Is Fatigue An Early Sign Of Pregnancy

Very Early Signs Of Pregnancy You Need To Know

Early Pregnancy Symptoms | Kaiser Permanente

There ya go!

Some very early pregnancy symptoms you need to know did any of your symptoms match my list?

If so, you might want totake a pregnancy test.

Maybe youre TTC and waiting for that BPF . Or maybe youre completely surprised by some weird change currently happening in your body and want to know if you could be pregnant.

Either way, I truly hope you get the result you want!

Over to you!!

Let me know in the comments what symptoms first gave you the clue that you might be pregnant.

Dont forget to pin for later!

What Is A Pregnancy Test

A pregnancy test is a way to determine if youre pregnant by looking at the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin in your body. From the very beginning of pregnancy, your body starts to go through changes to support growth in the grouping of cells that will develop into your baby. One thing that happens very quickly is production of hCG. This chemical is only found in pregnant women and it starts to build up once the fertilized egg implants in the uterus about 10 days after conception.

There are two main types of pregnancy tests urine tests and blood tests. Often, youll take a urine test at home with a home pregnancy test kit. This type of test can be purchased over-the-counter and is available in a variety of price ranges. Blood tests to check for pregnancy are done in your healthcare providers office.

Causes Of Fatigue In The Third Trimester

Tiredness from early pregnancy could return with a vengeance later on in pregnancy. Third trimester fatigue is due to:

Your growing baby bump. Your baby is growing fast, and youre carrying more weight than you were earlier on in pregnancy. Carting around all those pounds can be exhausting.
Pregnancy insomnia and other symptoms. Your burgeoning bump along with pregnancy symptoms including heartburn, backache and restless leg syndrome may make sleep more elusive than ever.
The stress of having a baby. Your baby-overloaded life, which may be jam-packed with shopping lists, to-do lists, baby-name lists and other decisions to be made, could also be costing you sleep and energy.

Multi-tasking. Add responsibilities like a job and other kids to the mix, and the fatigue factor often multiplies.

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What Causes Pregnancy Fatigue

It has to do with your hormones. Somewhat hormone changes, especially, are specifically an early pregnancy can lead to this extreme tiredness. This exhaustion that you might feel progesterone tends to kind of relax everything, and it can just make you really sleepy.

In addition to hormone changes, though, blood flow increases, which puts extra demand on the heart. The heart is basically working overtime. To get all the blood where it needs to go. Your body is wanting to send extra blood to the placenta, wanting to send nutrients to your new growing bundle. So thats a lot of work on the body.

You also might be experiencing blood sugar or blood pressure changes. Specifically, your blood pressure could be lower than normal, which can also make you feel tired. And then on top of all of that, you may just be an emotional being. I guess you might feel very emotionally up and down, which can then take a toll on you and add to the tiredness or the fatigue that you feel. Pregnancy does a lot to a woman testify.

When Do Pre Pregnancy Symptoms Start

Pregnancy symptoms differ from person to person, and pregnancy to pregnancy as well. It means that there is no specific time for showing up these symptoms. It is good to mention that, there are some women who do not notice any symptoms until several weeks. In contrast, some ladies face with pre pregnancy symptoms soon after conception.

Overall, symptoms such as tender breast and sensitivity to smell can show up a few days after conception, even before missed period. Other symptoms may appear later, for example, spotting may show up on 1 week after conception and urinary frequency a few weeks after that.

Those who experience symptoms like spotting, missed period, morning sickness and fatigue should take home pregnancy test and after that, make an appointment with a doctor to take more reliable tests, such as blood test.

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Light Spotting And Cramping

Light spotting, also known as implantation bleeding, can occur when the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining. This can happen about 10 to 14 days after conception, around the same time that you are supposed to have your period. Light spotting may also be accompanied by cramping, which can feel similar to menstrual cramps.

Missed Or Strange Period

A missed period is one of the most reliable signs of pregnancy. However, pregnancy isn’t always the reason for a missed period. If you do have a positive pregnancy test, a healthcare provider will ask you for the first day of your last normal menstrual period . That date will also help determine your due date if you are indeed pregnant.

Although some people experience implantation bleeding around the time that their period is due, it is usually just spotting and lighter or shorter than their normal period. Although rare, a few people may continue to cycle throughout their pregnancy.

It may be harder to note a missed or strange period if you typically experience irregular cycles. In this case, a pregnancy test followed by a pelvic exam may be necessary. If a healthcare provider rules out pregnancy as the cause for your missed period, they will take steps to rule out other possible causes.

When Does Conception Happen

Conception occurs between 12 and 24 hours after ovulation. Its sometimes hard to pinpoint ovulation, so using ovulation predictor kits or tracking your menstrual cycle on a calendar may be helpful. The two biggest factors in conception are:

The timing of sexual intercourse with ovulation.
Egg and sperm health.

Increased Basal Body Temperature

What are the early signs of pregnancy?

Basal body temperature is your temperature as soon as you wake up in the morning, before you get out of bed. It is influenced by hormones. An elevated BBT can be the first indication of pregnancy, even before your pregnancy test result is positive.

Some people continuously track BBT for fertility purposes. It is a good indicator of pregnancy if the temperature does not fall back down to or below the cover line temperatures on a BBT chart.

Feeling Sick During Pregnancy

You may feel sick or be sick. This is commonly known as morning sickness, but it can happen at any time of the day or night.

Morning sickness symptoms usually start when youre around 4-6 weeks pregnant

If you’re being sick all the time and cannot keep anything down, see a GP.

You may have hyperemesis gravidarum, a serious condition in pregnancy that causes severe vomiting and needs treatment.

Can You Feel Pregnant Before You Miss Your Period

Yes, you can feel pregnant before you miss your period. Some people say theyve felt pregnancy symptoms within a week of conception .

Could I have the symptoms of early pregnancy and not be pregnant?

Many of the symptoms of early pregnancy overlap with other medical conditions, as well as your typical menstrual cycle. Premenstrual symptoms can be very similar to pregnancy symptoms. This can make it difficult to tell the difference. You can also miss a period and not be pregnant. This can happen when you lose or gain a lot of weight or are stressed. Breastfeeding can also cause your period to stop.

The best way to know youre pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests are available at your local pharmacy or grocery store without a prescription.

Pregnancy Fatigue: Whats Normal And Whats Not

Are you dragging these days? Does a nap sound fantastic right now?

Life can be exhausting at times, but especially when youre pregnant. Its totally normal to have some degree of fatigue right nowyou are growing a human inside of you!

Fatigue may be one of the most common first symptoms of pregnancy a woman experiences, said Kelley Saunders, MD, an OBGYN at Banner University Medicine Womens Institute in Phoenix, AZ. It is very common and quite significant in the first trimester. For many women, this improves in the second trimester and returns in the late third trimester.

Although its common among pregnant women, you may still wonder why.

Elevated Basal Body Temperature

Early Signs of Pregnancy Discharge and Symptoms

A persistently elevated basal body temperature is another characteristic sign of early pregnancy. An elevation in the basal body temperature occurs shortly after ovulation and persists until the next menstrual period occurs. Persistence of the elevated basal body temperature beyond the time of the expected menstrual period is another sign of early pregnancy.

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What Questions Will My Doctor Ask Me About Bleeding During Pregnancy

Your healthcare provider may ask you several questions to find the cause of your vaginal bleeding and understand your symptoms. Some questions you may be asked are:

Have you had vaginal bleeding in prior pregnancies?

Have you had prior surgeries on your uterus or cervix?
How heavy is your bleeding?
Does the blood fill a panty liner?

What color is the blood?
Does the blood contain clots or tissue?
Do you have any pain or cramping?

Have you been exercising or standing more?
Have you fallen lately?
When did you last have sex? Did you bleed afterward?

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Bleeding at any point in pregnancy can be scary. Sometimes bleeding during pregnancy is serious, but other times it isnt. Its important to contact your healthcare provider to discuss any vaginal bleeding you experience while pregnant. They’ll want to rule out any complications, find the cause of your bleeding and make sure you and your fetus are healthy.

How Does Conception Occur

Conception is when sperm and an egg join together. Its one of the many steps that happen to create a pregnancy.

Conception is closely related to a persons menstrual cycle. A menstrual cycle describes the sequence of events that occur within your body as it prepares for the possibility of pregnancy each month. Women or people assigned female at birth ovulate during their menstrual cycle. Ovulation is when your ovary releases an egg for fertilization. Tiny finger-like structures called fimbriae help guide the egg through your fallopian tubes towards your uterus. During this journey through your fallopian tubes, an egg can be fertilized by sperm.

If a sperm is successful on its quest to fertilize an egg, the now fertilized egg continues to move down your fallopian tube, dividing into two cells, then four cells, then more cells. About a week after the sperm has fertilized the egg, the zygote has traveled to your uterus. It’s now a growing cluster of about 100 cells called a blastocyst.

The blastocyst then attaches itself to the lining of your uterus . This attachment process is called implantation. However, just because conception occurs doesn’t mean implantation will. Sometimes implantation doesn’t happen, and you pass the fertilized egg in your next menstrual period.

Timeline of getting pregnant

The process of getting pregnant in a 28-day menstrual cycle is:

Conception and a positive pregnancy test

What Is Pregnancy Fatigue

Fatigue is more than just being tiredits a constant feeling of lacking the energy it takes to get through the day. When youre exhausted day after day, like many women experience in those early weeks of pregnancy, it can take a toll on your physical and mental well-being, says Staci Biegner, M.D., an OB-GYN with Clinic Sofia, based in Minnesota.

According to a small study in the American Journal of Perinatology, out of a random sample of 20 pregnant people and 15 non-pregnant people, those in the first trimester of pregnancy were found to experience significantly greater fatigue compared to a similar group of nonpregnant womenBehrenz K, Monga M. Fatigue in Pregnancy: A Comparative Study. Am J Perinatol 1999 16:185-188. .

Are Pregnancy Symptoms Worse With A Girl

Signs of Pregnancy: The 15 Earliest (and Weirdest) Pregnancy Symptoms

That depends on the symptoms! Theres a lot of early pregnancy symptoms that you can look out for, but not all of them depend on the sex of your baby.

However, severe morning sickness, fatigue, asthma, extreme mood swings, craving sweets and face breakouts/acne could definitely be pregnancy signs of a girl.

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What Are The Most Common Causes Of Bleeding In The First Trimester

Bleeding or spotting in the first trimester can be common and doesnt always mean there is something wrong. Try not to worry. Take notes of the type of bleeding you see and call your healthcare provider to let them know your symptoms.

Some causes of bleeding in the first part of pregnancy are:

Implantation bleeding: This is when the fertilized egg implants in the wall of your uterus and causes light bleeding. Its considered a normal part of early pregnancy.
Molar pregnancy: A rare condition when a fertilized egg implants in your uterus, but a tumor forms instead of a baby.
Ectopic pregnancy: When a pregnancy forms outside of your uterus . It can be life-threatening.

Subchorionic hematoma: Bleeding from one of the membranes that surround the embryo inside your uterus. Subchorionic hematomas usually resolve on their own.
Cervical polyps: A noncancerous growth on your cervix that bleeds in pregnancy due to increased estrogen levels.
Miscarriage: The loss of the pregnancy before 20 weeks. It usually starts as light bleeding and gets heavier. It can be accompanied by severe cramping.

What Should You Avoid

Squelch the urge to drink coffee or other caffeinated drinks to stay alert, as the caffeine really isnt good for your developing baby. Instead, drink plenty of water.

It’s easy to feel guilty about not being able to do everything like you’re used to. It’s OK to pamper yourself. By reducing any extra job or social commitments during these first few weeks, you can be as productive as possible in your regular responsibilities.

How Long After Conception Will My Pregnancy Test Be Positive

It can take between 11 and 14 days after conception to get a positive pregnancy test. At-home pregnancy tests check for human chorionic gonadotropin , a hormone released by the placenta. Your pee must have enough hCG to get a positive pregnancy test. However, your healthcare provider can check for hCG in your blood sooner around 10 days after conception.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Conception is when sperm fertilizes an egg. Its one of the many critical steps in getting pregnant. Conceiving a child is a complex process dependent on lots of factors. Being unable to conceive is a common problem, and there are lots of resources available to help you. Contact your healthcare provider if youre struggling with conceiving. They can explain the process and identify any issues preventing conception and pregnancy.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 09/06/2022.

References

What Is An Ectopic Pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that happens outside of the uterus. This happens when a fertilized egg implants in a structure that cant support its growth. An ectopic pregnancy often happens in the fallopian tube . In rare cases, an ectopic pregnancy can occur on an ovary or in the abdominal cavity.

This is a life-threatening condition. An ectopic pregnancy is not a pregnancy that can be carried to term and can be dangerous for the mother if not treated right away.

When Do Pregnancy Symptoms Start

Pregnancy symptoms are different for every woman . Some women feel the first twinges of pregnancy a week or two after conceiving, while others don’t feel any different for a few months.

In the best study on this question to date, 136 women who were trying to get pregnant kept daily records of their symptoms from the time they stopped using birth control until they were 8 weeks pregnant. The results:

50 percent had some pregnancy symptoms by 5 weeks pregnant
90 percent had pregnancy symptoms by 8 weeks pregnant

The first sign of pregnancy was usually a missed period. The most common symptoms to follow were nausea and vomiting, fatigue, frequent urination, and breast tenderness and swelling.

Increased vaginal discharge

What Are Some Less Common Signs Of Early Pregnancy

There are some additional signs of early pregnancy that arent as common. Just like with the most common symptoms, these signs of pregnancy may or may not happen. Its important to remember that everyone is different and experiences signs of pregnancy differently.

Less common signs of early pregnancy can include:

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Needing To Wee More Often

You may need to wee more often than usual in early pregnancy. This is because your womb is expanding and pressing on your bladder.

The hormone progesterone also makes you need to wee more, as well as sometimes causing constipation.

You may also notice more vaginal discharge than usual. This shouldnt smell unpleasant, be sore, itchy or painful. Speak to your GP or midwife if you have these symptoms as you may have an infection.

Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms

Extreme Tiredness in Early Pregnancyð¤°Fatigue During Pregnancy

Pregnancy can occur around two weeks after a persons last menstrual period. After conception, the body begins to go through changes that cause early pregnancy symptoms. Understanding the earliest signs of pregnancy can help you know if you are pregnant, even before a test.

Common pregnancy symptoms include:

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