For women expecting to be pregnant and couples going through their fertility treatments, a missed period is a sign of hope. For those that are not planning to have a baby or have other life plans, a missed period leads to anxiety and worrying about the future. It is important to understand early pregnancy symptoms.
Sure, a missed period is an indication of pregnancy. But it is not a 100 percent guarantee of the same. Find out First-Month Pregnancy Symptoms After Missed Period.
In This Article
- Does Missed Period Always Mean Pregnancy?
- How Soon Can You See Pregnancy Symptoms?
- 8 Common First Month Pregnancy Symptoms After Missed Period
- First Month Pregnancy Diet
- First Month Pregnant Belly
- FAQ’s
Does Missed Period Always Mean Pregnancy?
For all the nervousness, a missed period could mean that you may have mentioned an incorrect date of your previous menstrual cycle. It could also indicate a possibility of a hormonal imbalance in your body. Changes in your diet, weight or intake of certain medicines could also lead to a missed or delayed period. Stress and physical exertion could also lead to a delayed period and could have absolutely nothing to do with pregnancy.
But there are sure signs of pregnancy after the first missed period that one should watch out for. These are clear indications of pregnancy, of course, to be ascertained by follow-up tests.
How Soon Can You See Pregnancy Symptoms?
But before we dive into the symptoms that you should look out for after a missed period, let us do some groundwork. Pregnancy symptoms can be experienced much before you miss your period. In fact, some women experience pregnancy symptoms in the first week of conception itself. Symptoms appearing this early is quite uncommon, but not unheard of. A rise in your basal body temperature is one of the early symptoms of pregnancy.
8 Common First Month Pregnancy Symptoms After Missed Period
Here is a list of the top 8 common first-month pregnancy symptoms you can look out for after the missed periods:
1. Nausea, Digestive Problems, And an Enhanced Sense of Smell
Nausea is one of the most common pregnancy symptoms that almost all women experience. The urge to throw up at odd times could lead to some discomfort during such times. Increased levels of the hormone progesterone and changes in abdominal structure cause digestive problems during the initial stages of pregnancy. You may also experience constipation or gas, either only during the early months or throughout your pregnancy. An enhanced sense of smell can make you feel further nauseous. You may retch at the smell of tea, coffee, and perfumes, commonly.
[Read: Morning Sickness During Pregnancy]
2. Vaginal Spotting or Light Bleeding
Brownish vaginal spotting between the sixth and twelfth day after ovulation accompanied by mild to moderately painful pelvic cramps are the signs that you should look out for. This spotting is a result of the implantation of the embryo in your uterine wall.
Vaginal bleeding also indicates that your menstrual cycle has not yet been completely silenced and that it will be a couple of weeks more before your menstrual cycle shuts down for the next several months. Vaginal bleeding during early pregnancy suggests an active pregnancy. So yes, you could experience some spotting or bleeding during the first month of your pregnancy.
3. Tender Breasts and Sore Nipples
After a missed period, a noticeable symptom of pregnancy is tender breasts and sore nipples. In fact, the areolas around the nipples turn darker and appear spotted. The tenderness in the breasts is a result of an increased amount of hormones estrogen and progesterone.
[Read: Breast Changes During Pregnancy]
4. Fatigue
If you are not physically exerting yourself and yet feeling extremely tired and drained out, the stork may be well on its way. With the completion of implantation, your body will be focused on producing the placenta, the fluid that supports and nourishes the growing fetus. And this will require energy. Nausea and vomiting deplete all the energy from your body during this time. Hence, you feel tired and fatigued all the time.
5. Mood Swings
You may blame the hormones estrogen and progesterone for all the tiredness and mood swings during early pregnancy. You may feel irritable, angry, or sad at the drop of the hat during such times. If you recognize these symptoms, you may as well guess that pregnancy is the reason.
6. Dizziness
After a missed period, if you feel dizzy and light-headed without any obvious reason, you may be pregnant. In the initial stages of pregnancy, your blood circulation system makes a lot of effort to produce and circulate an adequate amount of blood. This leads to a low blood pressure resulting in light-headedness.
7. Frequent Urination
If you are visiting the bathroom more often than usual, especially after a missed period, you may be pregnant. The hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) leads to increased blood flow to the pelvic region. Also, your uterus expands to accommodate the growing fetus, putting a lot of pressure on the bladder. This changed physiology leads to frequent urination during pregnancy.
8. Food Cravings or Aversions
If you find yourself suddenly repulsed by the foods that you once adored or have bizarre food cravings, then this may also be a sign of pregnancy. Cravings and aversions are due to the rage of hormones flooding your body during the early stages of pregnancy.
All these symptoms put together, or considered individually, should make you raise your eyebrows and question your status – pregnant or not. Taking the pregnancy test soon will help you ascertain the status, emphatically. A visit to your gynecologist will further cement this!
[Read: Food Aversions During Pregnancy]
First Month Pregnancy Diet
Once you have confirmed the status, you will need to take care of yourself. This includes being cautious about your diet. Your first month’s diet should include folate-rich foods, Vitamin B6, fruits, meats, iron-rich foods, and foods rich in natural sugars. You may want to steer clear of foods that induce contractions, seafood, soft cheeses, and junk and packaged foods.
First Month Pregnant Belly
The first month of pregnancy is one of the busiest times during gestation, starting with conception and then implantation. By the end of the 1st month, there will be development in the yolk sac, amniotic sac, and umbilical cord. At this stage, the embryo will be about 2mm in length. However, you won’t any noticeable changes to your 1-month pregnant belly.
During the first month of your pregnancy, the only sign that you’re pregnant is usually a missed period. You won’t see any changes in your belly just yet. The uterus, which is normally located behind the bladder will remain there until around 5-6 weeks of pregnancy. After this, it moves upwards and forwards.
Recognizing the early signs of pregnancy can help you and your partner prepare better and give yourselves time to read and know some basics about pregnancy before your doctor introduces these facts to you.
Read Also: Foods To Eat And Avoid During Your First Month Of Pregnancy
FAQ’s
1. How Does Your Lower Stomach Feel In Early Pregnancy?
Pregnancy often causes stomach or abdominal discomfort. It is normal to have light lower stomach pain in the first trimester (weeks 0 to 12). They are brought on by your womb expanding and hormonal changes.
2. What Kind Of Cramps Indicate Pregnancy?
Symptoms of early pregnancy discomfort may be misdiagnosed as PMS or the onset of normal menstruation. When a woman is pregnant, her blood circulation rises all throughout. Cramps may be brought on by an increase in uterine blood flow.
