You are in the section: Home » Articles » WOMEN'S SECRETS: signs of pregnancy Diagnosing pregnancy, especially in the early stages, sometimes presents certain difficulties. Some endocrine diseases, stress, and the use of pharmacological drugs can imitate the state of pregnancy, misleading both the woman and the doctor. In connection with pregnancy, a restructuring of the functions of all organs and systems of a woman occurs, which affects her well-being (subjective) and is accompanied by objectively determined changes.
The most characteristic signs of pregnancy can be divided into three groups according to their significance for diagnosis: I. doubtful, II. probable, III. reliable.
Presumable (doubtful) signs of pregnancy
These signs include various kinds of subjective sensations.
1. Nausea, vomiting, especially in the morning, change in appetite (aversion to meat, fish, etc.).
Many women, precisely because of this sign of pregnancy, begin to suspect that they will soon become a mother. Indeed, toxicosis is commonplace for expectant mothers. Interestingly, the exact causes of toxicosis have not yet been clarified. There are three main theories. The first is that intoxication occurs in the body of the expectant mother. And in this simple way the body tries to get rid of harmful substances. The second theory is that the woman’s body thus reacts to a “foreign body,” that is, to the fetus. And the third theory of the occurrence of toxicosis is psychological. Some researchers believe that toxicosis occurs more often in women who are not psychologically ready to become a mother. But, be that as it may, toxicosis was and remains one of the main signs of pregnancy in the early stages.
But sometimes, unfortunately, women mistake poisoning and intestinal infection for toxicosis. There are also frequent cases of so-called psychological toxicosis. That is, a woman notices signs of a non-existent pregnancy. This often happens in women who do not become pregnant for a long time; or those who are afraid of pregnancy like hell. Noticing a delay in the onset of menstruation, they become so immersed in an imaginary “pregnant” state that they actually begin to feel the presence of signs of pregnancy. Although in reality there is no pregnancy.
2. Changes in olfactory sensations (aversion to perfume, tobacco smoke, etc.).
3. Dysfunction of the nervous system: malaise, irritability, drowsiness, mood instability, dizziness, etc.
The exact nature of this phenomenon is not clear. But we should assume that this is due to hormonal changes in the woman’s body. In addition, subconsciously, a woman who notices signs of pregnancy tries to protect herself and her baby as much as possible from possible negative, damaging factors. Thus, the female body tries to protect itself. During pregnancy, a lot of energy is spent on the pregnancy itself, and then there’s physical activity! So, the familiar signs of pregnancy protect the expectant mother and her baby.
4. Skin pigmentation on the face, along the white line of the abdomen, in the nipple area, the appearance of pregnancy stripes.
5. Increased urination. So, you are experiencing a delay in your menstruation. It's been 1-2 weeks now, but my period still hasn't arrived. But the urge to urinate became very frequent. If you do not have cystitis, then this is also a sign of pregnancy in the early stages. Every day, a woman’s uterus increases in volume more and more and begins to put pressure on the bladder, as a result of which the woman begins to want to go to the toilet more often. In addition, the hormonal levels in the body change, and this can also cause the urge to urinate more frequently. So, how to distinguish cystitis from frequent urination as a sign of pregnancy? Cystitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bladder. Cystitis mainly affects women of childbearing age. The reason for its occurrence is the entry of bacterial infection pathogens into the genitourinary system. And this is most often a consequence of hypothermia. Because when hypothermia occurs, it is much more difficult for the body, especially an unhardened one, to fight any infections. Cystitis has a main difference from physiologically caused increased frequency of urination, that is, a common sign of pregnancy. This is a pain during urination and aching pain in the lumbar region. An accurate diagnosis can be made by taking a general urine test. By the way, in pregnant women, exacerbations of cystitis occur twice as often as in women who are not expecting a child.
6. Increase in abdominal volume, engorgement of the mammary glands.
Possible signs of pregnancy
This group includes objective signs determined in the genitals, mammary glands, and positive biological immunological pregnancy tests.
1. Cessation of menstruation (amenorrhea) in a healthy woman of reproductive age. In order to notice this early sign of pregnancy as early as possible, you should always carefully monitor your menstrual cycle. Every woman who takes responsibility for her health has a special calendar in which she... But a delay in menstruation is not always a sign of pregnancy in the early stages. Irregular periods occur in many women. There can be a lot of reasons for this - starting from hypothermia and nervous work, and ending with serious hormonal imbalances. Let's try to briefly consider the physiology of this sign of pregnancy. Starting from puberty, from the age of 12-14, girls experience vaginal bleeding every month. Without such a “trouble,” pregnancy would have become impossible. Teens' first periods are often irregular. In the first year or two after menarche (first menstruation), this is normal, but later you should consult a doctor about this problem. The normal menstrual cycle consists of 28 - 35 days. Its shortening or lengthening should also not go unnoticed. Some absolutely healthy women experience menstrual irregularities. Without knowing the exact duration of your cycle, it will be difficult to notice signs of pregnancy.
2. Enlargement of the mammary glands, their tension, the appearance of colostrum from the milk ducts opening on the nipple and pressure on the mammary glands (in primigravidas). Breast engorgement is familiar to many women. This malaise occurs especially often in the last week of the menstrual cycle. The most common cause is mastopathy, a disease of the mammary glands that accompanies most young and middle-aged women. But engorgement of the mammary glands is also one of the signs of pregnancy. From the very beginning of pregnancy, a woman’s mammary glands begin to prepare for lactation (breastfeeding), and the woman feels this as breast tenderness. Often, unpleasant sensations in the mammary glands are accompanied by yellowish discharge from the nipples. This is colostrum. If a woman is pregnant, then this should be regarded as a sign of pregnancy; if not, then this condition may require consultation with a mammologist.
3. Blueness of the mucous membrane of the vagina and cervix.
4. Changes in the size, shape, consistency of the uterus.
Reliable, or undoubted, signs of pregnancy are signs that appear in the second half of pregnancy and indicate the presence of a fetus in the uterine cavity.
Recommendation 6: avoid hypothermia and overheating of the body
If before pregnancy you liked to take a steam bath or, conversely, plunge into an ice hole, then during pregnancy you need to reconsider your habits. Overheating and hypothermia are dangerous for the fetus, especially in the first trimester of gestation.
Hypothermia impairs blood circulation, which can cause fetal hypoxia. Also, do not forget that during pregnancy, immunity decreases, which means the risk of colds increases.
Overheating of the body in the early stages of pregnancy negatively affects the formation of the fetus and increases the risk of miscarriage. Therefore, in the first trimester of gestation it is better to avoid baths and saunas. In the second and third trimester, if there are no contraindications, you can visit the sauna and bathhouse.
Recommendation 8: Accept your pregnancy and your new role as “I am a mother”
In the first trimester of pregnancy, hormonal changes occur in the female body, which affects the functioning of the nervous system. In this regard, a pregnant woman may experience conditions and emotions such as tearfulness, anxiety, and excessive sensitivity. And some pregnant women even feel guilty before others for their whims over trifles, frequent emotional breakdowns.
Feelings of guilt are a negative attitude that must be gotten rid of. After all, such an emotion will cause you psychological discomfort.
Irritability in the early stages of pregnancy is nothing more than an attempt by the female psyche to fully realize and accept the fact of motherhood. And the sooner you accept your pregnancy and your new role as a mother, the sooner your calmness, good mood will return, and you will stop feeling guilty before others.
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Modern married couples are not limited to classic sex. They often indulge themselves in anal and oral sex. But is it possible to do this during pregnancy?
As for oral sex, you can engage in it by observing the following three basic rules:
- oral stimulation should not lead to the accumulation of air in the genital tract;
- Both partners must follow hygiene rules, because the oral cavity can also contain a large number of bacteria;
- A woman should have no contraindications to having sex.
But the situation with anal sex is a little different. Gynecologists recommend refraining from this kind of caresses. In fact, this type of intimate caresses is completely useless and even dangerous for the female body. Such practices lead to the development of penetrating infections and problems with the rectum (the development of hemorrhoids). But the main reason for refusing such pleasures is the high probability of premature birth.
So, is it possible to have sex during pregnancy? It is possible if there are no contraindications. After all, an intimate relationship helps improve the mood of the expectant mother, keeps the father in good shape and has a beneficial effect on the baby. So, if you want to have sex, you shouldn’t give up a pleasant pastime4.
Womenfirst
- Savelyeva, G.M. Obstetrics: national guide / ed. G. M. Savelyeva, G. T. Sukhikh, V. N. Serov, V. E. Radzinsky // 2nd ed., revised. and additional - M.: GEOTAR-Media - 2021 - P. 1088.
- Moore, E. 40 weeks. Pregnancy Calendar. Magazine for expectant mothers / Ed. E. Moore // Sex and pregnancy - 2021 - No. 7 - pp. 8-9.
- Lipatov, I.S. Prevention of early pregnancy losses / I.S. Lipatov, Yu.V. Tezikov, V.L. Tyutyunnik, N.E. Kahn, A.D. Protasov, N.V. Martynova, E.V. Zhernakova, A.A. Bukreeva // Bionics Media - 2017 - No. 1 - pp. 24-37.
- Savelyeva, G.M. Obstetrics: textbook / G.M. Savelyeva, R.I. Shalina, L.G. Sichinava, O.B. Panina, M.A. Kurtser // M.: GEOTAR-Media, - 2015 - pp. 320-326.
RUS2124800-2 from 03/20/2020
