DID YOU KNOW pregnancy is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions in medical practice? Some women who think they are pregnant are not, while others go for months before they realize what is happening. Doctors diagnose pregnancy when it is not present, or fail to diagnose it when the patient’s symptoms suggest its presence. The possibilities for error are enormous.

But here are some signs and symptoms by which you can tell if it’s that special moment in your life….

Cessation of normal monthly periods: For those who have normal regular menstrual cycles, a missed period is the most reliable symptom of pregnancy. If the periods are usually irregular, however, it may be a while before the absence of periods is noticed.

By this time, other symptoms will be drawing to the situation. A woman cannot have normal periods when she is pregnant.

Slight bleeding may occur at intervals during the first three months of pregnancy, but this is not the same as having a period, and is best regarded and treated as a sign of a possible miscarriage.

Enlarged tender breasts: as soon as a pregnancy occurs, breasts become enlarged. Yellow fluid called colostrums can be expressed from the nipples.

Morning sickness: Most pregnant women suffer from nausea in early pregnancy, which may cause vomiting.

Tiredness: Early pregnancy is often associated with fatigue and a desire to sleep for longer periods.

Taste: The tongue may be coated, causing a metallic taste in the mouth.

Micturition: In early pregnancy the enlarging uterus presses on the bladder, which usually results in more frequent trips to the toilet. Pregnant woman also drinks more to quench an increased thirst, which adds to more production of urine.

Birth canal discharge: You may notice a slight white birth canal discharge, which does not cause any soreness or irritation, and is not due to any infection in the birth canal. It is due to an increase in the normal birth canal secretions.

Pigmentation: The skin on the nipples turns darker due to an increase of brown pigment. As well as changing color, the small lubricating glands around the nipples increase in size and can be seen as small projections from the surface of the skin. These are known as Montgomery’s tubercles, named after the doctor who first described them.

Pigmentation also occurs in a thin line stretching from the pubic bone to the lower end of the breastbone or sternum.

It also occurs around the eyes, on the cheeks and forehead in most women. Both abdominal and facial pigmentation fade once the pregnancy is over. 

Ends