Wondering If You Are pregnant? Early Signs You Should Look For
Do you have a suspicion you might be pregnant? Of course, the best way to tell is a pregnancy test, but both at-home and physician-ordered tests only start to show results four weeks after your last period or two weeks after conception. If you miss a period or experience these symptoms, it’s best to take a home pregnancy test.
Many of the symptoms of early pregnancy are very similar to pre-menstrual symptoms so it’s easy to miss an early pregnancy if it’s not at the front of your mind. Every woman is different and so are her early pregnancy symptoms. You may experience all of these symptoms or none at all.
Early pregnancy symptoms
Weeks 1-4 (from last period)
- Spotting and cramping
Around 10-14 days after conception, the fertilized egg (known at this point as a blastocyst), will implant itself into the uterus wall. This can cause pain and light bleeding and, because it occurs around the same time as your period would likely happen, it can often be mistaken for a menstrual cycle.
Weeks 4-8 (from last period)
- Missed period
- Fatigue
- Increased levels of progesterone in your body will lead to fatigue
- Nausea
- Tingling or aching breasts
- Frequent urination
- Bloating
- Motion sickness
- Mood swings
- Increase in body temperature
Weeks 8-12 (from last period)
- High blood pressure
- Extreme fatigue
- Heartburn
- Faster heartbeat
- Breast/nipple changes
- Acne
- Noticeable weight gain
- Pregnancy glow
Pregnancy tests
If all signs and symptoms point to ‘pregnant’ or you’ve just got a hunch, grab a pregnancy test. Most pregnancy tests are accurate 2 weeks after conception. If done even a day or two early, they do show false negative results so try to wait it out! Pregnancy tests are done by urinating on a stick and are available at almost all pharmacies in Hong Kong. They range from the basic ‘lines on a litmus paper’ to digital test which will give a very rough indication of your conception date.
What next?
If you’ve had a positive result, it’s important to visit a doctor or private midwife for confirmation with a blood test and start (or continue) to take pre-natal vitamins.
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