The
Misleading Signs of Pregnancy
by Marie K Gordon
Almost everyone has had moments of wondering exactly why their body did something so peculiar, or mysterious, or perhaps even smelly, and so on and so on. Things can really become confusing when the person in question is a woman who may be wondering if she is pregnant or not.! The various signs of pregnancy are just as confusing, if not more so, than any other medical condition, but to hopefully help to clear things up, I have listed here a few common pregnancy symptoms, as well as their causes, and possible reasons other than a pregnancy, for why they may be occurring. One of the most well known signs of pregnancy is morning sickness! This is described as various degrees of nausea, when in some instances, women can even experience vomiting. It is thought to be caused by a surge of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood of a newly pregnant woman. Morning sickness may also be a result of the expanding uterus pushing on the stomach and creating an excess of stomach acids. In cases where the woman is not pregnant, a virus, gall bladder disease, or other medical problem may cause this feeling of nausea. Another well known sign of pregnancy is unusual food cravings. These usually occur in the first trimester of pregnancy, and are thought to be caused by hormonal changes. Food cravings may be a sign of poor nutrition, early signs of impending menstruation, or a stress coping mechanism, if they are experienced by a woman who is not pregnant. No wonder it is often difficult to recognize the signs of pregnancy. For example, breast tenderness can begin as soon as two to three days after conception, when there has not even been time for a missed period. However, breast tenderness can also often be a symptom of the beginning of the menstruation cycle. and therefore it is easy to see why this symptom which is a normal occurrence, could be mistaken for a sign of pregnancy. If a woman is pregnant, tender and swollen breasts are a result of the high levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body. No woman who is pregnant or suspects that she may be, wishes to experience vaginal bleeding, but continuing in the theme of confusing body symptoms, vaginal bleeding can sometimes actually indicate a pregnancy. Among the many signs of pregnancy, some bleeding in early pregnancy, is a sign of the egg implanting itself inside the uterus. When this happens, the color is usually pink or brownish instead of vivid red, but when the woman is not pregnant, this bleeding may probably indicate the beginning of her monthly period, or has happened as a result of her taking birth control pills. These signs of pregnancy are just a few of the many misleading events that can happen when a woman is trying to conceive. Although home pregnancy tests are fairly accurate, the only real way to know for sure if conception has occurred is to visit the doctor for a blood pregnancy test. I do hope that this brief article may have helped to contribute some useful information. Pregnancy is a wonderful and sometimes frightening experience, and in all situations, you should not hesitate to contact professional medical practitioners, even if you concern appears to be fairly minor.
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