You may be having a headache, feeling fatigued and irritable. All symptoms you regularly experience just before your period. (These symptoms are collectively known as PMS – Premenstrual Syndrome.) However, after several days you notice that you still have not had your period commence, even though the calendar shows you are already past your expected due date.
Now you may be asking yourself, ‘Am I late… or am I pregnant?’
Late or Missed Period.
If there isn’t a fertilized egg implanted in your uterus, the sloughing off of the lining in your uterus will be when your period occurs. If a fertilized egg is present in your uterus, your uterine lining will start to prepare your uterus for the growth of a fetus. Therefore, your body won’t be beginning the process known as your menstruation period.
Pregnancy is not the only cause of a delayed period.
Other conditions that may lead to late periods include.
1. Thyroid Problems.
2 . Celiac Disease.
3. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
4. Chronic Stress.
Having Sore Breasts.
Your breasts feel painful and tender. Some women experience this as a pregnancy symptom, and others as a period symptom.
In pregnancy this occurs when progesterone and hCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hormones that are produced in the placenta once an egg is fertilized) increases. In turn, blood volume increases and this makes a woman feel like her breasts are heavier and swollen.
However, breast tenderness can also occur as part of PMS. Other causes of breast tenderness may also include menopause, excessive caffeine intake, mastitis or as a result of a pulled chest muscle after exercising. Therefore, if in doubt, please check with your doctor.
Unusual Appetite.
It is completely normal for a woman to have specific food cravings at a certain time of the month (before or during her menstrual cycle) and during pregnancy.
However, sometimes there are unusual food cravings, which can be a sign of pregnancy. For example, if you are craving a particular food that you normally don’t like to eat. Or alternatively, you may find yourself despising the smell of a certain food, which perhaps used to be one of your favorites.
Research shows that 84% of women experience food cravings during pregnancy!
Although there isn’t any established consensus as to why many women experience unusual food cravings, some experts say this is due to the amount of hormones flooding the woman’s system. These hormones cause changes in her taste and smell.
Feeling Exhausted.
Feeling extremely exhausted, even after getting plenty of sleep, is also a sign of pregnancy or PMS.
In pregnancy, this occurs especially during the first trimester of the pregnancy. Experts say hormonal changes are to blame for these feelings of exhaustion during this time. Another reason for this occurrence is the increase of blood production and the sudden drops in blood sugar levels and blood pressure levels.
Feeling exhausted can also be a sign of thyroid problems. People diagnosed with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, anxiety, depression and sleep apnea are also prone to experiencing exhaustion.
Therefore, if you are ever in doubt as to whether or not you are having a late period or are in fact pregnant, instead of guessing, go and visit your doctor or pharmacist. Unfortunately, none of the symptoms above are specific indicators of being pregnant, or not.
