Pregnancy, whether planned or unplanned, provides certain signs that can help you determine whether or not you are pregnant, as well as how far along you are. Even as soon as 10 to 14 days after ovulating you may begin to feel certain signs of pregnancy that should encourage you to perform a pregnancy test, suggests the Mayo Clinic. Some signs may even occur during the first week of pregnancy.
Step 1
Use an oral thermometer to take your basal temperature as soon as possible after you wake up each day. If you became pregnant after ovulation, your basal temperature should increase slightly and continue to be higher for two weeks or more until the time of your typical next period, states the Mayo Clinic.
Step 2
Feel your breasts for signs of tenderness or swelling. Soon after conception, the hormonal changes that occur with pregnancy can cause your breasts to change, making them feel sore, or even heavier and fuller.
Step 3
Look for signs of implantation bleeding as soon as two weeks after conception. This bleeding will be lighter in color than your typical period, and occurs as the zygote attaches to the lining of your uterus. Implantation bleeding can start as soon as six days after the zygote attaches, notes the American Pregnancy Association.
Step 4
Look for digestive symptoms such as nausea -- without vomiting -- constipation or cramps, which can signal the beginning of the internal and hormonal changes that take place during the first few weeks after conception.
Step 5
Watch for a missed period during the typical time of your menstrual cycle. Although missing a period does not guarantee that you are pregnant, it is one of the first physical signs that should inspire you to take a pregnancy test.
Step 6
Examine your energy levels throughout the day over the course of a week. A change in hormone levels with pregnancy can dramatically increase your progesterone levels. Too much progesterone can elicit the same response as when your body activates your GABAA receptors at night to help you fall asleep, according to research performed by the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry published in the American Journal of Physiology. These progesterone levels can cause you to feel chronic fatigue.
Things You'll Need
- Oral thermometer
