Do PMS symptoms persist during pregnancy? How to distinguish pre-menstrual symptoms from pregnancy

Every representative of the fair sex experiences a feeling of anxiety, more and more intensely before the day when menstruation begins. its symptoms are very similar to the symptoms that occur on early stages pregnancy. Therefore, some are looking forward, and some are hoping that this time there will be a reason to do a test. And not every young lady knows how to distinguish PMS from pregnancy, because the first signs that pregnancy has begun new life, a woman experiences every month during premenstrual syndrome. For representatives of the fair sex who are active sex life You need to pay attention to your health and body.

Common symptoms of PMS and pregnancy

Although the signs of pregnancy and PMS are similar, there are very important differences. So, let's figure out what they are?

Signs of pregnancy:

• the presence of discomfort and pain in the abdominal area;
• sensitivity of the mammary glands throughout the entire period of gestation;
• frequent urination;
• short-term or scanty bleeding;
• the appearance of nausea, especially after 4-5 weeks from the date of conception;
• erratic mood with a predominance of positive emotions;
• fatigue, possibly of chronic origin;
• a change in taste, as well as a possible preference for previously unloved foods.

Signs of PMS:

• the presence of discomfort, as well as pain in the abdomen and back;
• the sensitivity of the mammary glands disappears with the onset of menstruation;
• bleeding, which then progresses to menstruation;
• erratic mood with a predominance of negative emotions after the onset of menstruation returns to its previous state;
• fatigue goes away with the arrival of menstruation;
• change in taste, as well as a possible preference for salty and sweet foods. Uncontrollable eating often occurs.

Changing dietary preferences

It is no secret that when a woman is pregnant, her eating preferences change. Pregnant women experience an unbearable craving for salty and sweet foods. I no longer like the taste of familiar dishes and want something new. This condition can overtake a woman both during PMS and during pregnancy. initial stage pregnancy. Perhaps that's where the similarities end.

When disgust sets in for certain dishes or products, this condition is characteristic only of pregnant women. During PMS, women do not feel sick from any food; this is one of the signs of pregnancy. Due to global changes in a woman’s body, toxicosis increases. Toxicosis occurs due to an unformed placenta, and waste products of the fetus end up in the mother’s blood; this condition generally disappears after the placenta matures at 4 months. Here's how the two states differ.

The thirst to taste new foods can be a simple replenishment of the body with vitamins and microelements, which is a natural physiological need.

Chronic fatigue

After a new life has been born in the female body, the girl begins to quickly get tired, this is due to an increased amount of the hormone progesterone. As a result, blood sugar levels drop and then blood pressure decreases, which is how constant fatigue syndrome begins.

As during the period of bearing a child, and before PMS, the same release of hormones occurs in the body, so a woman’s fatigue increases. However, after menstruation occurs, the amount of the hormone progesterone will return to normal and the feeling of fatigue will quickly pass.

Unfortunately, these feelings of fatigue should not be ignored. The hormonal imbalance that leads to this condition can be a sign of serious disorders or indicate dangerous problems with the woman’s health.

Pain in the spine and ovaries

In the middle, the female body prepares to release an egg ready for fertilization into the fallopian tubes. During this process, the inner mucous layer of the uterus grows. And before the onset of menstruation, this layer begins to peel off, this is the cause of pain in the ovarian area. These sensations have varying intensities, so some women do not experience any discomfort, and for some they accompany them throughout their periods.

Early in pregnancy painful sensations in the ovarian area they have the opposite etiology: the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus, which irritates the mucous layer. This symptom is the same, but the intensity and duration of pain is different, during pregnancy with normal development Fetal pain is short-term and does not have strong intensity.

To summarize, it is worth noting that pain as a symptom during premenstrual syndrome is more pronounced than during pregnancy.

Also, before the onset of menstruation, a woman may be bothered by spinal pain in the lumbar region, this is due to the fact that the bone marrow produces a large number of red blood cells. This condition can last for a week.

But on early stages There are no such sensations during pregnancy, only some expectant mothers may experience them, but only towards the end of the term.

Change of mood

Mood swings are another similar symptom, but there are still differences. The consequence of such symptoms, as for the most part other during PMS and pregnancy, is an abrupt level of hormones.

Among the fair sex, negative emotions predominate during PMS: tears, short temper, depression, and the mood during pregnancy is more pronounced, both positive and negative. negative emotions. A woman may burst into tears for no significant reason, and then suddenly laugh. Insomnia may occur due to an overstrained nervous system.

Changes in the chest area

During pregnancy and PMS, transformation of the mammary glands occurs due to changes in the amount of hormones in a woman’s blood, so determine the presence of interesting situation or premenstrual syndrome is practically impossible. The only thing that distinguishes this state is its duration. Before the onset of PMS, the breasts hurt and become enlarged for a couple of days, but in expectant mothers this condition persists throughout the entire period of pregnancy.

What is the difference

It is not always possible to distinguish PMS from pregnancy in the early stages. In the first days and even weeks, the symptoms of pregnancy are still subtle and can be interpreted ambiguously. Sometimes women interpret PMS as signs of an interesting situation, but the opposite happens. When waiting for her period, a woman does not realize that a new life has already arisen in her. Since there are no pronounced signs, and representatives of the fair sex are already accustomed to feeling such a malaise every month. It is for this reason that difficulties arise in determining the difference between pregnancy and PMS. However, there are still distinctive features, and further we will consider them in more detail.

Frequent urination

Frequent urination during pregnancy worries a woman at the beginning and at the end of her pregnancy. At first, due to the fact that the concentration of progesterone in the body increases, the walls of the bladder relax, but later later the uterus enlarges and presses bladder.

But for PMS this condition is not acceptable. Due to hormones, swelling may appear, which disappears on the third day of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, there may be a weight gain of 1.5 kg, which then disappears.

Toxicosis

Perhaps the main symptom by which one can recognize this PMS or pregnancy is toxicosis. The first signs of pregnancy occur after the fetal nucleus attaches to the wall of the uterus, but its more obvious symptoms appear after three to four weeks. During this time in the body expectant mother The baby's waste products accumulate, which contribute to nausea. Therefore, if nausea appears before a missed period, this may be a signal of a number of other diseases. During PMS, a woman does not experience this condition.

Bloody discharge

Upon arrival, bleeding occurs. However, even for the first time days after conception, this is quite possible. Since during the period of implantation into the walls of the uterus, a fertilized egg can damage small blood vessels, as a result of which blood discharge may appear, however, light and scanty. Then like a bright red hue.

In extremely rare cases, there may be pregnancy through menstruation, but in such cases heavy bloody issues most often indicate pathological changes.

How can you tell the difference?

From the article you already understood that it is extremely difficult to distinguish pregnancy from PMS on your own due to the similarity of symptoms. However, there is nothing surprising here, since all the processes in the female body are similar, but there are still differences. So, if you listen carefully to your body, you can independently determine the presence of an interesting position before the delay.

Of course, everything is quite individual, some have not experienced premenstrual syndrome throughout their lives, while others are already familiar with it, and some even had no hint of toxicosis while carrying a child. Every woman’s body is special and reacts differently to a woman’s productive functions.

Therefore, when going through the next menstrual cycle, every woman should listen to the slightest deviations in the functioning of the reproductive system, and also become a reason to get tested.

Over time, every woman will learn to correctly interpret the signals of her body.

Determining whether a girl has PMS or pregnancy is very difficult. The closer the time is to the expected date of menstruation, the more anxious every girl feels. Some tremblingly hope that the red days of the calendar will not begin this time and that there is a reason to buy a pregnancy test, others are nervous in anticipation of the onset of menstruation.

Comparative list of similarities and differences

PMS symptoms:

• Discomfort in the abdomen - yes;
• Back pain - yes;
• Pain in the ovarian area (lower abdomen) - eat more often, the intensity of the pain is individual;
• Breast sensitivity is present, but disappears with the onset of menstruation;
• Fatigue - yes, disappears with the onset of menstruation;
• Frequent urge to urinate - no;
• There is no bloody discharge, or the discharge that has started turns into menstruation;
• Nausea - no;
• Mood swings - negative emotions predominate, with the onset of menstruation the mood stabilizes;
• Change taste preferences and sensitivity to smells - cravings for salty or sweet foods, possible gluttony. There are no fundamental changes.

Symptoms of pregnancy:

• Discomfort in the abdomen - yes;
• Back pain - there is, but in the later stages;
• Pain in the ovarian area (lower abdomen) - present, mild, short-lived;
• Breast sensitivity - present throughout pregnancy;
• Fatigue - yes, chronic;
• Frequent urge to urinate - yes;
• There is blood discharge, scanty, short-term;
• Nausea - yes, pronounced 4-5 weeks after conception;
• Mood swings - characterized by mood swings, more positive emotions;
• Changes in taste preferences and sensitivity to smells - possible craving for previously unloved foods, aversion to familiar dishes, intolerance to some common smells.

The difference between pregnancy and premenstrual syndrome

The birth of a new life at first is accompanied by not very expressive symptoms. The catch is that the woman experiences the lion's share of these sensations (PMS). For this reason, difficulties arise in identifying sensations and comparing them with pregnancy or PMS.

But still, certain distinctive features exist and lie in the fact that some symptoms are characteristic exclusively of pregnancy; they do not occur during PMS. These include the following:

• Frequent urination. This is due to the fact that fetal metabolic products enter the bloodstream and the kidneys begin to more actively process the elements of the vital functions of two organisms. If you notice that the urge to go to the restroom has become more frequent, then you may suspect that an “interesting situation” has arisen.
• Autopoisoning of the body (toxicosis). The appearance of toxicosis is associated with hormonal changes and immaturity of the placenta. Its most striking manifestation is nausea, especially in the morning. Similar sensations are caused by the accumulation in the blood of the concentration of metabolic products (metabolism) of the unborn child. With PMS, no such sensations arise.
• Implantation bleeding. During the attachment of the zygote to the uterine walls, the egg can damage small capillaries. This may be accompanied by slight vaginal discharge of a bloody nature. If you notice scanty, short-term bleeding, then in the case of pregnancy this is normal, but with PMS the bleeding will develop into menstrual bleeding.
• Changes in eating behavior. With PMS, some women also experience a similar symptom. But it is common for pregnant women to experience a sharp feeling of hunger. If you feel hungry for more than a couple of days, you are probably pregnant. There may also be a change in food preferences, in which a craving for new dishes appears, and familiar foods can cause disgust and disgust.
• Sensitivity to odors. When a woman is “pregnant,” the olfactory analyzer can behave in the most unpredictable ways: smells that were previously liked can cause disgust and vice versa. Such changes are associated with toxicosis.
• Mood swings. It is inherent in both states, but there is still a difference. With PMS, a woman is more often irritable, hot-tempered, depressed and upset. During pregnancy, you may notice that you have become more sentimental and subject to sudden mood swings - from joyful emotions to tears for no reason. That is, the range of moods during pregnancy is much wider, positive emotions predominate.

Identical signs

There are a number of signs that apply equally to premenstrual syndrome and pregnancy:

• Bloating.- a common phenomenon, but pregnancy can also be accompanied by a similar phenomenon.
• Breast tenderness and increase in volume. With PMS they are short-term in nature, in the case of pregnancy - this symptom accompanies its entire period due to preparation for lactation, an increase in a couple of sizes is possible.
• Fast fatiguability. In both conditions, there is an increase in production - this causes a feeling of fatigue and drowsiness. With the onset of menstruation, a woman’s hormone levels will normalize and fatigue will pass. If you are pregnant, this symptom will accompany you for many months.
• . The only common feature in this symptom is the fact of pain itself. However, the pain has different character and are caused by various reasons. With PMS, the pain is more intense and lasting and is caused by detachment of the mucous membrane from the walls of the uterus. During pregnancy, the reverse process occurs - the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine walls and irritates its mucous membrane. In the second case, the pain is not very pronounced and is short-term.
• . This symptom appears during PMS. This is not relevant for early pregnancy. Only with a significant increase in fetal weight does this symptom occur in pregnant women, that is, at a later stage (mainly in the 3rd trimester).

The female body is a unique and individual mechanism. With every experience menstrual cycle You will know yourself better, and you will be able to easily recognize the approach of monthly bleeding. A girl’s sense of self is one of the most clear signals about the behavior of the reproductive system.

Diagnosis of pregnancy

To distinguish the signs of pregnancy from PMS and finally confirm your assumptions, you can use the following methods:

• - the method is effective only if temperature charts are regularly compiled over several months. With a single measurement of basal temperature, you will not be able to draw any conclusions;
• Maintaining a menstruation calendar - this method will only allow you to determine the fact of a delay in menstruation.

Study of the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) - a hormone that begins to be produced after implantation ovum into the uterine cavity. Offers 2 options:

• Using a pregnancy test is a quick and convenient method that tests urine. During pregnancy, a certain hormone will be detected in it. Every day the concentration of the hormone increases and along with it the reliability of the test increases. For true results, .
• Taking a blood test - this method is identical in meaning to the previous one, only in in this case blood is examined. A blood test can show earlier whether conception has occurred, since the level of the hormone rises in the blood earlier than in the urine.

Examination by a gynecologist - the doctor examines the internal genital organs using palpation. In pregnant women, the size, shape and tone of the uterus changes. An experienced gynecologist will be able to determine this. Doctors are never limited to a routine examination; if pregnancy is suspected, you will definitely be referred for additional tests (laboratory, ultrasound).

Ultrasound examination (ultrasound) is a method in which the pelvic organs are examined using ultrasound. In the early stages of pregnancy, a transvaginal version of ultrasound is used, that is, a sensor is inserted into the vagina. It is possible to determine the presence of pregnancy with this method as early as 3 weeks after conception.

What is the likelihood of conceiving during PMS?

One of the most exciting issues is whether there are guaranteed safe days for sexual intercourse so that fertilization does not occur. It is believed that you can get pregnant only a few days before ovulation and on the day of ovulation itself. In fact, even healthy woman With a regular menstrual cycle, it is not always possible to predict the period of ovulation 100%.

If you have an unprotected intimacy on the eve of menstruation, even with PMS symptoms, the likelihood of getting pregnant is minimal, but still remains.

Thus, due to the fact that ovulation is possible on any day and sperm are able to remain active for a long time (up to a week), the likelihood of pregnancy developing throughout the entire cycle if the partners did not use contraception.

Is there PMS during pregnancy?

During the period of bearing a child, the work of the ovaries is minimized, and therefore pregnant women do not have premenstrual syndrome. However, pregnancy also has its own specific symptoms, among which there may be some that coincide with the signs of PMS. Their appearance and disappearance are not systematic.

Signs of PMS will resume in a woman after childbirth in a few months, each individually.

Any changes in the female reproductive system should cause increased attention to themselves. The signs of PMS are familiar to every girl, but if you have any questions or doubts about what this or that symptom may be associated with, you can resort to any method of self-diagnosis. However, to confirm your own assumptions, be sure to undergo examination by a specialist.

The abbreviation PMS is never used or deciphered. Of all the symptoms characteristic of this phenomenon in public opinion Only irritability and sudden mood swings took hold. Of course, when viewed from the outside, it is the mood that is most noticeable. A woman has to go through much more unpleasant moments, including pain.

And if only this, most of the symptoms of PMS are very similar to early symptoms pregnancy. And how to understand what exactly a woman is dealing with in a particular case?

PMS or early signs of pregnancy?

Let's try to understand where certain sensations come from in both cases. And at the end of the article we will compile a summary table that will help determine what is happening: PMS or pregnancy.

Changing eating behavior

“Are you craving something salty? Are you pregnant?” - this almost traditional phrase is familiar to everyone, and often it is a change in tastes in food, a craving for new foods and an aversion to familiar ones that is called one of the first signs of pregnancy, as well. And premenstrual syndrome. Indeed, both during PMS and in the early stages, women can indulge in sweet or salty foods. But that's probably where the similarities end.

Food aversion which expectant mothers often experience is caused by early toxicosis, and this symptom rarely occurs before a missed period. Typically, toxicosis begins (if it begins at all) at 5-6 weeks. This is due to the vital activity of the fetus. The system for removing its waste products has not yet been adjusted; they enter directly into the mother’s blood, causing mild intoxication. Relief occurs by 4 months, when the placenta matures.

As for the craving for traditionally inedible products or products that a woman has never liked, as well as for non-standard combinations of them, it is associated with the body’s need for certain vitamins and elements. In addition, this condition is also typical for later periods.

Thus, eating behavior cannot be used as an indicator of PMS or pregnancy. The differences, although obvious, are typical for later periods.

Breast enlargement and sensitivity

The reason for the changes occurring in the mammary buds is a change in hormonal levels. Since these changes are characteristic of both conditions, it is almost impossible to determine whether breast tenderness is a symptom of pregnancy or PMS. The only thing you can try to focus on is the duration of the phenomenon. In the case of PMS, the breasts become engorged for 1-2 days, and during pregnancy this feeling accompanies the woman almost all the time. And this is easy to understand, because the breasts are actively preparing for lactation for 9 months.

Constant fatigue

The cause of increased fatigue at the beginning of pregnancy is an increase in progesterone levels. In combination with a decrease in blood sugar and low blood pressure, this effect occurs. Obviously, before menstruation, the level of this hormone in a woman’s body is comparable to the first days of pregnancy, and therefore fatigue occurs. With the onset of menstruation, progesterone levels drop and fatigue goes away.

Unfortunately, and constant fatigue cannot answer the question of how to distinguish PMS from pregnancy. However, this is not a reason not to pay attention to it. After all, increased fatigue can be a symptom of a number of diseases, most of which are somehow related to hormonal disorders. But such diseases should not be allowed to develop.

Lower abdominal pain

In the middle of the cycle, the uterus begins to prepare for implantation of the fertilized egg, that is, the mucous membrane grows on its walls. And before menstruation, excess mucus begins to gradually peel off from the walls of the uterus, this causes pain in the lower abdomen with premenstrual syndrome.

In the early stages of pregnancy, pain may also be felt, but this is due to the reverse process: the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus, “burrowing” into the mucous membrane. Thus, abdominal pain is another common symptom. However, the nature of the pain in both cases is different: during pregnancy the pain is very mild, unobtrusive and short-lived, literally 1-2 days. During PMS, the pain is very varied, individual for each woman: for some it is stronger, for others it is weaker, for some it goes away on the first day, and for others it suffers until the end of their period.

Back pain

Strictly speaking, talking about back pain as a general symptom of PMS and pregnancy is not entirely correct, since the lower back in pregnant women begins to hurt towards the end of the 2nd trimester, when the load on the spine increases. During this period, PMS can no longer be confused with pregnancy.

Mood swings

Now we have reached the most “problematic” symptom for many. As you might guess, the nature of this phenomenon is hormonal; it is typical for both PMS and early pregnancy. However, there is still a significant difference at this point.

PMS is more characterized by the negative part of the spectrum of emotions: anger, irritability, tears, and during pregnancy there are frequent mood changes, increased sensitivity and stronger, more vivid emotions. That is, positive emotions are as pronounced as negative ones.

This is where you can end with general symptoms. Now let's talk about the differences between the signs of pregnancy and PMS. Listed below are symptoms that are characteristic only of early pregnancy and have nothing to do with PM.

Frequent urination

Frequent urination worries a pregnant woman twice: at the end and at the beginning of pregnancy. But if everything is very clear with the 3rd trimester, there is pressure on the bladder from the enlarged uterus, then where this symptom comes from at the beginning of the term is not so obvious. This is due to changing metabolism. The kidneys begin to work more actively, because they have to remove waste from two organisms, rather than just one.

Toxicosis

This sign of pregnancy has already been mentioned within the article. And is it worth talking much about it? Indeed, this is one of the most early signs pregnancy, however, it makes itself felt a little later, already against the background of a delay in menstruation.

Bleeding

Strictly speaking, a woman’s body “finds out” about pregnancy during implantation of the fertilized egg. Until this moment, the fertilized egg has no contact with the mother’s body. Since in the process of implantation into the mucous membrane the egg may well damage small blood vessels, in some cases implantation is accompanied by slight bleeding.

To summarize: the signs of PMS and the first symptoms of pregnancy actually coincide in many ways, which makes diagnosing the latter very difficult. And if we take into account that not always all these symptoms “come together”, then it becomes difficult to decide.

The body of each representative of the fair sex is individual, unlike others. Accordingly, everyone reacts differently to various changes. Some people do not feel any changes at all, either during PMS or in the early stages of pregnancy, while others suffer every month.

However, it makes sense to create a chart that lists and compares all the symptoms that are common to pregnancy and PMS. It will help you orient yourself at least a little in the situation.

In general, diagnosing pregnancy in the early stages is very difficult. More or less precise symptoms begin after the delay of menstruation, and those signs that begin before the delay are too ambiguous and require increased attention.

Determining whether a girl has PMS or pregnancy is very difficult. The closer the time is to the expected date of menstruation, the more anxious every girl feels. Some tremblingly hope that the red days of the calendar will not begin this time and that there is a reason to buy a pregnancy test, others are nervous in anticipation of the onset of menstruation.

Comparative list of similarities and differences

PMS symptoms:

• Discomfort in the abdomen - yes;
• Back pain - yes;
• Pain in the ovarian area (lower abdomen) - eat more often, the intensity of the pain is individual;
• Breast sensitivity is present, but disappears with the onset of menstruation;
• Fatigue - yes, disappears with the onset of menstruation;
• Frequent urge to urinate - no;
• There is no bloody discharge, or the discharge that has started turns into menstruation;
• Nausea - no;
• Mood swings - negative emotions predominate, with the onset of menstruation the mood stabilizes;
• Changes in taste preferences and sensitivity to smells - cravings for salty or sweet, possible gluttony. There are no fundamental changes.

Symptoms of pregnancy:

• Discomfort in the abdomen - yes;
• Back pain - there is, but in the later stages;
• Pain in the ovarian area (lower abdomen) - present, mild, short-lived;
• Breast sensitivity - present throughout pregnancy;
• Fatigue - yes, chronic;
• Frequent urge to urinate - yes;
• There is blood discharge, scanty, short-term;
• Nausea - yes, pronounced 4-5 weeks after conception;
• Mood swings - characterized by mood swings, more positive emotions;
• Changes in taste preferences and sensitivity to smells - possible craving for previously unloved foods, aversion to familiar dishes, intolerance to some common smells.

The difference between pregnancy and premenstrual syndrome

The birth of a new life at first is accompanied by not very expressive symptoms. The catch is that the woman experiences the lion's share of these sensations (PMS). For this reason, difficulties arise in identifying sensations and comparing them with pregnancy or PMS.

But still, certain distinctive features exist and lie in the fact that some symptoms are characteristic exclusively of pregnancy; they do not occur during PMS. These include the following:

• Frequent urination. This is due to the fact that fetal metabolic products enter the bloodstream and the kidneys begin to more actively process the elements of the vital functions of two organisms. If you notice that the urge to go to the restroom has become more frequent, then you may suspect that an “interesting situation” has arisen.
• Autopoisoning of the body (toxicosis). The appearance of toxicosis is associated with hormonal changes and immaturity of the placenta. Its most striking manifestation is nausea, especially in the morning. Similar sensations are caused by the accumulation in the blood of the concentration of metabolic products (metabolism) of the unborn child. With PMS, no such sensations arise.
• Implantation bleeding. During the attachment of the zygote to the uterine walls, the egg can damage small capillaries. This may be accompanied by slight vaginal discharge of a bloody nature. If you notice scanty, short-term bleeding, then in the case of pregnancy this is normal, but with PMS the bleeding will develop into menstrual bleeding.
• Changes in eating behavior. With PMS, some women also experience a similar symptom. But it is common for pregnant women to experience a sharp feeling of hunger. If you feel hungry for more than a couple of days, you are probably pregnant. There may also be a change in food preferences, in which a craving for new dishes appears, and familiar foods can cause disgust and disgust.
• Sensitivity to odors. When a woman is “pregnant,” the olfactory analyzer can behave in the most unpredictable ways: smells that were previously liked can cause disgust and vice versa. Such changes are associated with toxicosis.
• Mood swings. It is inherent in both states, but there is still a difference. With PMS, a woman is more often irritable, hot-tempered, depressed and upset. During pregnancy, you may notice that you have become more sentimental and subject to sudden mood swings - from joyful emotions to tears for no reason. That is, the range of moods during pregnancy is much wider, positive emotions predominate.

Identical signs

There are a number of signs that apply equally to premenstrual syndrome and pregnancy:

• Bloating.- a common phenomenon, but pregnancy can also be accompanied by a similar phenomenon.
• Breast tenderness and increase in volume. With PMS they are short-term in nature, in the case of pregnancy - this symptom accompanies its entire period due to preparation for lactation, an increase in a couple of sizes is possible.
• Fast fatiguability. In both conditions, there is an increase in production - this causes a feeling of fatigue and drowsiness. With the onset of menstruation, a woman’s hormone levels will normalize and fatigue will pass. If you are pregnant, this symptom will accompany you for many months.
• . The only common feature in this symptom is the fact of pain itself. However, the pain is of a different nature and is caused by different reasons. With PMS, the pain is more intense and lasting and is caused by detachment of the mucous membrane from the walls of the uterus. During pregnancy, the reverse process occurs - the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine walls and irritates its mucous membrane. In the second case, the pain is not very pronounced and is short-term.
• . This symptom appears during PMS. This is not relevant for early pregnancy. Only with a significant increase in fetal weight does this symptom occur in pregnant women, that is, at a later stage (mainly in the 3rd trimester).

The female body is a unique and individual mechanism. With each menstrual cycle you experience, you get to know yourself better, and you can easily recognize the approach of monthly bleeding. A girl’s sense of self is one of the most clear signals about the behavior of the reproductive system.

Diagnosis of pregnancy

To distinguish the signs of pregnancy from PMS and finally confirm your assumptions, you can use the following methods:

• - the method is effective only if temperature charts are regularly compiled over several months. With a single measurement of basal temperature, you will not be able to draw any conclusions;
• Keeping a menstruation calendar - this method will only allow you to determine the fact of a delay in menstruation.

Studying the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that begins to be produced after implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine cavity. Offers 2 options:

• Using a pregnancy test is a quick and convenient method that tests urine. During pregnancy, a certain hormone will be detected in it. Every day the concentration of the hormone increases and along with it the reliability of the test increases. For true results, .
• Taking a blood test - this method is identical in meaning to the previous one, only in this case the blood is examined. A blood test can show earlier whether conception has occurred, since the level of the hormone rises in the blood earlier than in the urine.

Examination by a gynecologist - the doctor examines the internal genital organs using palpation. In pregnant women, the size, shape and tone of the uterus changes. An experienced gynecologist will be able to determine this. Doctors are never limited to a routine examination; if pregnancy is suspected, you will definitely be referred for additional tests (laboratory, ultrasound).

Ultrasound examination (ultrasound) is a method in which the pelvic organs are examined using ultrasound. In the early stages of pregnancy, a transvaginal version of ultrasound is used, that is, a sensor is inserted into the vagina. It is possible to determine the presence of pregnancy with this method as early as 3 weeks after conception.

What is the likelihood of conceiving during PMS?

One of the most exciting questions is whether there are guaranteed safe days for sexual intercourse so that fertilization does not occur. It is believed that you can get pregnant only a few days before ovulation and on the day of ovulation itself. In fact, even in a healthy woman with a regular menstrual cycle, it is not always possible to predict the period of ovulation 100%.

If you have unprotected intimacy on the eve of your period, even if you have PMS symptoms, the chance of getting pregnant is minimal, but still remains.

Thus, due to the fact that ovulation is possible on any day and sperm are able to remain active for a long time (up to a week), the likelihood of pregnancy developing throughout the entire cycle if the partners did not use contraception.

Is there PMS during pregnancy?

During the period of bearing a child, the work of the ovaries is minimized, and therefore pregnant women do not have premenstrual syndrome. However, pregnancy also has its own specific symptoms, among which there may be some that coincide with the signs of PMS. Their appearance and disappearance are not systematic.

Signs of PMS will resume in a woman after childbirth in a few months, each individually.

Any changes in the female reproductive system should cause increased attention to themselves. The signs of PMS are familiar to every girl, but if you have any questions or doubts about what this or that symptom may be associated with, you can resort to any method of self-diagnosis. However, to confirm your own assumptions, be sure to undergo examination by a specialist.