Signs of early pregnancy

"I read in a magazine that the signs of early pregnancy are drowsiness, mood swings, irritability and tearfulness. So it turns out that I've been pregnant for about three years now."

Since time immemorial, one of the first signs of pregnancy that a woman can notice has been the absence of menstruation at the right time. And this is indeed an irrefutable fact confirming that a developing embryo or fetus is in the woman's reproductive organs - that is, pregnancy has occurred. However, only slightly more than a third of women consider this sign of pregnancy in the early stages to be sign No. 1. Firstly, not everyone's period comes "as scheduled", secondly, the cycle is affected by taking contraceptive drugs. Finally, a delay in menstruation can be caused by illness or severe stress.

[ 1 ]

The First Signs of Pregnancy: Hormones Are “To Blame”

It should be noted that almost all signs of pregnancy in the early stages, without exception, are directly related to hormonal changes in the entire woman’s body.

Thus, the production of the corpus luteum hormone progesterone, one of the main "pregnancy hormones", sharply increases. Without it, the process of attaching the fertilized egg to the uterus would be impossible. But such early signs of pregnancy as constant fatigue and drowsiness are the result of the action of progesterone, which produces a sedative effect during pregnancy. This hormone also regulates metabolism and during pregnancy "forces" the body to store fat, which causes a certain "roundness of form"...

Around the end of the first week from the moment of fertilization, the embryo in the uterus begins to be covered with the chorion - a villous membrane, which later becomes the placenta. This membrane begins to produce a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). So the second sign of pregnancy in the early stages - slight dizziness and fainting - is associated with the effect of the hormone hCG.

The next sign, which is listed by almost a quarter of pregnant women as one of the first signs of pregnancy, is changes in the mammary glands. Changes can manifest themselves in the form of tingling and painful sensations in the chest, increased sensitivity of the nipples and their darkening. This is also the result of the action of hormones, in particular the hormone prolactin, which is formed in the pituitary gland and begins to prepare the pregnant woman's body for future breastfeeding of the child.

In addition, from the very beginning of the embryo's appearance and during the complex process of fetal formation, the production of one of the most important human hormones, cortisone, increases significantly. On the one hand, this suppresses the immune system of the pregnant woman's body, protecting against the threat of miscarriage. On the other hand, it is the excess of cortisone that causes many signs of pregnancy in the early stages.

These include sudden mood swings, anxiety that has no external cause, or depression with an uncontrollable desire to cry. Moreover, increased levels of cortisone cause digestive disorders at the beginning of pregnancy. This includes loss of appetite (up to complete aversion to food), cravings for a certain taste of food (salty, sweet or sour), and increased sensitivity to familiar smells.

And, of course, the "classic of the genre" - nausea with frequent bouts of vomiting (especially in the morning). This is the main symptom of early toxicosis. In addition to cortisone, estrogen is involved in this sign of pregnancy in the early stages. It stimulates the development of the endometrium (the mucous membrane of the uterus), but at the same time slows down the passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract, which leads not only to nausea, but also to constipation. As a rule, early toxicosis accompanies the pregnancy of six out of ten women - from the first weeks of pregnancy to the beginning of the second trimester.

During early pregnancy this can also happen

Early pregnancy symptoms also include frequent urges to urinate. The fact is that the blood supply to all organs in the pelvic area increases, including the bladder: it becomes more irritable even from a small amount of urine. So trips to the toilet are possible at night.

Increased cervical mucus, discharge and cramps are also on the list of the very first signs of pregnancy. The increase in progesterone levels in the body of a woman "in an interesting position" often leads to a surge in the secretion of cervical mucus (mucus in the cervix). According to obstetricians and gynecologists, this occurs on the 6th to 12th day after fertilization. In addition, when the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus, a pregnant woman may feel slight cramps similar to menstrual cramps, and even minor bloody (pink) discharge. Some women mistakenly take them for harbingers of a new cycle, but in reality, these are signs of pregnancy in the early stages.

The first signs of pregnancy can also take the form of skin rashes - dermatosis of pregnant women. This manifestation of early toxicosis of pregnant women is rare and is expressed in the appearance of pimples, acne, and skin itching, including in the area of the external genitalia. As soon as the body adapts to the radical change in the "pregnant" hormonal background, everything will pass.

Often, early pregnancy symptoms – in combination with one or more of the above – are “masked” as… a common cold with nasal congestion. Here, the key factor is the same suppression of the immune system, the protective functions of which in this case (that is, during pregnancy) are reduced in the interests of the future child – to prevent rejection of the fetus.

By the way, some of the early signs of pregnancy can be felt by men too. This is the so-called Couvade syndrome (or sympathetic pregnancy). This syndrome manifests itself in future fathers, who - like a pregnant wife - can feel nausea and weakness in the morning, perverted taste, mood swings. They can sleep poorly or gain weight. Most researchers believe that this condition is psychosomatic in nature, and only those men who feel a strong emotional attachment to the mother of their future child can experience it.

Signs of early pregnancy: useful tips for toxicosis

The first and main advice concerns the psycho-emotional state of future mothers, who must clearly understand that pregnancy is not a disease. Yes, this is a special period in the life of any woman, but from the point of view of physiology, her condition is normal.

According to medical statistics, a good 60% of pregnant women feel sick, but this goes away around the 12th week of pregnancy. If the same nausea is considered by all doctors to be the main signs of pregnancy in the early stages, then why do many of them continue to claim: "many people mistakenly consider toxicosis to be normal, but it is a pathology." Excuse me, where is the logic here? Can a process of restructuring the body (primarily hormonal), which is intended for the correct development of the fetus, as well as for preparing the woman for future motherhood, be a pathology? Apparently, this question is rhetorical...

And don't read any further in an article about pregnancy if it says that "nausea is a reaction of the pregnant woman's body to the cells of the father of the future child" or that "it is the result of improper nutrition"... What primitiveness! Read a textbook on human physiology, after all!

So let's agree right away that pregnancy does not need to be treated with anything (and it is impossible). But the observation of a competent gynecologist, his recommendations (not contradicting common sense) should be followed.

[ 2 ], [ 3 ]

How to alleviate the condition during early toxicosis?

It is possible to alleviate some unpleasant "accompanying" moments of pregnancy. For example, if you have morning sickness, you should not get out of bed abruptly immediately after waking up. Eating a rye bread crouton, a slice of lemon, a piece of dried apricots or apple, a few sips of kefir, natural fruit juice or still mineral water right in bed will help to distract the attack of nausea. If you have an unpleasant "iron" taste in your mouth and excessive saliva production, you can resort to rinsing your mouth with a regular infusion of mint or chamomile. Try to eat little by little, but every 2-3 hours, and the food should not be cold or too hot.

In fairness, it should be said that such an early sign of pregnancy as toxicosis can have a more severe form - this is when a pregnant woman vomits 20 or more times during the day, and she rapidly loses weight. This is dangerous, since vomiting dehydrates the body and entails metabolic disorders, general intoxication, problems with the cardiovascular and urinary systems. This degree of toxicosis requires immediate therapeutic intervention. In this case, the doctor can prescribe such pharmacological drugs as no-shpa, glucose, cerucal or viburkol.

The uncompromising No-shpa (Drotaverine) is unlikely to help you with nausea, since this myotropic antispasmodic is used to relax the muscles of the uterus in case of its hypertonicity and the threat of miscarriage. As stated in the instructions for this drug, "during pregnancy, the drug should be used with caution and only in cases where the potential benefit of therapy for the mother outweighs the possible risk to the fetus."

The pharmacological action of the antiemetic drug Cerucal (Metoclopramide) is to block dopamine and serotonin receptors. The drug is quickly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and passes through the blood-brain and placental barriers. It is used for vomiting and nausea of various origins, dysfunctions of the stomach and intestines, etc. Possible side effects: facial muscle spasm, jaw clenching (trismus), inability to control the position of the tongue in the mouth (rhythmic protrusion of the tongue), convulsive posture with a sharp arching of the back and throwing the head back (opisthotonus), muscle hypertonicity, etc. In addition, lethargy, weakness and impaired mental activity are possible. The use of this drug - to alleviate the condition with signs of pregnancy in the early stages - is contraindicated in the first trimester, and in the second half of pregnancy is possible only for vital indications.

The homeopathic remedy Viburcol (rectal suppositories) has anti-inflammatory, sedative, analgesic, antispasmodic and antipyretic properties. This drug is prescribed as part of a complex therapy for acute respiratory viral infections, nervous overexcitation, convulsions and inflammation of the respiratory and genitourinary systems. It is often used to relieve feverish conditions during teething in infants, and in gynecology and obstetrics - in the treatment of inflammatory diseases that are accompanied by spastic pain.

It is important to keep in mind that every woman and every pregnancy is different, so there is no good reason to panic if you do not have any of the early pregnancy symptoms listed above. As they say, "a woman from a cart...". Moreover, as soon as your body has fully acclimated to its new state, all these sensations will weaken, and many of them will simply disappear. So relax and enjoy waiting for your child. You are lucky, because according to WHO, almost 8% of families worldwide have problems with having children, and according to the latest information from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, there are about 3 million infertile couples in our country.