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Things to Know About Being Pregnant

A Good Reason to Take a Pregnancy Test!

By Ameenah M.Published 6 years ago 9 min read
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Pregnancy has the same symptoms as a period, so it can be confusing at times and make people become in denial. Some people brush off their actual pregnancy symptoms, thinking it's their period coming. I'm going to list a few symptoms and myths about pregnancy. These symptoms happen as early as three to four weeks and so on.

1. Spotting vs. Period

This is where it gets tricky! Just like before you start your period, sometimes you can spot them after a day or two, it turns into an actual period cycle and the blood thickens up. With pregnancy, there will be no actual period, obviously. This happens because your little one is growing every single day and it's expanding your uterus. Why am I spotting—is it a miscarriage? It's not a miscarriage, unless you've got a positive test result and you start bleeding like a period. If this happens, go straight to the hospital to find out what's going on as soon as possible! Spotting is normal for a few weeks of a pregnancy, it's called implantation bleeding. It can be light brown, red—completely depends on your body's reaction.

2. Missing Your Period

Usually, this is the first sign, unless you typically miss your periods because of irregular cycles. Don't ignore this symptom because you just might be pregnant. It's better safe than sorry to buy a pregnancy test just to be sure.

3. Cramping

Another tricky one because you just may think that you're getting your period. If it never comes, take a pregnancy test. Why am I cramping? If the test is postive, it's because you're experiencing your uterus expanding and it's stretching as your little one grows, which is the cause of your spotting. Your muscles and ligaments are used as it helps with the stretching. You can feel your stomach cramp when you sneeze, change your position, and even cough.

4. Sore/Tingly Breasts

Some women experience this before they get their period. It's also a symptom in early pregnancy, but can happen at four to six weeks of pregnancy. If you've never experienced this before while getting a period and you feel your breasts and they're sore, you could possibly be pregnant. The reason why this is happening is because your hormones and your blood flow have increased, which alters the tissue in the breast. Some people experience swollen breasts that are even tender to the touch. Their breasts may seem thicker and/or bigger than usual. You can put a warm or cold towel on your chest if it gets annoying or too uncomfortable for you to handle. Also, when you're in a cold or breezy room, your nipples feel tingly a few weeks after conception and is usually the big giveaway that you're pregnant. Later on (if you are pregnant), your areola will become darker. You may even see bumps on your areola, but that's OKAY! It's a oil-producing gland called Montgomery's tubercles.

5. Food Tastes Weird and Bleeding Gums

Have you ever eaten a pizza and it just didn't taste right? Well, this is a good sign that you're pregnant, that's for sure. This could happen when you least expect it. Not liking the foods that you used to enjoy is called dysgeusia. Just like other parts of your body that are changing, your taste buds are definitely changing as well. This is caused by your hormones. And you'll even notice while you're brushing your teeth and you'll sometimes spit out blood. Some people experience sore, swollen or sensitive gums. Don't worry, it doesn't last for too long. If it does, speak with a doctor or even a dentist.

6. Fatigue

No matter how many hours of sleep you have, you still feel extremely tired. This is another tricky one because this could be a sign that you're getting your period. If you're constantly yawning, feeling so tired, and you take long naps? Yeah, I strongly encourage you to take a pregnancy test!

7. Mood Swings

When you're pregnant, you feel your emotions 100X more than usual. If you're crying easily or feeling more sensitive than usual, you could be pregnant.

8. Urinating Often

You could either be pregnant or you have a urinary tract infection. A UTI symptom would consist of: pain, such as burning or stinging while peeing, the color of your urine is a dark yellow, has a strong odor or a different color, and it's cloudy and/or bloody. There are UTI kits to see if you have one. I would highly recommend them because you don't want to automatically assume that you have a UTI and take over the counter medicine to treat it because it could be harmful to you if you're pregnant. In this case, it's best to see a doctor to provide both a pregnancy and UTI test because they would know how to treat a UTI while pregnant. If you don't have symptoms of a UTI then pregnancy may be your only focus. If you've noticed that you've been needing to pee more often than usual, you could limit your water intake OR you can just go right on ahead to take a pregnancy test.

9. Headaches

This doesn't seem unusual, but this is a weird symptom of pregnancy because everyone gets headaches. If you are pregnant, I highly recommend taking Tylenol to treat it. Recent studies have linked Tylenol to causing ADHD, autism, asthma, and having delayed language. Personally, I've used Tylenol while I was pregnant and nothing bad happened to my baby. Tylenol is recommended for pregnant women and the risks are concerning, but it's not like you'll be taking it every day. Remember to stay clear from Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Motrin, and Aspirin. These drugs are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAID drugs at the last couple of weeks during pregnancy causes a lot of complications such as high blood pressure, which is the cause of Pre-eclampsia or toxemia. It can also cause a low level of amniotic fluid, which is needed for the baby to provide oxygen. If you're not too sure about taking Tylenol, then there are natural remedies such as; taking a warm bath, taking a nap, use a hot/cold compress, a humidifier, massage, and so on. It is always best to check with a doctor to make sure you're making the right choices.

10. Nausea/Vomiting

This is the symptom that you typically see in movies or shows to cause a dramatic scene. Well, a lot of people are different and can experience this at two to three weeks of the pregnancy. If not, six weeks is when it will start to hit you! Everyone is different and some may not even experience this symptom right away or at all. If you do, it's normally after being aware of your pregnancy. This is because of your iron intake of prenatal vitamins. Iron increases your nausea and vomiting, just a heads up! Morning sickness doesn't always have to be in the morning. It can also happen at night as well. If you'd like to know how to help this symptom, eat saltine crackers and drink plenty of water. DO NOT TAKE Zofran, also known as Ondansetron. Zofran is not approved by the FDA for pregnant women to take. Therefore, it has unknown risks and what it could do to the baby. The best option is ginger. Boil water with ginger and lemon helps A LOT, it's a miracle. You can even eat Tums, I recommend the peppermint kind because mint helps with the nausea. If you're using Tums, avoid picking the multi-flavor kind because that will probably make you throw up! Also, when you're experiencing morning sickness throughout your day, it's probably because you're avoiding food. Having an empty stomach will increase your chances of getting this symptom. No matter how sick you may feel, force yourself to eat because that could be your main problem! If you are for sure pregnant and you're not getting morning sickness, you're one of the lucky ones because morning sickness feels like you've got the flu, that doesn't go away until the second trimester.

Myth

Early Ultrasound

To confirm a pregnancy, you cannot detect it with an ultrasound at four weeks. The embryo will be too small to detect. Normally, it'll take about 10+ weeks to actually confirm that you've got something growing in your uterus. Unless you are at high risk in your pregnancy, most people don't get to see what's cooking in the oven until they're able to hear a heartbeat, which typically happens at a doctor or midwife checkup. In most cases, it completely depends on the doctor/midwife who recommends it.

False Negative/Positive

There is no such thing as a false negative or a false positive on a pregnancy test. You can believe whatever you want to make yourself feel better, but this is an actual fact! Pregnancy tests detect a hormone in your urine called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). If the test is positive, then you're most certainly pregnant because you have the HGC in your urine. And if you take another pregnancy test again and it's negative, then you more then likely had a miscarriage. If your pregnancy result is negative, then obviously you are not pregnant.

Coffee

When you're pregnant, you don't have to stay away from caffeine completely. It is best to limit the amount more than anything. So, we're looking at less than 200 mg per day/one 12 ounce cup. The reason why people are hesitant to drink coffee while pregnant is because it's a diuretic and a stimulant. It's found in chocolate, sodas, teas, and even in medications. There were studies found on animals that caffeine causes premature labor, low birth weight, birth defects, and can reduce fertility. When actually, caffeine causes you to urinate more and cause dehydration. When caffeine is shared with the baby, the baby's metabolism may not be mature enough for the baby to handle. However, there hasn't been any studies done on humans to prove that caffeine will cause those symptoms. Some people will not condone such choices, but it's always best to limit or stop drinking caffeine, it completely depends on the person's choice.

Eat more.

Just because you are pregnant and feeding for two, doesn't mean you have to eat constantly! It's healthy to eat three meals a day and a few snacks. Don't eat when you're not hungry. Depending on your weight before you're pregnant, your doctor/midwife will recommend your total weight gain. Sorry to burst your bubble, but being pregnant doesn't give you the excuse to eat like a pig.

It's always best to remember that every woman is different and may not experience all of these symptoms. It's just common things that a lot of women can relate to. And every pregnancy is never the same, there's always something different things to experience each time.

Best of luck!

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About the Creator

Ameenah M.

A mother. A student. And a complete badass!

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