SIGNS OF PREGNANCY |
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Scene from a typical Indian movie: A demure lady is enjoying dinner with
the rest of the family. Suddenly, she cups her mouth and rushes to the
bathroom where she empties the contents of her stomach.
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All the faces around her explode into big grins. The family doctor is immediately summoned. He checks the lady's pulse and pronounces,
"Mubarak ho, tum maa banne waali ho (Congratulations! You are going to
be a mother). |
Don't you wish it were that simple in real life! Unfortunately, no doctor in
the world can tell if you are pregnant by merely checking your pulse. But
you might be able to recognise one of these five early signs of pregnancy. |
| 1. A Missed Period |
This might be one of the first signs of pregnancy you actually notice. If
you have regular cycles, you may be able to detect that you are |
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pregnant when you miss your period. This is one of the most reliable signs of being pregnant. Scientific basis: A period occurs when the body stops producing
progesterone (a hormone that plays a special role in the female menstrual
cycle and in pregnancy) temporarily. This causes the uterus to shed its
lining. When you become pregnant your body starts producing a lot of
progesterone to sustain the baby. There is no progesterone withdrawal
and no period. Period. |
2. Abdominal Bloating And Breast Tenderness |
If your periods are not very regular it might be a little tough to notice a
missed period. Abdominal bloating is another sign to look out for. Dr Anjali
Rajurkar, an obstetrician from Mumbai, offers this tip, "If you have been
trying to get pregnant and your jeans suddenly feel snug check if you are
exhibiting other signs of pregnancy". |
Further, you might notice that your breasts have suddenly turned sore and sensitive. Scientific basis: both abdominal bloating and breast tenderness result
from the high levels of hormones your body starts producing when you
become pregnant. |
3. Fatigue And Sleepiness |
You just woke up and had a cup of coffee. But you can't wait to go back to
bed again. You feel tired all the time. Well, most pregnant women
experience a high degree of fatigue and sleepiness in their first trimester. Scientific basis: No one knows for sure why this happens. But experts
believe that the high levels of progesterone in your body might be
responsible for this feeling of exhaustion. |
4. Nausea And Vomiting |
Finally! And you thought we would never mention it.
For some women nausea is one of the first symptoms of pregnancy. They
start feeling unusually queasy and certain odours become very repulsive.
Though the nausea and vomiting you experience in the first trimester of
pregnancy is called morning sickness, it could occur at any time of the
day. It is often triggered by meals. But if you do not have any nausea
during the first trimester, do not panic. You might be one of the lucky few
who escapes this ordeal entirely. Scientific basis: Again, blame it on your hormones. Experts believe that
high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone vital for the
sustenance of pregnancy, causes morning sickness. |
5. Bleeding |
Some women experience a small amount of vaginal bleeding when they
become pregnant. When the fetus implants itself on the wall of the uterus
this can happen. The bleeding is extremely light and might last a couple of
days. In any case, if you spot vaginal bleeding, contact your obstetrician
to rule out other causes. |
| 6. Should You Take A Test? |
The five signs detailed above are physical signs or symptoms. It is
important to remember that some women might not experience many of
the early symptoms of pregnancy, except for the missed period. You need
not wait to experience all these symptoms before you take a pregnancy
test. If you have been trying to conceive and you feel a couple of the
above symptoms you could try taking a pregnancy test.
A word of caution: Over eagerness to get pregnant might make you take
the tests too often leading to frequent disappointments if they turn out
negative. It is natural to be curious but try and wait for a few signs before
you turn to the test. |
| 7. The Pregnancy Test |
A home pregnancy test is one of the easier ways to test if you are
pregnant. These kits are available over the counter at most medical
stores. The directions are clear and easy to follow. The test takes two
minutes and is pretty reliable too. All it requires is a drop of urine. If your
test is positive it might be a good idea to repeat the test with your nearest
lab and then schedule an appointment with your obstetrician.
If it is negative, remember that the test is not highly sensitive and might
become positive only a week after the missed period. So if you have not
had a missed period perform the test after you do. |
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