What are the sings of pregnancy at 3 weeks?

(March 2, 2010)

One of the earliest signs of pregnancy is minor vaginal spotting, which occurs after the sperm fertilizes the egg and the embryo attaches itself to the uterine wall, causing a little discharge of blood and tissue. Though this cannot be taken as a confirmatory sign of pregnancy, this happens to most women in the first few weeks of pregnancy. A missed period is, of course, a more definite sign of pregnancy and it happens two weeks after fertilization has taken place. Depending on how regular and frequent your periods generally are, you could take a reasonable guess if you have missed a period because of normal deviation from your menstrual cycle or whether it has been caused due to fertilization. An over-the-counter urine test kit should easily confirm pregnancy following a missed period. The urine test functions as a reliable and popular means of confirming pregnancy, because the body starts secreting increased amount of the female hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HGC) following fertilization, which can easily be detected in a medical examination. It is this hormone that is responsible for most of the symptoms that characterize pregnancy in the first trimester.

Aside from the standard missed period, there are a few symptoms that manifest themselves in many cases within 3 to 4 weeks of pregnancy. However, the symptoms or their intensity may vary from person to person as each pregnancy is unique and different from the others. One of the most common of these symptoms if morning sickness, which is the feeling of nausea in the early hours of the day that may subside as the day progresses. Some women begin to get this symptom only four weeks into the pregnancy, while there are others who report having morning sickness soon after fertilization has taken place. Other symptoms include a sensation of fatigue and depression. You may also experience sudden, unexplained mood swings. You may also find that you have started to salivate excessively and that you have sudden urges to eat particular kinds of food. You may also experience a certain amount of pressure in your lower abdomen and may need to urinate more frequently than usual. Women also commonly experience swelling and tenderness of breasts in the first three weeks of pregnancy. Typically, the area around the nipples (areola) becomes broader and darker. Some women also suffer from indigestion and heartburn and may feel constipated during the first few weeks of pregnancy.

Submitted by P T on March 2, 2010 at 03:52