The human body is predictable as long as you take the time to listen to it and its needs. This predictability is based on the body’s reaction to certain factors and the changes it suffers when a certain event interferes with its normal development. This is the main reason why any woman should be able to tell if she is pregnant or not as long as she takes the time to listen to her body and see if the most common symptoms of pregnancy apply or not in her case. However, not all symptoms are typical only for pregnancy, so one should start with assessing the overall situation and then confirm the suspicion with tests that are beyond doubt.

Possible pregnancy symptoms

One of the first symptoms of pregnancy is a missed period. This is a symptom that defines the first trimester of pregnancy but not all women can benefit from its input, especially if they are used to not having regular menstrual cycles. In other cases the usual menstrual cycle is confused with the so-called implantation bleeding that is caused by the attachment of the fertilized egg to the maternal uterine wall. This bleeding is confusing because it usually occurs around the same time when the future mother expects her monthly period. However, this implantation bleeding is different from the regular monthly period because it lasts fewer days and is less heavy. What needs to also be kept in mind is that modern medicine has proven that a missed period can occur because of a wider variety of reasons and not just pregnancy. That’s why this symptom can not assure a woman that she is pregnant.

If this first symptom is present any woman should continue with noticing possible changes in the appearance and behavior of her body. The list of possible appearance changes includes the different coloring of the nipples and the darkening of the skin that is also known as melasma. The first of the two symptoms mentioned involves the darkening of the area around the nipple (known as the areola) and can be accompanied in some cases by a dark line that units the central abdomen and the pubic area. In medical terms this line is said to be the linea nigra. In most cases this dark line disappears after giving birth although the color change of the areola can persist. The second appearance change mentioned that can be associated with pregnancy is a condition known as melasma or chloasma and involves the darkening of certain skin areas on the face. The likelihood of this symptom being present is higher among darker-skinned women, so only a certain percentage of pregnant woman are at risk of developing this pregnancy symptom.

Another possible pregnancy symptom is considered to be the increased frequency of headaches. These headaches tend to mark the early stages of pregnancy because they represent the body’s reaction to the hormonal changes that occur. Also a normal reaction of a pregnant woman’s body is considered nausea associated with vomiting. This is yet another pregnancy symptom that has been documented to affect especially the first trimester of a pregnancy, but it’s not typical for all women. Also possible pregnancy symptom is considered to be frequent urination.