Self-diagnosis of very early pregnancy symptoms: Self-check method [supervised by a doctor in 2023]
Once pregnancy is established, early pregnancy symptoms generally begin to appear around the third week of pregnancy. Early pregnancy symptoms vary from person to person, but in many cases women realize they are pregnant around the fifth week of pregnancy. In this article, a doctor explains the physical changes that occur during early pregnancy and self-checks.
Summary of this article
Very early pregnancy symptoms occur around the 2nd to 3rd week of pregnancy, and the main symptoms include a small amount of bleeding (implantation bleeding), increased watery discharge, abdominal discomfort, lower back pain, increased nausea and belching, sluggishness and headache. , breast tenderness, frequent urination, and increased constipation or diarrhea. These symptoms vary from person to person, but if you are trying to get pregnant and experience these symptoms, you should refrain from drinking and smoking, and be careful when using over-the-counter medications. Self-checking with a pregnancy test is also possible, but it is important to do it at the right time to get accurate results.
Unusual changes in your physical condition, such as your period being delayed or your breasts becoming swollen and painful, could be a sign of pregnancy. Although it varies from person to person, various pregnancy symptoms appear during the early stages of pregnancy, so a simple self-check is possible. If you are experiencing any of the early pregnancy symptoms, please see an obstetrician and gynecologist as soon as possible.
About very early pregnancy symptoms
Main symptoms that appear in the very early stages of pregnancy
Three pregnancy hormones secreted during early pregnancy
HCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin)
Follicle hormone (estrogen)
Progesterone (progesterone)
Manage your physical condition with a basal thermometer
What is the high temperature period in very early pregnancy?
Self-check your pregnancy with a pregnancy test
If the pregnancy test shows a positive line, go to your obstetrician and gynecologist.
Once pregnancy is confirmed, NIPT (New Prenatal Diagnosis)
Frequently asked questions about very early pregnancy symptoms
About very early pregnancy symptoms
Generally speaking, “very early pregnancy symptoms” refer to the 2nd to 3rd week of pregnancy. Although it is not a medical term, it refers to changes in the body that occur during pregnancy.
The first day of your last menstrual period before pregnancy is considered week 0 of pregnancy, and in the first week of pregnancy, the egg matures and preparations for ovulation begin. When ovulation occurs in the second week of pregnancy, only one egg, called the “dominant follicle,” is released, and if it can meet sperm within 24 hours, it becomes fertilized.
A fertilized egg is originally a single cell, but it begins to divide once a day. This is called cleavage, and as the cells multiply, they pass through the fallopian tubes and make their way to the endometrium. Pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants in the lining of the uterus during the third week of pregnancy.
Physical discomfort and discomfort that occur between the second and third week of pregnancy are the “very early pregnancy symptoms.” Please note that even if you use a pregnancy test in the very early stages of pregnancy, it will not give a correct reaction, so please be careful.
- Very early pregnancy : 2nd to 3rd week of pregnancy
- Early pregnancy : up to 13 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy
- Second trimester : 14 weeks 0 days to 27 weeks 6 days of pregnancy
- Late pregnancy : 28 weeks of pregnancy ~ (40 weeks and 0 days due date of birth)
Main symptoms that appear in the very early stages of pregnancy
- Bleeding that is lighter than your period (implantation bleeding)
- Increased watery discharge
- Abdominal discomfort such as abdominal pain or bloating
- lower back pain
- Increased nausea and belching due to stomach heaviness
- Cold-like symptoms such as malaise and headaches
- Tightness or tingling in the chest
- Frequent urination
- Increased constipation or diarrhea
- Emotional instability such as irritability
- Rough skin or canker sores
- My feet are swollen
- Decreased appetite or increased appetite
- chronic sleepiness
- sense of smell becomes more sensitive
- body temperature rises
Very early pregnancy symptoms vary from person to person, and symptoms vary from person to person. However, if you are trying to get pregnant and experience any of the above early pregnancy symptoms, refrain from drinking, smoking, and taking over-the-counter medications.
Three pregnancy hormones secreted during early pregnancy
Symptoms that appear in the early stages of pregnancy (4th to 15th week of pregnancy) after pregnancy is established (implantation) are mainly caused by the production and secretion of three pregnancy-related hormones. Pregnancy hormones prepare the placenta and mammary glands, promote fetal growth, and prepare for childbirth.
HCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin)
hCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone secreted only by pregnant women. A pregnancy test shows a positive result when a large amount of hCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin) is secreted, which is an essential hormone for fetal growth.
Follicle hormone (estrogen)
Follicular hormone (estrogen) is a hormone that thickens the endometrium and improves the passage of sperm. It also plays a role in developing mammary glands for milk secretion after childbirth.
Progesterone (progesterone)
Progesterone is a hormone that prepares the endometrium for a fertilized egg to implant. To help sustain pregnancy, it increases basal body temperature and maintains the thickness of the uterine lining. It is also the hormone that causes increased appetite during pregnancy.
Manage your physical condition with a basal thermometer
Symptoms in the very early stages of pregnancy, such as feeling tired and feeling sleepy, are similar to the early symptoms of a cold. Therefore, if you wish to become pregnant, it is a good idea to monitor your physical condition on a daily basis using a basal thermometer that can quantify the signs of pregnancy.
What is the high temperature period in very early pregnancy?
A woman’s basal body temperature is divided into two periods: the low temperature period (low temperature phase) and the high temperature period (high temperature phase) from the beginning of her period until the next period.
If your menstrual cycle is 28 days, there will be a “low temperature period” for about 14 days after your period starts, when your basal body temperature is low, and a “high temperature period” for about 14 days after ovulation.
However, when you become pregnant, your basal body temperature rises due to the action of progesterone, and the “high temperature period” continues. It is said that if your body temperature remains elevated for about 3 weeks, your chances of pregnancy increase.
Even if you do not measure your temperature with a basal thermometer, you should be careful because if you have symptoms such as a persistent low-grade fever without a sore throat or runny nose, you may be pregnant.
Self-check your pregnancy with a pregnancy test
If you continue to experience symptoms such as a slight fever, hot flashes, or malaise after the 14th day of the high temperature period, use a commercially available pregnancy test to perform a pregnancy self-check.
When pregnancy occurs, a large amount of hCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin) is secreted, and pregnancy tests detect positive or negative pregnancy results based on the reaction of hCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin).
In addition, self-checking pregnancy using a pregnancy test is called a “flying test,” and there are many cases where the test is negative because the test was taken too early. Don’t panic, try testing again after the 14th day of the high temperature period.
If the pregnancy test shows a positive line, go to your obstetrician and gynecologist.
If a positive line appears on your pregnancy test, you should see an obstetrician and gynecologist around the 6th week of your pregnancy. Pregnancy tests are not confirmatory tests. An ultrasound test confirms the pregnancy by checking the heartbeat of the baby inside the gestational sac.
What is the correct use and appropriate timing of a pregnancy test [supervised by a doctor]
If you suspect that you are pregnant, such as when your period is late or if you feel a change in your physical condition, you should get a pregnancy test before visiting your obstetrician and gynecologist. In this article, we will introduce the features of pregnancy test…
Once pregnancy is confirmed, NIPT (New Prenatal Diagnosis)
For those who are trying to become pregnant, the most important thing to worry about from the day the pregnancy is confirmed until delivery is the health of the baby. Especially when pregnant at an older age, the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus and miscarriage increases.
NIPT (New Prenatal Diagnosis) is a test that uses only maternal blood to detect possible risks of congenital diseases due to chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. Testing is possible from 10 weeks and 0 days of pregnancy, and unlike conventional prenatal diagnosis, there is almost no direct invasion (damage) to the fetus. In addition, NIPT (New Prenatal Testing) can be said to be a highly accurate test with a sensitivity and specificity of 99.9% in detecting trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) .
At Hiro Clinic NIPT, we offer a variety of NIPT (New Prenatal Diagnosis) plans, from single chromosome tests to tests that detect the risk of all chromosomal abnormalities. In addition, Hiro Clinic NIPT’s unique “Positive Score”, which quantifies the probability of a positive test, is also provided free of charge.
You can check the health status of your precious baby at an early stage and have a healthy pregnancy and childbirth. Please feel free to contact Hiro Clinic NIPT , which has specialists who are familiar with NIPT (New Prenatal Diagnosis) .
What kind of test is NIPT (New Prenatal Testing)?
New type of prenatal diagnosis (NIPT) is the diagnosis of trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome),
Q&A
FAQ
We have compiled some frequently asked questions about very early pregnancy symptoms. Please try to reference.
- Q – What is implantation bleeding?
If implantation occurs, implantation bleeding may occur as a symptom on the seventh day of the high temperature period. Implantation bleeding is a condition in which a small amount of bleeding continues for 1 to 4 days, and caution is required as the symptoms can easily be mistaken for menstruation.
However, it is said that less than 25% of people are aware of implantation bleeding. Just because there is no implantation bleeding does not mean that the implantation has not occurred.
- Q- How long does the high temperature period last before you can be considered pregnant?
Normally, the high temperature period is said to last until the 14th day. When your period comes after the 14th day of the high temperature period, the low temperature period will return, but if the high temperature period continues after the 14th day and you have symptoms such as a slight fever, you may be pregnant.
However, there are many cases where people without symptoms such as a slight fever on the 14th day of the high temperature period test positive on subsequent pregnancy tests. The high temperature period may vary depending on the person, so it is important to consider the 14th day of the high temperature period as a guideline.
Also, if you use an early pregnancy test, it is possible to test on the 12th day of the high temperature period.
Once pregnancy is established, early pregnancy symptoms generally begin to appear around the third week of pregnancy. Early pregnancy symptoms vary from person to person, but in many cases women realize they are pregnant around the fifth week of pregnancy. In this article, a doctor explains the physical changes that occur during early pregnancy and self-checks.