Many women do not realise that they are pregnant right away. In fact, in rare cases, women might carry a baby to term without knowing she was pregnant the whole time, this phenomenon is called a “cryptic pregnancy”.

Finding out about your pregnancy as early as possible is important as you can start your prenatal care early as well, which is vital for a healthy pregnancy. Hospitals such as the CK Birla Hospital and Cloudnine care are the Best Pregnancy and Maternity Care Hospitals in Gurgaon. The hospital and doctor you choose are vital for a smooth pregnancy. Consult your obstetrician as early as possible to start with your prenatal care.

The first week of pregnancy is calculated based on the date of your last period, even if you are not pregnant yet. Pregnancy tests and ultrasounds are the only ways to confirm a pregnancy. However, many women do realise they are pregnant before they take a test for conclusive results. They do this by observing some signs or changes they may experience that indicates towards pregnancy. This may be tougher for first time moms as compared to women who have gone through pregnancy before.

Some of the common signs to look out for in the early stages of pregnancy are:

Missing a period
This is the most obvious symptom of early pregnancy. It is sometimes overlooked if the woman has irregular or light periods. However, if your period is usually quite punctual, a skipped period might mean good news is around the corner. Book your visit with your gynaecologist to confirm the pregnancy.

Fatigue
Hey! Growing a tiny brand-new human from scratch is no easy task. It is understandable that pregnancy takes a toll on your body. Especially in its early stages, your baby grows exceptionally fast. Not to mention your body would be developing the placenta and the entire life support system for your baby. So, you might feel unusually tired even while performing activities that you used to do with ease before.

Heightened senses
It’s a well-known fact that during pregnancy, many women experience heightened senses. Most women report to have an extra sensitive sense of smell in their pregnancy. So, if you can suddenly start smelling stronger you should probably try a home pregnancy test to be sure.

Morning sickness
Morning Sickness is probably one of the most famous symptoms of early pregnancy. Contrary to its name, morning sickness can hit you any time it pleases. You generally start feeling nauseous around the 6th week of pregnancy. It is mainly caused due to changing hormone levels during the pregnancy.

Unusual food habits
You may suddenly find yourself craving some types of food while feeling nauseous at even the thought of others. It is thought to be caused by your heightened sense of smell during pregnancy added on to your rapidly changing hormone levels. Your cravings might be extremely weird any can hit you at any point of the day or night.

Mood swings
Many women experience mood swings during their regular menstrual cycles. During pregnancy, women may experience similar mood swings (although the intensity can increase). These mood swings may start as early as 4 weeks into the pregnancy. Remember to give yourself a break during this time and take it easy. It is important that you be relaxed and calm for a healthy pregnancy.

Breast changes
You might find that your breasts are more tender, swollen with darker bumpier areolas during the early part of your pregnancy. This is largely due to progesterone and oestrogen (pregnancy hormones). It is a sign that your body is preparing to lactate in the near future.

Frequent urination
Generally, after about 2 weeks of the pregnancy women start feeling then need to urinate more often. This new more frequent need to pee stems from the pregnancy hormone hCG. This hormone increases the flow of blood to the kidneys helping your body flush out toxins faster to prepare for the pregnancy.

Bloating
You may experience a feeling of fullness and bloating similar to what you feel right before your period. Many women often mistake this for their usual PMS symptoms. But if you feel bloated when you know your period is not close, you should consider trying a home pregnancy test and then go to the hospital to confirm the pregnancy.

Raised basal body temperature
If you are planning to start a family, it is advised that you start tracking your basal body temperature. Basal body temperature is defined as the lowest body temperature of a person at rest on a given day. You can measure it using a special thermometer. Keeping a track of this can help you determine your usual basal temperature. During your pregnancy, you may notice approximately 1 degree increase in your usual basal temperature.

Some women also experience light spotting or implantation bleeding that can occur before the expected period date. It generally indicates that the embryo successfully implanted itself into the uterine wall. You may also experience cramps along with the spotting.

So, if you notice any of the above changes it is best that you try a home pregnancy test. Home pregnancy tests are usually accurate as long as they are used correctly. However, you can still have a negative result if you took the test too early. If your period hasn’t started even though the home pregnancy test showed negative, it is advised that you take the test again after a few days and visit your gynaecologist if it is still negative.