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Home › Articles › Early Pregnancy › Are You or Aren't You?

Are You or Aren't You?

Common Signs of Pregnancy

By Dr. David Fay

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Women may have all of the common symptoms of pregnancy, none of them or any combination of them. Non-pregnant women may have the symptoms. Different pregnancies in the same woman may cause different symptoms. It can be very confusing and stressful; in fact, stress over whether or not one is pregnant can cause symptoms of pregnancy! So how do you sort it all out?

Something's Missing
The most common sign of pregnancy is missing a period (called "amenorrhea"), especially if the woman has been having regular menses prior to missing her period. This occurs because hormones elaborated by the corpus luteum* maintain the uterine lining for implantation of the embryo. While there are many causes of amenorrhea, in women of child-bearing age pregnancy is one of the most common. It is also possible to be pregnant while continuing to menstruate, although this is very rare.

Feeling "Green"
Nausea in pregnancy is commonly known as "morning sickness," despite the fact that it can occur at any time of the day. Most commonly it lasts for a few hours, then recedes. It usually begins at about 4 to 8 weeks gestation (calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period). It is caused by a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG, the same hormone measured in pregnancy tests), which usually peaks at about 12 to 14 weeks gestation. Levels of hCG decrease rapidly after their peak, and the nausea generally disappears at the beginning of the second trimester. Rarely, the nausea can continue throughout the pregnancy.


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Re: am i pregnant by anonymous on 10/19/2009 01:18PM

me and my boyfriend have been dating for 4 longs years..we been having unprotected sex since we been dating...but lately i have been feeling different..i been getting cramps on small back pains and i been eatting like never before..i have gained 10 pounds in the last few weeks...could i be expecing?

Re: by anonymous on 10/16/2009 02:21PM

Sorry hun u are pregnant

Could I Be Pregnant? by Anonymous on 07/28/2009 05:34AM

My boyfriend and I of almost a week have been together for almost a week now =/. I am a very strong christian and my whole family and church would shun me to find out that I was pregnant. I plan on marrying this guy and we plan on going out big. Meaning we're gonna make it work. We both love each other dearly and will do whatever it takes and I just feel guilty even though i KNOw i shouldn't. It's kinda too late and we're kinda starting planning our wedding but idk what to do. We have known each other for 2 plus years but nothing serious at all... just up until this past friday night. Now its Tuesday Morning at 5:30 and Im only in my first year at college. HELP!

Could I Be Pregnant? by Anonymous on 07/13/2009 07:24AM

okay well i had unprotected sex 4 times...stupid yeah but i really want a baby. im 3 days late, i have a metally taste in my mouth, i have stomach cramps, breast tenderness, headaches and heart burn. Could i be pregnant?

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