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2023 Author: Benjamin Dyson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 01:37
Before your period is late, it is possible that you may notice some symptoms that may be indicative of pregnancy, such as sore breasts, frequent nausea, cramps, mild abdominal pain or excessive tiredness for no apparent reason. However, these symptoms can also arise for any other reason or be indicative that the menstrual period is approaching, not necessarily a sign of pregnancy.
To confirm that the symptoms are indeed indicative of pregnancy, it is important that the woman waits for the delay in menstruation and goes to the gynecologist or undergoes urine or blood tests to identify the hormone related to pregnancy, the beta-HCG. Learn more about the beta-HCG hormone.
Pregnancy symptoms before the delay
Some of the symptoms that may appear before the menstrual period and be indicative of pregnancy are:
- Pain in the breasts, which happens due to the increased production of hormones, which leads to the growth of the mammary glands;
- Darkening of the areolas;
- Pink bleeding, which can happen up to 15 days after fertilization;
- Swelling and abdominal pain;
- Excessive fatigue for no apparent reason;
- Increased frequency to urinate;
- Constipation;
- Frequent nausea.
Pregnancy symptoms before menstrual delay are relatively common in most women and arise due to hormonal changes that occur after fertilization, mainly due to the production of progesterone, which increases shortly after ovulation in order to preserve the endometrium and allow the implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus.
On the other hand, these symptoms can also appear in the premenstrual period, and are not necessarily indicative of pregnancy. Therefore, in the event that these symptoms appear, it is best to wait for the menstrual delay to be confirmed and then carry out the tests that confirm the pregnancy. Learn more about tests that confirm pregnancy.
How to know if you are pregnant
To be more sure that the symptoms presented before the delay are of pregnancy, it is important that the woman is attentive to her menstrual cycle, to understand if there is a possibility of having had intercourse during the fertile period, which is the range of days in which there is a greater chance of pregnancy.
To know when your fertile period is, just put the data in the calculator below. It is important to remember that the calculator result is more reliable for women who have a regular menstrual cycle:
In the case of irregular menstrual cycles, it is important to note the length of the longest cycle and the shortest cycle of the last 3 cycles, as this is the most reliable way to calculate the fertile period. See how is the calculation for the fertile period in irregular cycles.
In addition, you can also perform a pharmacy pregnancy test that can be done at home from the first day of your missed period. If the result is negative, it is recommended that the woman repeat the test 3 to 5 days after the first one, in order to confirm the result.
However, the best way to know if you are really pregnant is to consult a gynecologist to explain the situation and have a blood test that detects the presence of the beta-HCG hormone, which has its concentration increased during the pregnancy. This test, in addition to confirming if the woman is pregnant, also indicates the week of gestation according to the concentration of beta-HCG in the blood. Learn more about tests that confirm pregnancy.
