Sometimes, a woman is not aware of the presence of a fetus in her womb. Especially for women who experience irregularity in their menstrual cycle. This is because some pregnancy symptoms are similar to menstrual symptoms, such as stomach cramps, mood changes, or breast pain. In fact, there are also certain pregnancy symptoms that some women are often not aware of.

Important Signs of Pregnancy to Know

Signs of pregnancy can not only be known through a pregnancy test, but can also be noticed through physical and mood changes. Here's the explanation:

1. Late Menstruation

One of the most common signs indicating pregnancy is the absence of your period on schedule.When fertilization occurs and the fetus begins to develop in the uterus, the body will produce the HCG hormone to maintain pregnancy. This hormone functions to stop monthly menstruation. Usually, menstruation will stop for four weeks after conception. However, it should be noted that late menstruation can also be caused by hormonal factors.

2. Breast and Nipple Changes

Apart from being a sign of pregnancy, changes in the breasts can also occur before menstruation.However, when a mother is pregnant, the condition of her breasts usually changes which makes it feel tighter, painful, sensitive and uncomfortable. In addition, the nipples may be red, protruding, and the areola will become darker.

Changes in the breasts of pregnant women are caused by an increase in the hormones progesterone and estrogen. Pregnancy hormones also increase blood flow to the nipple area in preparation for breastfeeding, so the veins can be seen around the nipples.

3. Blood Spots and Stomach Cramps

If there are blood spots a few days after conception, it can be a sign of pregnancy. After fertilization, the fertilized egg will develop into a fetus and attach to the uterus.The process of attaching the embryo to the uterus can cause damage to some blood vessels in the uterus, which then causes light bleeding or spots. These symptoms usually appear about 6–12 days after conception occurs. The spots are usually pink, brown, or menstrual blood-like, but less voluminous.

Apart from light bleeding, signs of early pregnancy are often accompanied by stomach cramps. These cramps are usually painless, often similar to menstrual cramps. If a person is not aware that they are pregnant, these signs may lead them to think that they are menstruating.

4. Mood Swings

Mood swings are one of the signs of pregnancy that women don't often realize. Hormonal changes can make pregnant women experience anger more easily because their moods are unstable and change easily.

5. Frequent Urination

Frequent urination is also a sign of pregnancy that is often not realized. These symptoms usually appear 6–8 weeks after conception. Frequent urination in early pregnancy is caused by high levels of the HCG hormone, which can increase blood flow to the kidneys and cause an increase in urine production.

Hormonal changes can also make the bladder more sensitive, making it difficult to hold back the urge to urinate. As the gestational age increases, the intensity of urination will also increase due to pressure from the growing uterus.

6. Head and Back Pain

Signs of pregnancy that pregnant women often don't realize are headaches and back pain. Headaches are caused by a sudden increase in blood flow and hormones. During pregnancy, the body will store more blood, about 50% more than usual.

Back pain is generally felt in the lower back.This pain depends on how long a person is pregnant and has nothing to do with the problems of constipation, flatulence, or cramps that occur during embryo implantation. To overcome this pain, pregnant women are advised to sleep in a good position so as not to worsen the condition.

If you experience the symptoms of pregnancy as previously described, you can try using a test pack or immediately visit an obstetrician at the nearest hospital to get accurate results.

References:

https://www.siloamhospitals.com/informasi-siloam/artikel/tanda-tanda-hamil

https://hellosehat.com/kehamilan/kandungan/tanda-tanda-hamil/

https://www.halodoc.com/artikel/begini-tanda-tanda-kehamilan-di-minggu-pertama