Early Pregnancy Mood Swings

The hormonal fluctuations that accompany early pregnancy can do a whole lot more than make you feel sick, tired, urinate more often and break out in zits. Those early pregnancy signs are all very charming to be sure, but the cherry on the cake could well be mood swings. Emotional changes can turn up soon after conception and can be quite invasive.

Some women feel anxious or depressed, while others cry at the slightest trigger or feel like they are on a pink, happy cloud. Make no mistake about it; mood swings and unexpectedly strong emotions can hit even the most cool-headed woman. When a commercial made me sob, I knew I was pregnant. I am not usually that silly, and I am glad to share that it went away again quite soon.[7]

Early pregnancy mood swings can also make women wonder whether they are really ready to have a baby or fit to be a mother. These feelings may alarm you, especially if you and your partner had been trying to conceive and were very excited about having a baby. The realization that your dreams are now about to turn into reality can be quite enough to make you worry about the future, but the hormonal changes you are going through make it even harder. Most women will feel normal again within a few weeks. Talking to your partner about your pregnancy, engaging in regular exercise, and eating healthily will help you cope with your mood swings.

A Missed Period And A Positive Pregnancy Test

A woman's menstrual period can be late for various reasons, including stress. A missed period is still the single most obvious signal that you may be pregnant, especially if you also have other pregnancy symptoms. The date of an expected period is not always obvious, though. Couples who had been working on having a baby will know a little bit about the female partner's menstrual cycle in most cases, and may take a missed period as their sign to take a pregnancy test. Women who do not track their cycle may remember they should have had their period by around that time, and start wondering if they could be pregnant.[8]

It is important to keep in mind that some women experience an implantation bleeding when their fertilized egg implants into the uterine lining. An implantation bleeding is actually a pregnancy symptom all itself, but this event that manifests as light spotting is not universal by any means and can also be so light that you miss it. For some women, the implantation bleeding is heavy enough to confuse it for a period. This confusion can be avoided relatively easily, fortunately — an implantation bleeding occurs seven to ten days after ovulation and usually stops within a day, while menstrual flow happens later in the cycle, is heavier, and lasts longer.[9]

Once you have missed your period, it is time for the final step to determine whether or not you conceived this month. You can now stop watching out for those little signs and symptoms. You can now stop reading articles about early pregnancy symptoms, and living in anticipation. It is time for that home pregnancy test!

Early pregnancy test may be accurate as early as ten days after ovulation, but I recommend you stick it out and wait for that missed period. Modern pregnancy tests will show reliable results at any time of the day, but your urine is still most concentrated first thing in the morning and it is best to test at that time. Good luck!