Cramps, bloating, weight gain, irritability and moodiness are signs of the worst period ever – or are they? That’s what I thought. My monthly cycle was never normal and I had endometriosis, scar tissue from the uterine lining that can cause infertility and difficult menstruation. I even thought that I might need to have surgery again to remove some of the scar tissue in my abdomen. I even called my mom because I thought something was seriously wrong and that I felt just plain odd. Then one day, while at work, I became extremely light headed, nauseous and was doubled over with in pain with cramps. A co-worker told me that those were the exact symptoms she had when she discovered she was pregnant. I didn’t think she was right, how could it be? I didn’t even think I could get pregnant.
I went home that night and quickly got on the Internet to look for the signs and symptoms of pregnancy. All I knew was that breasts became tender and you skip your period. My cycle was already off and when I did have one my breasts were always tender. In all the research this is what I’ve found out, every symptom or sign of pregnancy can also be something else.The most informative Web site I found was www.babyzone.com. Not only is it packed full of information, but it also has a great mommy community.
The most obvious signs and symptoms of pregnancy is a late menstrual cycle, tender/swollen breasts and nausea. However, the most un-obvious things could mean you’re pregnant too. During early pregnancy you can also experience fatigue, back pain and the urge to urinate often. One symptom that actually surprised me the most as a signal of pregnancy was frequent headaches. This was something I dealt with through out my first and part of my second trimester. Most would ignore that sign.
The best thing to do when you suspect that you’re pregnant is to get into your OB-Gyn for an appointment, this is the only way you’ll know for certain that you’re pregnant. Although pregnancy tests can be accurate, they don’t account for human error.
Sources:
http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/am_i_pregnant/a119
http://www.whattoexpect.com/what-to-expect/landing-page.aspx
