Pregnancy symptoms differ from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy; however, one of the most significant pregnancy symptoms is a delayed or missed period.
Understanding the signs and symptoms of pregnancy is important because each symptom may be related to something other than pregnancy. You may experience signs or symptoms of pregnancy within a week of conception. However, it is possible you may not experience any symptoms for a few weeks.
Symptoms to watch for early on include a missed period, headaches,tender breasts, nausea and lower backaches. If you have been sexually active and are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to take a pregnancy test. Are you experiencingmorning sickness – are you pregnant or experiencing something else?
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Implantation bleeding can be one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms. About 6-12 days after conception, the embryo implants itself into the uterine wall. Some women will experience spotting as well as some cramping. Some women do not even notice this so don’t worry if you are trying to get pregnant and don’t see it – you could still be pregnant.
Other Explanations: Actual menstruation, altered menstruation, changes in birth control pill, infection, or abrasion from intercourse.
A delayed or missed period is the most common pregnancy symptom leading a woman to test for pregnancy. When you become pregnant, your next period should be missed. However, some women can bleed while they are pregnant, but typically this bleeding will be shorter or lighter than a normal period.
Other Explanations: Excessive weight gain/loss, fatigue, hormonal problems, tension, stress, ceasing to take the birth control pill, illness or breastfeeding.
Swollen or tender breasts is a pregnancy symptom which may begin as early as 1-2 weeks after conception. Women may notice changes in their breasts; they may be tender to the touch, sore, or swollen.
Other Explanations: Hormonal imbalance, birth control pills, impending menstruation (PMS) can also cause your breasts to be swollen or tender.
Feeling fatigued or more tired is a pregnancy symptom which can also start as early as the first week after conception.
Other Explanations: Stress, exhaustion, depression, common cold or flu, or other illnesses can also leave you feeling tired or fatigued.
This well known pregnancy symptom will often show up between 2-8 weeks after conception. Some women are fortunate to not deal with morning sickness at all, while others will feel nauseous throughout most of their pregnancy. If you are experiencing morning sickness at all, take a look at our articles on morning sickness to learn how to manage it better.
Other Explanations: Food poisoning, stress, change in hormonal birth control method or other stomach disorders can also cause you to feel queasy.
Lower backaches may be a symptom that occurs early in pregnancy; however, it is common to experience a dull backache throughout pregnancy.
Other Explanations: Impending menstruation, stress, other back problems, and physical or mental strains.
The sudden rise of hormones in your body can cause you to have headaches early in pregnancy.
Other Explanations: Dehydration, caffeine withdrawal, impending menstruation, eye strain, or other ailments can be the source of frequent or chronic headaches.
Around 6-8 weeks after conception, you may find yourself making a few extra trips to the bathroom.
Other Explanations: Urinary tract infection, diabetes, increasing liquid intake, or taking excessive diuretics.
If you are pregnant, the skin around your nipples may get darker.
Other Explanations: Hormonal imbalance unrelated to pregnancy or may be a leftover effect from a previous pregnancy.
While you may not have a strong desire to eat pickles and ice cream, many women will feel cravings for certain foods when they are pregnant. This can last throughout your entire pregnancy. Some women develop adversions to certain types of food early in pregnancy and this too can last for the next 9 months.
Other Explanations: Poor diet, lack of a certain nutrient, stress, depression, illness or impending menstruation.
And nope, I'm not pregnant yet. But this is so useful that I just have to post it.
Via American pregnancy association
After a person turns away from the company of those [ignorant associates], and he turns to the company of those who are absent in person – but whose bounties and good influence continue to exist in the world, he would then inquire a new zeal and a new direction, and he would become stranger among the people – even if he be a relative or a close acquaintance.
This would make him a dear stranger to people. He can clearly see the obscurity that they suffer, but they cannot see the splendor which he enjoys. He excuses them as much as he can, while enjoining and advising them to do good with all of his power. Thus he looks at them with two eyes:
- With one eye, he recognizes Allah’s commands and prohibitions. Based off this, he advises or warns them, and befriends and disowns them, giving them their rights and requiring his.
- With the other eye, he recognizes Allah’s Decree and Measure. Based on this, he sympathizes with them; he makes du’a (supplications) for them; he asks Allah (ta’ala) to forgive them; and he seeks excuses for them in matters that do not involve violation of Allah’s commands and His Shar’ (Allah’s Divine Law). He engulfs them with kindness, compassion and forgiveness, heeding to Allah’s command [to His Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam)]:
“Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish.” [Al-A'raf (7):199]
If a person abides by this ayah, it would suffice and cure him. It calls for:
- Good manners in dealing with people: by forgiving them and showing them compassion to the limits of one’s character and nature.
- Fulfilling Allah’s rights in people by enjoining what is good, which applies to matters that the minds attest to their goodness and merit, based on what Allah has commanded.
- Avoiding their evil: to ward off the harm resulting from their ignorance, without trying to avenge himself.
How else can a person attain perfection? And what policy and behavior can be better in this world than this? If a man tries to consider every evil reaching him from people (I mean a true evil that results in a loss of honor before Allah (ta’ala)), he will find that it arises from neglecting one or more of these three matters. If he abides by them all, then whatever is inflicted on him by people will be good, even if it appears to be evil. Only good can result from enjoining good, even if it be encased in a situation of evil and harm. Allah (ta’ala) said;
“Verily! Those who brought forth the great slander [against A'ishah (radiallahu 'anha)] are a group among you. Consider it not a bad thing for you. Nay, it is good for you…” [An-Nur (24):11]
And He addressed His Messenger (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) by saying:
“So forgive them, ask Allah to forgive them, and consult them in the affair. Then when you have taken a decision, put your full trust in Allah.” [Al 'Imran (3):159]
This ayah instructs the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to fulfill Allah’s rights and the people’s rights. When people do wrong, they would either be violating Allah’s limits or harming His Messenger personally. If they harm the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), he should respond by forgiving them. But if they overstep Allah’s limits, then he (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) should ask Allah (ta’ala) to forgive them and to soften their hearts. Also, he (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) should extract their opinions by consulting them, because this tends to make them more obedient and willing to advise. Once he forms his decision, he should seek advice no more, but rather put his trust in Allah and go forth to fulfill what he decided, for Allah loves those who trust Him.
[By Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (rahimahullaah) - Ar-Risalat ut-Tabukiyyah]
