QuestionI have been suspicious of a possible pregnancy for a while, I had a few tests (neg) but I think they may have been too early.
What I would like to know is if there are any uncommon early symptoms that would clue you in to an early pregnancy while you wait to take the test. (I am waiting because the little blighters are expensive and I want to make sure any results are most likely to be correct.)
Any personal symptoms you noticed in the first few weeks?
Also, my stomach has been feeling 'hard' there is a slight fat pouch that has unfortuantely always been there but everything else is pretty solid- what is that? Pregnancy symptom or something else?
As you can tell I am a bit nervous and confused. Any answers would help!
Thank you,
Rebekka
AnswerDear Rebekka,
I don't know about "uncommon" symptoms of pregnancy, but I can tell you some typical symptoms of pregnancy.
One thing that does tend to occur is implantation bleeding. This is usually just a bit of bleeding (some women often mistake this for a period, although it's usually much shorter in duration and lighter than a period) that can happen approximately 6-12 days after conception.
Women may notice changes in their breasts; they may be tender to the touch, sore, or swollen as early as 1-2 weeks after conception. Feeling fatigued or more tired is a pregnancy symptom which can also start as early as the first week after conception. Lower backache may be a symptom that occurs early in pregnancy; however, it is common to experience a dull backache throughout an entire pregnancy. The sudden rise of hormones in your body can cause you to have headaches early in pregnancy also.
Nausea or morning sickness will often show up between 2-8 weeks after conception. Some women are fortunate to not deal with morning sickness at all, while others will feel nauseous throughout most of their pregnancy. Around 6-8 weeks after conception, more frequent urination occurs due to pressure on the bladder from the growing uterus.
As far as the firm belly, extremely thin women have been known to have noticed this symptom early in pregnancy, but for the most part, you really shouldn't be able to feel a growing uterus until you are nearing your 2nd trimester. Even at 12 weeks, the fetal length is only about 3 inches.
A home pregnancy test should be able to pick up the pregnancy hormone the week after a full missed period. Especially if 1st morning urine is used to get a concentrated sample for the most accurate results. I'm not sure how long you meant by "awhile" that you have been suspecting pregnancy, but if it is more than one cycle, you should be able to get a positive from a HPT. And if you want an absolute answer, I'd go to the doctor's office or women's clinic and ask for a blood pregnancy (serum beta hCG) test. This will pick up the presence of the hormone at extremely low levels.
I hope this information has helped you and answered your questions. I wish you and your loved ones a happy Christmas season!
Brenda
