Month one

The days before you pee on a stick can be nerve-wracking! These symptoms could be the signs of happy things to come

Eight early signs of pregnancy

Playing the waiting game to see if this is your month can be stressful and every twinge sends your mind racing. Am I? Aren’t I? While a blood test at around six weeks (counting from the day you started your last period) is the most reliable way to confirm a pregnancy, some women who are very conscious of their bodies report feelings that point to pregnancy very early. Here’s what to look out for if you’re hoping for a BFP (= big fat positive)!

1 YOUR PERIOD IS LATE…

This may seem like an obvious sign, but many women find themselves a couple of days late, do a home pregnancy test and are confused and worried to see it come out negative. Home pregnancy tests are most accurate when they are done a week after you miss your period. This is because the hormone these tests aim to detect, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), is produced by the placenta when an embryo implants in the female’s uterus, which is usually 10 days after the egg and sperm come together. For some women implantation happens later.

2 ... AND THEN YOU EXPERIENCE SPOTTING!

Implantation bleeding is not a common occurrence (it happens in less than 50 percent of pregnancies), but nevertheless it can create confusion, explains Sister Henny de Beer, a clinical midwife specialist at Origin FamilyCentred Maternity Hospital in Panorama Healthcare Centre. “It’s one of the major reasons why the pregnant woman’s own calculation of the due date for baby’s birth can be incorrect, especially for women who have a history of irregular periods. The bleeding occurs as a result of the fertilised egg disrupting the blood vessels in the lining of the uterus. The blood then trickles down the mother’s cervix and vagina. This blood is usually not as red as menstrual blood, but rather more pink or brown and is much lighter in quantity than a regular period.” If you experience spotting that occurs around four weeks since your last period started, this could indeed be an implantation bleed, says gynaecologist and obstetrician Dr Manasri Naiker.

3 YOUR NIPPLES ARE SUPER SENSITIVE

You’re washing yourself in the shower and notice your nipples feel like they’ve been scorched, or they appear swollen and tender. For some women this is a common symptom they experience during their normal menstrual cycle, but breast tenderness can be a sign that something’s cooking! “The increase in oestrogen and progesterone cause this tenderness. These hormones are working hard to increase blood supply as well as sweat glands and fatty tissue to the breasts, nipples and areola. All in preparation for the very important function ahead,” explains Sr Henny.

4 YOU’RE EXHAUSTED

If you already have a toddler, your fatigue may not ring any warning bells. But some women get that bone-tired feeling in early pregnancy. “Around four weeks of pregnancy (when the woman is expecting to experience her regular menstrual cycle) the fertilised egg implants into the lining of the uterus and starts an amazing growth process. Clearly, this development takes a lot of energy!” says Sr Henny.

5 YOU’VE GONE OFF YOUR WINE

It’s recommended that you cut out alcohol altogether if you’re trying to conceive, but for some women an early indicator of pregnancy is a change in their taste buds – some things just don’t taste, or smell, right. “The increase in sensitivity to smells and tastes is caused by the swelling of the taste buds from the increased circulating volume and the hormonal changes,” explains Dr Naiker.

6 YOU NEED TO PEE ALL THE TIME

This will become something that you experience throughout your pregnancy as the uterus grows and places pressure on your bladder. Says Sister Henny: “Hormonal changes cause an increase in urine production. This is believed to be an essential part of clearing the mother’s body of waste products. In the early stages of pregnancy the uterus is still relatively small, but definitely heavier due to increased blood supply and urine volume. It is strategically putting pressure on the bladder, which is nestled between the uterus and the pubic bone.”

7 YOU’VE GOT THE WEEPS

You know those feelings of PMS, but altered hormone levels in early pregnancy can send your moods swinging up and down. “The marked increase in levels of oestrogen and progesterone affect the function of neurotransmitters (the brain’s chemical messengers, like serotonin), and this causes mood changes,” says Sr Henny.

8 YOU FEEL WARMER

Some women who are trying to conceive chart their temperature over a cycle as a slight rise in your base temperature (the temperature you are upon waking) around the time your period is due could signify a successful pregnancy. As a pregnancy progresses, elevated levels of pregnancy hormone and a faster metabolism (boosted by the increased blood flow in your body) contribute to the rise in your core body temperature. A pregnant woman’s core body temperature will often rise to about 37.8°C, when it’s normally 37°C.

ALTERED HORMONE LEVELS IN EARLY PREGNANCY CAN SEND YOUR MOODS SWINGING UP AND DOWN