What is the difference between period and pregnancy symptoms?

(July 21, 2010)

PMS and Pregnancy Symptoms

Pregnancy symptoms are often mistaken for pre-menstrual or period symptoms as they are very similar. For instance, implantation is a common pregnancy symptom but it can be mistaken as the beginning of a menstrual cycle. Pre-menstrual symptoms include bloating which is also common to pregnancy symptoms. After ovulation, a woman will notice an increase in vaginal fluids and when a woman is pregnant she may also experience the same symptom. When a woman is pregnant, her body stats to produce more discharge than it usually does as this fluid is used to form a mucus plug. This mucus plug is a natural cushion for the baby and helps to provide protection in case the mother falls down or bumps into something. There are many times when it may be almost impossible to distinguish pregnancy symptoms from period symptoms and so a pregnancy test is necessary.

There are several minor differences between the early symptoms of pregnancy and period symptoms and once you have identified these, it will be easier for you to determine whether you are indeed pregnant. A woman’s breasts start to feel tender and swell very early on in her pregnancy which is not common to premenstrual symptoms. In rare cases, a woman may find that her breasts are a little tender just before menstruation but there is no sign of swelling. Furthermore, if your regular pre-period symptoms do not include breast tenderness, and if you find that your breasts are sore, there is a high chance that you are pregnancy. This is because each woman experiences different premenstrual symptoms but it is very rare for them to suddenly occur. Sudden changes in premenstrual symptoms are generally associated with drastic lifestyle changes such as an extremely restrictive diet, sudden bouts of strenuous exercise, and a rapid rise in stress levels. While bloating is common to both premenstrual symptoms and pregnancy symptoms, nausea is only associated with pregnancy. Once again, if you normally experience nausea as a premenstrual symptom, it will not be considered to be indicative of pregnancy. However, if you do not normally experience nausea, there is a high possibility that you are pregnant.

A pregnancy test will help to determine whether you are pregnant and you can take one as soon as you realize that you have missed your period. You may have to wait for a day or two and then repeat the test once more as this will help to give you a definite result. If both tests are negative, there is a very slight chance that you are pregnant but if the second test alone is positive there is a good chance that you are pregnant. A blood test is a better form of pregnancy testing as it will provide an accurate result.

Submitted by P T on July 21, 2010 at 06:02