Am I Pregnant? 3 Early Signs

The early days of a pregnancy are filled with uncertainty and you probably have a thousand questions to be answered, but prior to that there is just one question: Am I Pregnant? The misconception that you can know immediately after having sex that you will become pregnant is quite common, but even a blood test cannot know this early. It takes six days from the time the egg is fertilized until it implants on the Uterus wall. This is the point that your hormone levels begin to change as your body produces more Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. While the production of this hormone is rapid(it doubles in production every day) it does not start until the fertilized egg has come to rest on the uterus wall. A blood test can pick up these increased level approximately 8-10 days after conception, and a urine test will usually not pick them up until 10-14 days and beyond.

Generally though people will not test immediately after intercourse, but after they have missed their period, in which case the HcG levels should be more than high enough to give a definitive result. But prior to your period there are a few things you should look out for:

1. Darker Areolas - this darkening usually begins within a week of conception, making it one of the earliest physical signs of pregnancy. The area around the nipples will darken and the bumps on the Areolas will become more pronounced.

2. Nausea - Roughly half the woman who get pregnant will suffer from morning sickness. Morning sickness can come in varying severity and does not necessarily occur in the morning.

3. Increased Sensitivity in Breasts and Nipples - This sensitivity can onset very early, but unless you are expecting it the tenderness in your breasts and nipples can often be discounted as 'just one of those things'. The tenderness is a result of your changing hormone levels and should subside as your body adjusts.