10 Characteristics of Early Pregnancy in the First Week .
For those who are waiting for the arrival of their baby, this moment can feel exciting. The slightest thing the body feels can be interpreted as a sign of pregnancy, even at a very young age. However, can the characteristics of early pregnancy be known in the first week?
Please note, signs of pregnancy can appear at different periods in each individual. The following is an explanation that you need to understand before interpreting a symptom as a sign of pregnancy.
Fertilization and its signs
pregnant illustration (freepik.com/lookstudio)
The pregnancy process begins when the egg is successfully fertilized by sperm or what is known as conception. Generally, this event occurs around 14 days after the start of the 28-day menstrual cycle. You may know this window of time as the fertile period. However, that’s not always the case, yes.
After successful conception, the egg will begin to travel and implantation (when the egg attaches to the uterine lining) 5-6 days later. It is at this moment that the characteristics of a young pregnancy in the first week usually appear. The movement of the egg can damage the blood vessels in the uterine wall , triggering light bleeding.
It doesn’t stop there, implantation continues to the next development process. Each stage can trigger symptoms that increasingly indicate that you are pregnant. However, it should be noted that signs of pregnancy can appear at different times in each individual.
Characteristics of early pregnancy in the first week
You could say that the first week of pregnancy is too early to determine whether someone is really pregnant or not. However, again, conditions are different for each individual. Some people can feel signs of pregnancy a few days after conception. Meanwhile, other people generally only experience it weeks after a positive pregnancy test.
In someone who experiences it early, the characteristics of early pregnancy in the first week may appear. As previously explained, a common sign experienced is the appearance of implantation blood spots. You can see this bleeding about 1 week before your menstrual period arrives, but it is not followed by other large bleeding.
The volume of blood spots is an early sign of pregnancy, not like menstruation , yes. You may only notice a spot of red or pink bleeding. The period can last for several hours to several days.
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Apart from causing bleeding, implantation can also make a person feel stomach, pelvic or lower back cramps. The sensation that appears is usually like being pulled, tingling, or prickling. However, not all of these signs indicate pregnancy, yes. The reason is, the symptoms can be similar to pre-menstrual syndrome .
How to find out if you are pregnant?
pregnancy test illustration (freepik.com/wayhomestudio)
Detecting pregnancy by relying on the characteristics of early pregnancy in the first week may feel ambiguous and confusing. To be sure, you may need to wait another week, aka when your period should arrive. If your period is late, there is a big possibility that you are pregnant.
The most appropriate way to confirm whether you are pregnant or not is by using a test pack . This tool detects the presence of the Human Chorionic Gonadrotopin (hCG) hormone, which the body only produces when pregnant.
Regarding this, Dr. Adhitya Indrapraja, Sp.OG, M.Kes, Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Siloam Hospitals Lippo Cikarang, also explained the explanation.
“After fertilization or fertilization occurs, in approximately 7 days the results of the fusion of sperm and egg cells will attach to the uterine wall. The fetus that attaches to the uterine wall will produce hormones that can be detected through urine examination with a pregnancy test . “Meanwhile, signs and symptoms of pregnancy can only be seen when the hCG or hormone produced by the fetus is high enough at around 4-5 weeks of gestation which can be counted from the last day of menstruation.” explained Dr. Aditya.
The best time to use a test pack is around 1 week after your late menstrual period. The reason is, in general it takes about 3 weeks after fertilization for there to be enough hCG in the urine to produce a positive pregnancy test.
Dr. Adhitya, Sp.OG also explained that other symptoms can be seen at 5 weeks of pregnancy. Symptoms include nausea, dizziness, and decreased appetite. Meanwhile, physical signs will appear in the first trimester of pregnancy (10-12 weeks) such as hypopigmentation and changes in the nipples.
The characteristics of 1 week of early pregnancy can be confusing, even if you use a test pack at this time there is a big chance that the results will be false negative . Therefore, it is better to wait at least until the menstrual schedule arrives.
