Trying to conceive, or trying not to, can create the same anxious feeling at the same time every month. Just before your period is scheduled to start, a knot settles into your stomach. That queasy exhaustion could be your pending monthly visitor or it could be the arrival of a new family member.
When They Start
A woman normally ovulates about halfway through her menstrual cycle, two weeks before her period. If she has intercourse around this time, especially if she is not using any form of birth control, she can potentially conceive around this time. The human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone is pumped into her body immediately upon conception, increasing over time. Since this pregnancy hormone is responsible for the initial symptoms of pregnancy, those signs can potentially start at conception, but they may become more noticeable in the following weeks.
How They Feel
The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that the first sign of pregnancy is likely to be breast pain, ranging from a tingle or throb to an intense sting. The pain, caused by the hCG hormone, might start as early as the first week after conception. Other pain which may occur in the following weeks may be abdominal cramping or lower back pain. Headaches might also start during this time.
Signs
In that first week, as your breasts start to hurt, you may notice them growing and the nipples darkening. Sometime during the next week, you may start feeling nauseated or dizzy. Within the next couple weeks, about the time your period should arrive, you may start craving certain foods or needing to urinate more often. Light, brown spotting should appear right around the time your period is supposed to start.
Why You May Not Know
Unfortunately, that anxious time of waiting right after possible conception occurs right before your period should be arriving, Many of the earliest signs of pregnancy are similar to the pains and symptoms that signify a pending period. Nausea, swollen breasts and headaches may mean your body is preparing for a baby or a period.
How To Know for Certain
If you are hoping for a baby in nine months, it’s easy to cling to those little symptoms as signs of pregnancy. The only way to know their true meaning is to wait for a missed period. If your period does not start when you expect it, or if it comes light and brownish, take an early pregnancy test. If it’s negative, keep waiting and take another a few days later. All those symptoms you’ve been collecting, along with a missed period, are good indicators of a little bun burrowing in your oven.
