There is no doubt that many things related to the human body are baffling and confusing. Almost everyone has had moments of wondering exactly why their body did something so gross, mysterious, smelly. Things can get really confusing when the person in question is a woman who may be wondering if she is pregnant. The signs of pregnancy are just as confusing, if not more so, than any other medical condition. To hopefully help clear things up, here are a few common pregnancy symptoms, their causes, and reasons other than pregnancy for why they may be occurring.
One of the most famous signs of pregnancy is morning sickness. It is described as various degrees of nausea in which some women even experience vomiting. It is thought to be caused by a surge of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin in a newly pregnant woman blood. Morning sickness may also be a result of the expanding uterus pushing on the stomach and creating an excess of stomach acids. If a woman is not pregnant a virus, gall bladder disease, or other medical problems may cause this nausea feeling.
Another well known sign of pregnancy is unusual food cravings. This usually occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy and is thought to be caused by hormone changes. In cases of no pregnancy food cravings may be a sign of poor nutrition, early signs of impending menstruation, or a stress coping mechanism.
No wonder it is often difficult to recognize the signs of pregnancy. For example, breast tenderness can begin as soon as 2-3 days after conception. There hasnt been time for a missed period yet and breast tenderness is often a symptom of the beginning of the menstruation cycle. It is easy to mistake this symptom for a normal occurrence in the monthly cycle. When the woman is pregnant, tender and swollen breasts are a result of the high levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body.
No woman who is pregnant or suspects that she may be wants to experience vaginal bleeding. But to stay in the theme of confusing body symptoms, bleeding can sometimes actually indicate pregnancy. Among the many signs of pregnancy, break through bleeding in early pregnancy is a sign of the egg implanting itself inside the uterus. The color is usually pink or brownish instead of vivid red. If the woman is not pregnant this bleeding is probably the beginning of her period or a result of taking birth control pills.
These signs of pregnancy are just a few of the many misleading events that can happen when a woman is trying to conceive. While home pregnancy tests are fairly accurate, the only real way to know for sure if conception has occurred is to visit the doctor for a blood pregnancy test.
Azzam Sheikh
Facilitator 'Strengthening families, strengthening communities' parent programme.
pregnancy resource center
