As soon as a period is late, the first question that comes to a woman’s mind is: am I pregnant? The fact is, a missed period alone, or even the same symptoms that appear before it happens, are not always enough to determine if there is a pregnancy occurring. Many women get confused precisely because of these tricky symptoms! They insist on appearing, and along with them, the doubt about whether a baby is on the way.

However, fortunately, there are precious tips to detect pregnancy with small signs the body gives1. Even if the test is not yet positive, at least the woman’s curiosity can be partially relieved. Shall we look at them?

Tip 1 – The Symptoms: Pregnancy symptoms can be villains or heroes. You decide the role they play in your attempts and what they say about your suspicion of pregnancy. Aside from a missed period, they are the main clues that a woman might be pregnant, but it isn’t always this way… Symptoms can also be due to a hormone that rises after ovulation2. In fact, the woman’s menstrual cycle is full of these hormones. One of them, progesterone, can cause many symptoms similar to those of pregnancy due to the activity of the corpus luteum right after ovulation. That’s why the best thing to do to avoid confusion or disappointment is to wait for a late period before taking a test. Symptoms can include:

  • Cramps
  • Sore breasts
  • Bloating
  • Nausea
  • Lack of or increased appetite
  • Lack of or excessive sleep
  • Dizziness and fainting
  • Low blood pressure

Tip 2 – Temperature: This tip is for those who track their basal temperature using charts. Even at the beginning of pregnancy, the basal temperature will remain above the usual average3. This increase is about 0.2 to 0.3 degrees. It may not be a significant rise for some women, but for others, it’s quite noticeable. A woman with a daytime temperature around 36°C could see it rise to 37.4°C! However, what really counts is the first temperature reading of the day, so keep your thermometer always ready!

Tip 3 – Mood: Although PMS is a villain for many women and causes mood swings, mood changes even without a period can also be a sign of pregnancy! It is possible for a woman to suddenly feel negative emotions without any reason or provocation. The targets can even be those you love most, like your husband, children, mother, siblings… So if you notice this sudden change in addition to other symptoms, it could be a sign of pregnancy.

Tip 4 – Bleeding: It’s also possible that a woman may have spotting from the vagina around the time her period was supposed to come, or a little before or after. Implantation can cause noticeable bleeding but without any real flow.

Attention: The bleeding should not look like a normal period. It is very similar in appearance, but with no real flow. It can be light-colored blood, red, brown, like coffee grounds, or a pinkish mucus. Be careful not to confuse the beginning of a period with implantation bleeding, okay?

Tip 5 – The Test: Cliché? Maybe! But if you have a positive pregnancy test, that’s also proof that a baby is on the way! But for that, you need a minimum amount of HCG in your system. If the line is very faint, almost invisible, you need to wait a few more days and repeat the test. Normally, HCG (the exclusive pregnancy hormone) doubles every 48 hours. Remember that medications don’t interfere with the result, except those that contain HCG like Ovidrel, Puregon, or Choriamon. A urinary tract infection will not make the test turn positive. If there are two lines, it’s positive, which means you have HCG in your body. A quantitative HCG test above 6 mUi can also mean that a pregnancy is possible! Pay close attention to your test report and the lab’s indications, which may vary slightly. In general, if the value is above 15, then pregnancy is possible and promising.

Some strong signs of pregnancy

Breast changes are super important! You may notice the appearance of small white dots on the nipples after your fertile period. If these occur along with slight darkening and firmness of the breast, it can be a strong sign that there is an overproduction of hormones, which makes you think of pregnancy. However, these symptoms alone do not mean there is definitely a pregnancy; you need other symptoms or proof, such as a positive test. Abdominal sensitivity should be considered, as well as cramps and hardening of the lower abdomen. The most sensitive part is usually 2 finger-widths below the navel. This is due to hormonal changes and increased blood flow to the area.

Author’s note: I remember very well when I suspected pregnancy for the second time. I barely had any symptoms, but one detail caught my attention. When I lay face down, I felt very strong bloating in my lower belly. A few days later, a 5-week pregnancy was confirmed. So, symptoms don’t always mean you’re pregnant, sometimes you can be pregnant and feel nothing at all!

See also:  Explanation for Pregnancy Symptoms (Without Pregnancy)