Women are so arranged that they want to learn about the onset of pregnancy, especially if it is desired and long-awaited, as soon as possible, literally in the first days. Despite the fact that official medicine denies the possibility of signs of pregnancy before the delay, observations and signs have been accumulating among the fair sex for centuries that may indicate an "interesting situation" before it becomes known for certain. Not all of these female observations are true. Therefore, the issue of early diagnosis of pregnancy requires more detailed consideration.
A bit of physiology
The mystery of the birth of a new life for many women is accomplished completely unnoticed. Even if a woman thinks that she knows exactly when it happened, she is a little cunning - it is impossible to find out the exact time of fertilization, this process has no symptoms, because it takes place at the microscopic cellular level. In order to better understand on what days after conception a woman can theoretically begin to feel something new and unusual, you need to know what happens in her body if conception has taken place.
There is no big difference when there was intercourse - 3-5 days before ovulation or on the day of ovulation, conception occurs exclusively during the ovulatory phase, when the mature egg leaves the follicle. In the first half of the cycle, under the action of certain hormones, several follicles grow on the surface of the gonads, but usually one is dominant, the rest stop developing about a week before ovulation.
In the middle of the cycle, under the action of the LH hormone, the follicle becomes thin, its membrane bursts, and the egg comes out. From that moment on, there are 24-36 hours during which the female reproductive cell lives and is capable of fertilization.
If intercourse was in advance, then the male reproductive cells can wait for the oocyte in the genital tract (they live up to 3-5 days). Many planners try to carry out acts on the day of ovulation, and this gives the maximum chance of getting pregnant. It is important to know that there is not much time left - about a day.
Spermatozoa surround the female reproductive cell and try to break through its dense multilayer membranes. One out of tens of millions succeeds. After the sperm has entered the egg, its membranes become impenetrable to others. Inside the egg, the fusion of the nuclei of the germ cells of the father and mother begins. A zygote is formed - a completely new, separate and unique cell that has no analogues in the entire universe - it contains a set of DNA for your unborn child. The fusion process takes about 12 hours, without any symptoms or sensations... At the end of this process, everything is predetermined - the sex of the child, his height and color of his skin, eyes, hair, abilities and talents, inherited diseases.
The zygote begins slowly at first, and then more intensively cleaving, blastomeres begin to form inside, which will become the structural material for the organs and tissues of the fetus. At the same time, the zygote begins to move along the tube, where conception took place, into the uterine cavity, where nature provides optimal conditions for the development and growth of the fetus.
The zygote is actively helped by the villi of the inner surface of the fallopian tube, they move, obeying the contractions of the muscles of the fallopian tube. The path of the embryo to the uterus takes up to three days.
Especially sensitive women at this time can feel small pulling sensations in the lower abdomen, they are associated with the peristalsis of the muscles of the fallopian tubes. Exactly the same pulling sensations are experienced by women with high individual nervous sensitivity, who did not conceive a baby in a particular cycle, since peristalsis of the fallopian tubes occurs in any case.
Fertilized or dead, but the egg must reach the uterine cavity.
On the 4th day after ovulation, the embryo is in the uterus, where it floats freely for about 2-3 days. At this time, the corpus luteum is gaining strength - a temporary gland, which is formed at the site of a bursting follicle on the ovary. It produces progesterone (and in non-pregnant women too!), Under the action of this active substance, the thickness of the endometrium increases.
Approximately 7-8 days after ovulation (or 1 week before the delay), an important event occurs that determines whether to be pregnant - implantation of the embryo into the endometrium. And if in the first week after conception the fact of fertilization did not have a significant effect on the female body, then after implantation the body will start working in the "pregnancy mode".
The implantation process itself lasts about 40 hours. And during this time, two important things happen: first, the ovum adheres to the endometrium (this is the stage of adhesion), and then the villi of the membranes of the ovum begin to produce enzymes that dissolve endometrial cells (this is the stage of invasion).
The loose endometrium prepared by progesterone is quite easily affected, and soon the ovum is deeply immersed in the inner lining of the uterus. The chorionic villi sink deeper, intertwined with the woman's blood vessels.
So the baby for the first time begins to receive the necessary substances from the mother's blood. By this time it is already a blastocyst, its size is less than half a millimeter.
At the end of the implantation, a new substance begins to enter the woman's body - chorionic gonadotropic hormone (hCG). Its task is do not let the yellow body die. Without progesterone in the proper amount, pregnancy cannot continue, the embryo will die and be rejected. In non-pregnant women, the corpus luteum dies about 10-12 days after ovulation, a decrease in progesterone and an increase in estrogen associated with it, leads to the onset of menstruation. After conception, it is important to prevent menstrual bleeding, and to rebuild the female body to a new mode of functioning.
This requires high concentrations of progesterone. HCG creates a favorable background for the continuation of the corpus luteum, there is no regression of the temporary gland.
It exists, and promotes the bearing of the fetus until the end of the first trimester, until the woman has a full-fledged young placenta, which, along with other functions, will take over the functions of producing the necessary hormones, including progesterone.
HCG builds up in the female body gradually - every two days, about twice... That is why the manufacturers of pregnancy tests recommend not to rush, but to wait until the concentration of a diagnostically important hormone reaches a level that is accurately detected by tests. Usually this is the first day of the delay and the days after it.
As can be seen from all that has been said, the first sensations in the early stages before the delay are a purely individual matter. Signs of pregnancy are both reliable and predictable.
The reliable ones include: the absence of menstruation, an increase in the body of the uterus, a number of gynecological signs of increased blood circulation in the uterus and softening of the isthmus, positive tests for hCG, ultrasound confirmation. There cannot be a single reliable sign before the delay, therefore, only supposed signs are possible.
First symptoms and their causes
A lot depends on how much a woman wants to be pregnant. Those for whom the delay and a positive test came as a surprise are sure that they did not feel anything unusual and lived as usual. But everything changes when a lady begins to pin high hopes on motherhood for each menstrual cycle. Here "mind games" are not excluded: Before the delay, the woman invents and creates symptoms and signs for herself, and the most amazing thing is that she really experiences invented sensations.
In order not to become a hostage of your own desires, and not to be deceived, it is worth looking more sensibly at the very first signs of pregnancy before delay, clearly understanding that they can be not only signs indicating an "interesting situation", but also manifestations of premenstrual syndrome (very similar conditions ), as well as signs of pathologies, diseases, hormonal disorders.
The main reason for the appearance of unusual sensations is elevated progesterone levels. During the first week after ovulation, it is equally elevated in both pregnant and non-pregnant women. But in the last week of the cycle, it grows only in pregnant women. This hormone makes sure that the muscles of the uterus remain relaxed, so that the developing embryo has enough nutrition, it suppresses the woman's immunity so that the immune cells do not reject the baby.
In addition to the main action, the hormone has a lot of additional effects, which can be perceived by a woman as something strange, unusual and unusual. But this mainly applies only to women with a high level of excitability of the nervous system. Consider what sensations can appear about a week after ovulation (and conception).
Increased fatigue
It is, of course, impossible to determine pregnancy only by this indicator, since the same symptom accompanies, for example, premenstrual syndrome. And here it is important to build on personal characteristics - if a woman in the second phase of the cycle usually does not have a feeling of weakness, if she does not suffer from PMS, then the appearance of a persistent feeling of fatigue for no apparent reason should make her draw attention to herself. Most often, this symptom appears immediately after implantation, since it is a consequence of changes in the endocrine background.
The illusion of a cold
Often, women in the early stages, a few days before the delay, begin to think that they have caught a cold, are ill. But there is no way to recognize the disease: there is a malaise, the nose is stuffy, it is difficult to breathe, the body temperature may even rise (slightly above 37 degrees). Progesterone in large quantities causes a slight retention of fluids in the tissues, in connection with which the woman develops swelling of the nasal passages and a runny nose. The same substance also causes short-term increases in body temperature, mainly in the afternoon, in the evenings. After a night's sleep, the temperature becomes completely normal in the morning.
It is quite simple to check your condition - if there is no high fever, cough, liquid discharge from the nose, muscle pain and aches, sneezing and other signs of SARS, then there is nothing to worry about. Although you should beware - immunity is reduced by progesterone exposure, and it becomes easy to catch a real infection.
Sleep problems
Sleep disturbances can also be caused by nervous experiences and a woman's excessive obsession with seeking new sensations. And this happens quite often. Also, problems with falling asleep and waking up can be associated with hormonal levels and the effect of sex steroids on the brain. Signs of premenstrual syndrome appear with exactly the same symptom. Most often, women describe that are very sleepy during the day and have difficulty falling asleep in the evening.
The problem can be dealt with with folk methods, safe means, for example, herbal sedatives: motherwort, mint. If there is reason to think that pregnancy is possible, you should not take synthetic sleeping pills, as well as antidepressants, until the delay.
Mood and other "oddities"
It can be very difficult to independently understand the shades and nuances of a psychological and emotional state. Some instability of mood is characteristic of all women in the luteal (second) phase of the menstrual cycle, and this is not surprising, because the hormonal background changes twice during this phase. The influence of the sex steroid hormone progesterone on the psyche of a woman is very great: it partially suppresses emotions, but makes the perception of rapidly changing events unstable.
Suppressing the depth of maternal emotions is necessary, nature has provided for this to preserve the life of the fetus in the womb. But it takes time for the psyche to adapt, and therefore in the very early stages a woman can become irritable, forgetful, tearful, frequent changes in mood to the opposite are characteristic. With PMS, a tendency to depression appears more often, during pregnancy it is usually about mood swings without deepening into any of the two polar states.
Given the endocrine mechanism of the development of the trait, it should be assumed that theoretically it can appear 10-12 days after ovulation, that is, a couple of days before the delay.
Abdominal pain, lower back pain, bloating
Progesterone not only has a relaxing effect on the uterine muscles, it also has a similar effect on the intestines and stomach. That is why constipation in the second half of the cycle, increased flatulence, bloating in the luteal phase are not uncommon in both pregnant and non-pregnant women. But in the latter, such symptoms usually recede 3-4 days before the expected date of the onset of the next menstruation, since the corpus luteum dies and the production of progesterone stops. During pregnancy, these delicate problems and heartburn may persist.
Diarrhea and diarrhea are difficult to consider as a sign of pregnancy, usually it is a consequence of errors in nutrition, food poisoning. If loose stools persist for more than three days, it is very important to see a doctor and undergo detailed diagnostics.
Other pains are normal in the early stages before the delay is unusual.
The lower back, ovaries should not hurt. But there may be slight tingling sensations in the uterus, in the cervix - with the onset of pregnancy, after implantation (that is, after 21 days of the cycle), the blood circulation of the pelvic organs increases, which may additionally be accompanied by a feeling of "fullness" in the lower abdomen.
Dizziness, headaches
Most often, this problem is characteristic of the premenstrual syndrome. But even in early pregnancy, headaches may well be the result of progesterone support of the body. It is theoretically possible to distinguish some pains from others. With severe PMS, they are almost constant, and Headaches, as an early sign of “interesting position,” occur sporadically, for a short time, usually in the evening.
Allocations
In the absence of pregnancy, a couple of days before the expected start of menstruation, the discharge becomes more abundant and liquid. This is a consequence of an increase in the body's concentration of estrogen, which replaces progesterone. If pregnancy has occurred, then progesterone does not decrease, and the discharge under its influence remains rather scarce, white, yellowish, lemon, milky. But the clear signs of fertilization are the absence of another menstruation.
Thrush, which women often call an early companion of the "interesting position", is caused by a decrease in immunity in the second phase of the menstrual cycle, and vaginal candidiasis cannot be considered a sign of pregnancy or its absence.
Milk glands
The glandular tissue of the mammary glands is sensitive to any fluctuations in the hormonal background. Both engorgement and hypersensitivity of the mammary glands can occur both with PMS and during pregnancy. It is necessary to take into account the localization of sensations - if the pain is bilateral, then there is no reason for excitement, with severe one-sided pain, you should consult a doctor, take an X-ray, and undergo an examination.
In other cases, it is better to pay attention to the strangeness - if the breast always hurt before menstruation, but now there are no unpleasant sensations, or vice versa, that is, there is a possibility that some new hormonal process occurs in the body in this cycle, it is possible that it is pregnancy.
Frequent urination, nausea, and drooling
Indeed, pregnant women from the earliest dates begin to visit the toilet more often for little need - this is how progesterone works, but there should be no additional unpleasant symptoms: cramps, pains, fever, a decrease in the amount of urine, changes in its color and smell. If such signs are, most likely, the woman has cystitis, she needs treatment with antibiotics or other drugs that the doctor considers necessary. It should be noted that with premenstrual syndrome, frequent urination as a clinical symptom almost never occurs.
Nausea with the onset of pregnancy at such an early stage should not be, but this is a very individual symptom. Theoretically, vomiting can be as early as a couple of days before the delay, mainly in the morning.
Under the influence of progesterone, acne can appear or, conversely, disappear, and night salivation also increases - after waking up, many women note that the pillow is wet.
Implantation riddles
Approximately 30% of women learn about their "interesting position" by the strange discharge and sensations that they experience during the period of attachment of the ovum to the wall of the uterus. Medicine admits such a phenomenon as implantation bleeding. The invasion process is associated with the destruction of endometrial cells, and therefore the release of a small amount of blood (up to 5 ml) is not excluded. The discharge is usually smearing, pink or brownish. Many people take them for the early onset of menstruation, sin at the same time on hormonal failure and are very surprised when the next day the sanitary napkin is completely clean.
During implantation (in 40 hours), a woman can theoretically feel slight drawing pains, like during menstruation, only much weaker. According to reviews, this period is often accompanied by a strange metallic taste in the mouth, weakness.
Most women do not have anything like this, and this is also completely normal.
The implantation bleeding itself does not need treatment, taking medications, it does not threaten either the woman or the child in any way, does not increase the likelihood of pathologies of pregnancy and childbirth. Its nature is generally poorly understood. If the implantation is successful, then after two days the hCG content rises in the woman's blood, but so far it is impossible to catch it with tests at home.
How to determine pregnancy before a delay occurs?
The most affordable diagnostic method is a pregnancy test. But women’s favorite strips, cassette and inkjet test systems have a certain threshold of sensitivity, and when the level of hCG in the urine exceeds this threshold, the test will show a positive result.
Usually manufacturers recommend doing tests from the first day of the delay, but ultrasensitive systems (from 10 mU / ml) may well catch traces of chorionic gonadotropin in urine and 3-4 days before the expected menstruation. Sure, provided that ovulation was timely and implantation occurred on days 7-8 (late implantation occurs up to 10 days after ovulation).
After implantation, two days later, the hormone level for the first time begins to exceed the "non-pregnant norms" (0-5 mU / ml).
Therefore, the most impatient on the 10-11th day of the cycle can visit the clinic and take a blood test for hCG - in the blood the level of the active substance appears earlier and is present in large quantitative indicators. A repeated analysis after 3-4 days will show a steady increase in hCG in the blood, which will also be a sign that the baby is developing and growing.
The test strips familiar and dear to the heart of Russian ladies are able to determine hCG in an amount of 20 mU / ml - this is the sensitivity of most systems. Therefore, it is better to start using them 1-2 days before the delay, and better - immediately after it. Note that inkjet and digital tests are more accurate and may well be applied before your next period. Use the morning urine sample for testing - it is more concentrated. Carefully follow the instructions, do not keep the test in urine longer than the time specified by the manufacturer, do not evaluate the result after the allotted time has expired.
You should not rush to ultrasound diagnostics. The earliest period at which the fetal egg is visible on the ultrasound, which is indisputable evidence of the lady's transition to a new status, is 5 weeks of pregnancy (or the next week after the start of the delay).
Even a positive test and the beginning of a delay in menstruation cannot provide visualization of the embryo, because its dimensions are less than a millimeter. An examination by a gynecologist neither before the delay nor within 2 weeks after it will give any clear picture, and will not help answer the main question - is the lady expecting a baby.
If a woman measures basal temperature, then the onset of pregnancy can be guessed by the characteristic schedule. On it, after an ovulation fall and a sharp rise in temperature, high temperature during the second half of the cycle, without a characteristic decrease 3-4 days before the expected date of menstruation. Sometimes on the day of ovulation, there is a short-term decrease in BT - the so-called implantation sinking.
Methods for determining pregnancy at the very beginning are exhausted here. The search for harbingers, folk signs, stripes-"ghosts" on the tenth test are the strongest stress factors.
At the same time, a woman begins to produce in large quantities stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline), which have a bad effect on the level of sex hormones. Pregnancy may well be interrupted for this reason, and therefore you should know the measure in search of truth.
Useful Tips
Women who are planning a pregnancy should follow certain rules during the entire menstrual cycle: do not drink alcohol, make sure that the diet is saturated with vitamins, especially folic acid. And to distinguish early signs of pregnancy from the same PMS will help measures that reduce the manifestations of premenstrual syndrome, without affecting the early signs of "interesting position":
- during the first and second phases of the cycle, try to remain calm, do not be nervous;
- do not overexert yourself at work, burden yourself with excessive physical exertion, sports and labor achievements;
- sleep enough time at night - the hormonal background will be more balanced, since it is during the dark that many substances are produced that regulate the endocrine background;
- do not sit in one place, provide yourself with sufficient physical activity, walk, go in for swimming;
- after ovulation, do not eat large amounts of carbohydrate foods, sugar, salt, animal fats. Coffee, strong tea, and dark chocolate should be eliminated from the diet in advance.
If a woman planning to have a baby has reason to think that pregnancy in this cycle is likely, it is worth refraining from drinking alcohol and smoking until the delay. Do not do x-rays and fluorography, postpone for the duration of vaccinations, do not take antibiotics unless urgently needed - at the earliest stages of pregnancy, they have a pronounced teratogenic effect and can lead to fetal death, to the formation of gross deformities and pathologies.
Do not take high doses of vitamins - they will not help to conceive a baby, but they can interfere with the onset of pregnancy, since an excess of certain vitamins is also dangerous for the development of the embryo and the maintenance of pregnancy.
You should not create the prerequisites for the development of symptoms, which you yourself will later mistake for "pregnant" signs - do not eat foods that increase gas formation in the intestines, refrain from carbonated drinks, beer, kvass.
Watch your work and rest, go to bed on time so as not to perceive the usual sleepiness from fatigue in the morning for an early symptom of an "interesting situation." Take protective measures during the seasons of increased incidence of viral infections - influenza and SARS can be fatal to a child.
