Pregnancy is a nine month cycle that has various stages of development since conception. The process of conception starts with a mature egg of a woman being fertilised by a healthy sperm. As the egg gets fertilised, the chromosomes of both egg and sperm come together which determines the gender of the baby. In order to keep the other sperm out, the fertilised egg closes its outer membrane immediately. A fertilised egg is known as a Zygote, where the cells start to divide and multiply forming a Blastocyst. The cells produced help in the baby’s future development and create the Umbilical Cord, Amniotic Sac and the Placenta.
The process of implantation happens when the Blastocyst fixes itself to the Endometrium of the Uterus, which can normally take up to ten days, and the egg is then formally known as the embryo. During the first week of pregnancy, the one cell zygote, transforms into millions of cells that form three groups, where the first one is called the Mesoderm which form the reproductive organs, muscles, kidneys, circulatory system and the skeleton. The second group is the Ectoderm which forms the nervous system, senses and skin, and the last group is the Endoderm that forms the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems as the baby grows and develops. The heartbeat develops by week three and the brain, eyes, ears and a mouth opening start to form by week four, and the embryo starts to pump blood on its own to the arms and legs. This is the time where the umbilical cord and placenta also form to provide the foetus with nutrients and oxygen as well as take out the waste throughout the pregnancy.
To determine your pregnancy, we need to understand the first signs of conception or conception symptoms. The body part that is affected mainly during pregnancy is the uterus, which increases in its size, shape and weight when pregnant. For many women, early symptoms of pregnancy start to show in the first few weeks of conception.
Here are a few early signs and symptoms of pregnancy to look out for:
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Tender and swollen breasts:
These are the first signs of conception and pregnancy that may appear in a woman’s body. These signs appear as early as the first two weeks of conception. These occur due to hormonal changes in a woman’s body due to pregnancy, making their breasts, heavier, fuller, tender and sore.
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Fatigue:
This is another one of the first few signs of pregnancy. During this time, the progesterone hormone levels rise up, which can cause tiredness and sleep induction, and at the same time lowers blood sugar levels, lowers blood pressure and increases blood production, which may bring down your energy.
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Spotting and cramping:
A small amount of spotting known as implantation bleeding occurs as a part of the early symptoms. It happens when a fertilised egg, attaches itself to the uterus, commonly in the first two weeks after fertilisation. It is lighter in colour as compared to period blood and lasts for a shorter duration. Some women may also experience abdominal cramping, similar to period cramps.
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Nausea:
Feeling queasy is a part of the first trimester of a pregnancy, and is commonly known as Morning Sickness. Contrary to its name, this can occur at any time of the day or night due to the high estrogen levels in the body that make the stomach empty slower than normal. A pregnant woman also has a heightened sense of smell, which trigger nausea through certain odours.
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Food craving or aversion:
During pregnancy, a woman may normally experience either craving for or opposed to different kinds of food. This happens due to the hormonal changes that take place in the body in the first trimester.
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Headache:
As the hormonal changes start to occur, there is an increased circulation of blood in the body. These changes often lead to mild headaches in early pregnancy.
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Mood Swings:
Another symptom of pregnancy and its onset of hormonal changes can make a woman emotional about almost anything.
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Dizziness and Fainting:
During pregnancy, the blood vessels dilate and blood pressure drops, which can cause dizziness and bouts of fainting which happens due to low blood sugar.
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Constipation:
As the progesterone hormone increases during pregnancy, it makes the food to pass through the intestines at a slower rate and causes constipation.
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Change in body temperature:
During pregnancy, the body temperature increases after ovulation and stays that way until the onset of the next period.
These changes and symptoms may even occur before the onset of your period, hence, it is best to always get a test done and consult your gynaecologist to determine the exact result. Check-in with our Experts to get accurate diagnosis and results. Here’s why we are your best choice.
