for an incipient life to be seen with an ultrasound machine. Especially when it comes to outdated equipment.
However, such a study may pursue other goals - the identification of possible pathologies in the female body. This refers to cysts, adhesions, blood clots, or tumors in the uterus. Such problems can cause a miscarriage and often complicate the course of pregnancy in the future, therefore, an ultrasound examination is best done in the early stages and not to evade the procedure if the doctor has already prescribed it.