Identifying the Early Signs of Pregnancy

There are various kinds of pregnancy signs and symptoms. They are divided into three categories: Possible, Probable and Positive.

'Possible' signs and symptoms are the earliest signs that a mother detects. These symptoms include: missed periods and nausea.

'Probable' symptoms are those that indicate the presence of a fetus and these include Ballottement (Palpation of the baby - done by your doctor) and a positive pregnancy test.

The third set of symptoms belongs to the 'Positive' category. These symptoms will confirm without a doubt that you have already conceived and they include: Fetal Heart Tone Detection and the presence of a Fetal Outline during an ultrasound (UTZ) and X-ray. The positive symptoms are often detectable during the first trimester of the pregnancy.

In this article, we will be discussing the most common early signs of pregnancy - those that belong to the 'possible' category. Women who suspect they are pregnant may experience one or more of the symptoms that will be discussed. Some of these symptoms may last through the whole duration of the pregnancy while others go away by the start of the second trimester. If you have not been trying to get pregnant, these symptoms may seem like ordinary occurrence, like those that occur before each menstrual period.

One of the earliest 'possible' sign of pregnancy is a Missed Period. This is usually the point when women start to really consider that they are expecting. Of course, for some women who have irregular cycles, they may pay less attention to this event and wait for other symptoms to indicate that they are in the family way. You may also experience an unusual or a lighter period during the first month of pregnancy.

Another common symptom is that of fatigue and energy changes. You might feel that you are less energetic that you usually are. You may find yourself going to bed earlier and also discover that getting up in the mornings is more difficult than before. If you are experiencing this symptom, it would greatly help if you were to take 15 minute naps every few hours or so. You may also experience dizziness and fainting even just standing up for a prolonged period of time or in doing exercises.

Nausea and Vomiting also often referred to as "Morning Sickness" hits a number of women. It is important to remember that not all women experience this symptom. For some, it is isolated to the first trimester and others experience it throughout the duration of the gestational period. These symptoms are often caused by hormonal changes as well as your body's response to the growing uterus.

Soreness and Enlargement of breasts and frequent urination are also common signs of pregnancy. The changes in the breasts are caused by your body's attempt to prepare the breast tissue for lactation as soon as the baby arrives. Frequent urination is also a symptom and is brought about by the pressure of the growing uterus on the bladder, this symptom often lasts throughout all three trimesters and gets evident in the last few months.