How to differentiate if you are pregnant or PMS?
Looking for a pregnancy always involves some nerves, especially when the day of your period approaches, and it doesn't arrive.
And it is possible that even if your period is only delayed one day, the usual thing is that you start analyzing the symptoms and discomforts.
This tiredness today... could it be normal, or am I pregnant? And this sensitivity that I notice in the breasts: it is a symptom of pregnancy, but it is also common in premenstrual syndrome (PMS)...So the question is whether they are signs of menstruation or pregnancy symptoms.
And there is many pregnancy symptoms that coincide with sensations experienced just before menstruation that are also symptoms of premenstrual syndrome: increased appetite, desire for sweet foods, mood changes or growth in breast volume.
These similarities can create confusion and some disappointment when you are trying to get pregnant. There may even be differences between the flow premenstrual and pregnancy, we tell you everything.
There are many times when we see only what we want to see and we understand what we previously wanted to understand, without paying attention to what is really in front of our eyes or to what they are explaining to us.
In the case of a situation as delicate as the search for pregnancy this is especially true.
Even knowing that some symptoms can be difficult to differentiate, we are going to try to shed a little light on the subject to avoid misunderstandings and give you some advice so that you can differentiate between period symptoms with PMS and pregnancy, or whatever. same, whether they are personal discomfort or premenstrual pain or whether it is a positive.
(Pretty) clear symptoms of pregnancy
Absence of period
Although it is the clearest symptom of pregnancy... it may not be. A delay of more than a week or even a missed period for an entire cycle can make us believe that we are indeed pregnant.
Unfortunately, a late or missed period can have many other causes besides pregnancy, so it may not serve as a tool to discover if you are pregnant or if you are missing it for some other reason.
Most pharmacy pregnancy tests are sensitive from the fourth week of gestation onwards, so doubts could be resolved with some ease.
If in the end the cycle does not come and you are not pregnant, it does not have to be serious, but it is advisable that you visit a doctor to study the cause of the failure and also assess if there is abdominal pain.
Stress, weight loss, polycystic ovary syndrome, changes in contraceptive medication, thyroid problems or even the onset of menopause can be some of the common causes of missed periods.
It may interest you:
- Fertility discounts: tests, thermometers, accessories and clinics
- Article about pregnancy tests before pregnancy
When there is a period… but there is pregnancy
To finish confusing us, there is what is called implantation bleeding. (All about implantation bleeding) which could make us think that the period is going to start to go down but in the end it does not go down. So, the situation could arise in which there was a little spotting but we were pregnant, which is not considered a rule in itself.
This confusion occurs because when the fertilized oocyte adheres to the endometrial tissue, approximately between 10 and 14 days after conception, it can become slightly stained, with a pinkish tone. The time of spotting is precisely around the date your period should start, so it can be confusing.
How to distinguish implantation bleeding from your period
Implantation bleeding is a mild spotting that does not get worse, compared to menstruation, which also usually starts lightly but then gets worse. You can read more about it and its consistency and characteristics in this post: Implantation bleeding, what it is and how to recognize it.
Altered appetite
Increased appetite or the desire to eat more sweets is common both during pregnancy and in the premenstrual stage of many women. Hormonal changes in estrogen and progesterone levels increase the desire to consume foods rich in sugar or fat. What is not usually so common is developing aversions to certain foods or smells. This would be a more determining symptom of pregnancy than being aware of your period and it would be a difference between symptoms of your period and pregnancy.
Pagophagy
Among the alterations in the desire to eat, there are also some curiosities that are more common among pregnant women and that do not occur during PMS. This is the case of Pagophagia, a strong desire to eat ice or frozen drinks,
Pica
It is an eating disorder that is characterized by the need to eat things that are not food (sand, objects, paper, plastics), which can lead to serious health problems.
If this were your case, we should congratulate you on your pregnancy, but we should also recommend that you seek medical help to avoid major problems.
Nausea
While slight digestive discomfort may be common both in PMS and during early pregnancy, nausea or vomiting is usually exclusive to the latter. Pregnant women suffer from 80% before the 9th week of gestation. And these unpleasant symptoms usually disappear during the second trimester. Some women with very complicated premenstrual syndromes may also experience nausea and vomiting, but these are isolated cases.
Visible changes in the nipples
Swollen breasts period or pregnancy? Although during the days before menstruation you can experience changes in the breasts (swelling, pain and, above all, hypersensitivity in the nipples), visible changes in the nipples are exclusive to pregnancy.
An increase in the intensity of the color of the areola, around the nipple, or the continued elevation of the nipple, so that it is more prominent, can be indicative of pregnancy from very early on, even as early as the first or second week after conception. Thus, sensitivity in the breasts, breasts and especially the nipples are very relevant symptoms to be able to differentiate between premenstrual syndrome or pregnancy. A trick? Record the changes and sensitivity in the breasts every month and you will see clearly when a change or sensation does not fit you and therefore, there is pregnancy.
Nasal congestion, gum inflammation.
The increase in hormones in the blood can alter the functionality of all the mucous membranes of the body, including the nose or mouth. Nasal congestion or, conversely, dryness and inflammation of the nasal passages; or alteration of the gums due to inflammation or bleeding can be symptoms of pregnancy.
These symptoms could also occur just before menstruation in people with very severe premenstrual syndromes, but this is not normal. The most common thing is to have these types of symptoms at the beginning of a pregnancy. So, if you don't normally suffer from this type of discomfort and you suffer from it just this month, it could be a difference between premenstrual symptoms or periods.
Fertility discounts: tests, thermometers, accessories and clinics
Confusing symptoms between pregnancy and PMS symptoms
Although all the “supposedly clear” symptoms of pregnancy also had the possibility of being part of premenstrual syndrome, below we detail the most confusing symptoms when it comes to differentiating the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and pregnancy.
These are the most diffuse symptoms and those that generate the most confusion:
Constipation and increased urge to pee
Progesterone levels relax the smooth muscle and thereby slow down bowel movements and cause the bladder to lose tone. And the thing is that, both in the second phase of the menstrual cycle - prior to menstruation - and during pregnancy, the levels of this hormone grow significantly, generating these types of symptoms.
Furthermore, in the case of pregnancy, the increase in metabolic activity and blood volume means that we have more fluids to eliminate. In fact, it will be good to do so to avoid excess fluid retention in the legs and abdomen.
Fatigue
During premenstrual syndrome, it is common for sleep disturbances to occur that cause daytime fatigue. In addition, the increase in the hormone progesterone also generates physical and mental lethargy, which is slightly more acute in the case of pregnancy but can also occur, more or less intensely, during premenstrual syndrome, depending on the case. A diet rich in vegetables, lowering stress and getting enough sleep are often useful to combat fatigue.
Pain
The main and most common symptom of premenstrual syndrome is pain: pelvic pain, leg pain, headache pain... Heat, exercise and a correct diet that lightens the workload on the liver can help with these symptoms, which generally last. a short time once the period starts. In the case of pregnancy, the pain is usually light and is usually centered in the lower abdomen or back.
Humor changes
Here things get very complicated. Irritability, anxiety and even symptoms of depression are common to any physiological situation that involves significant variation in a woman's hormone level. And yes, both situations, pregnancy and PMS, are times of important hormonal changes.
Generally, with a little exercise and a good night's rest these symptoms improve and finally disappear when your period arrives. If this were not the case when two weeks of menstruation have already passed and you are not pregnant, it would be advisable that you visit a doctor to identify the reasons and work on the solution.
Mood swings in a pregnant woman can last even after giving birth.
Although it is inevitable to pay attention and be very attentive, the presence or absence of these symptoms does not usually have enough value to make a clear diagnosis of pregnancy.
From here, we invite you to cultivate patience as best you can. Especially until you can take a pregnancy test and know where you are.
We can contribute our grain of sand with acupuncture.
Of course, you will have to wait a little to take a pharmacy test which, if positive, has an efficacy of 100%. False negatives, however, do exist.
So, if after a negative test, you still have doubts, wait another week and repeat the test. Luck!
| PMS symptoms | Common symptoms | Pregnancy symptoms |
| Mild spotting at the beginning that worsens | Light staining | Light pinkish spotting at the beginning that slows down |
| Alterations in appetite | Aversion to foods or smells | |
| Nausea and/or vomiting | ||
| Pagophagia and/or pica | ||
| Chest tenderness | Intensity in the color of the areola and change in the morphology of the nipple | |
| Nasal congestion and gum disease | ||
| Constipation | ||
| Increased urination | ||
| Tiredness and headaches | ||
| Significant pain, pelvic, head, legs | Pain in the lower abdomen, mild or moderate | Mild, pelvic or back pain |
| Humor changes |
To conclude this post, comment that early detection of pregnancy is usually a good option both for nerves and to know when we are. That is why the choice of pregnancy test and its sensitivity is more important than we might think. I recommend that you read this post about the different pregnancy tests and choose the one that best suits you.
Final advice if you think you may be pregnant
To conclude this post, it is important to highlight the relevance of early pregnancy detection, (All about the best pregnancy tests, types and sensitivity) as it can offer peace of mind and clarity about the situation. Therefore, the choice of pregnancy test and its sensitivity is essential. It is advisable to find out about the different types of tests available and select the one that best suits your needs.
Additionally, remaining patient and calm during this process is key to avoiding unnecessary anxiety. With adequate emotional management and periodic testing, an accurate and reliable diagnosis can be obtained.
And finally, if you think you may be pregnant, maintain healthy habits such as a balanced diet, not smoking, not doing strenuous exercise and, obviously, not consuming toxins.
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