Many women have questions about the signs of pregnancy after having sex. A missed period is one of the most obvious, but it’s not the only sign.
Pregnancy isn’t like flipping a switch. It takes a lot to become pregnant, from sperm fertilizing an egg to the start of menstrual bleeding.
1. Nausea and Vomiting
When the egg and sperm meet, they cause an immediate reaction in the woman’s body. A woman may experience spotting, cramping and light bleeding as early as 15 days past ovulation (DPO).
These are called early pregnancy symptoms. They can also include breast tenderness, a missed period and bloating. These signs are usually caused by significant hormonal changes in the body.
In some women, nausea and vomiting are the first signs of pregnancy. This can occur at any time of day and is often triggered by strong odors or food. Bloating is another common pregnancy symptom. This is due to the increased levels of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and can occur throughout the body.
Women who are pregnant may also experience headaches and a change in appetite. They also might have to urinate more frequently because of the increased production of hormones. This can lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs). Taking antibiotics for UTIs is very important and should be done according to your doctor’s instructions. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, make sure to visit your ob-gyn to confirm your pregnancy.
2. Feeling Tired
Sex is a physical activity, and even for the fittest people, it can take a toll on your body. That’s why some couples find it helpful to discuss how they both feel during sex so one partner’s fatigue doesn’t get misinterpreted as abandonment and a burst of energy by the other doesn’t get construed as an inability to connect.
But if your tiredness isn’t related to your sexual activity, it could be an early sign of pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones can change how you process and store vitamins, leading to anemia and fatigue.
Another common cause of fatigue after sex is dehydration. The action between the sheets drains your body fluids, so it’s important to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated after sex and throughout the day. You may also notice that your urine is darker than usual when you are dehydrated. This can be a good indication that you are pregnant as it usually occurs in the first trimester. You may also experience sore or tender breasts in the early stages of pregnancy, too.
3. Sore Breasts
It’s a little known fact that, in the very early stages of pregnancy, a woman’s breasts can be very tender. This is caused by the increased levels of progesterone in the body.
These hormones also cause a woman’s nipples to enlarge and her areolas to darken in color. This is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy and it’s often referred to as Chadwick’s sign.
Pregnant women can also experience sore nipples and a hypersensitive nipple area due to increased levels of progesterone. This symptom is sometimes confused with PMS, but it’s important to know that the symptoms typically peak around ovulation and during menstruation.
If you suspect that you might be pregnant, a pregnancy test should always be taken to confirm. Most home pregnancy tests can provide accurate results up to the first day of your missed period. However, newer technology can now allow a home pregnancy test to give you an accurate result from as early as two weeks after conception.
4. Spotting
It is quite common to have spotting in the first trimester of pregnancy. This is usually a pink or brown-coloured stain in your knickers, on toilet paper, and sometimes in urine. Bleeding is caused by the uterus expanding to accommodate the growing baby. It may also be a sign of cervical polyps or uterine fibroids. If the bleeding is heavy or accompanied by other symptoms, such as abdominal pain and a missed period, see a doctor immediately.
Spotting is often one of the earliest signs of pregnancy, especially in women who use protection during sex. This is because sperm need to travel through the vagina and the cervix to reach an egg on the day of ovulation, which is about two weeks after your last period.
This journey is difficult and many sperm cells are lost along the way. Spotting that occurs a few days after sexual intercourse is a good indication that the egg has been fertilized and implanted on the uterine wall, which a pregnancy test will confirm. Spotting that is not associated with sexual intercourse is more likely to be a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can cause infection and pain in the abdomen.
5. Increased Discharge
While most vaginal discharge is harmless, certain colors, odors, or textures can indicate health conditions, physiological changes, or infections. If you have a thick white or yellow discharge with a foul odor, pain when peeing, discomfort during sex, spotting between periods, or itching in the vulva or vagina, see your doctor or midwife. It could be a sign of a sexually transmitted infection, such as bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis (an infection caused by the parasite trichomonas vaginalis).
Cervical mucus changes in thickness and texture throughout the menstrual cycle. It’s typically thick and white before ovulation, when the ovary releases an egg. Sex during this time gives sperm the best chance of reaching and fertilizing an egg.
However, even if you don’t have sex during ovulation, your chances of pregnancy are still high if you and your partner have unprotected sex within a week of ovulation. In fact, some women notice pregnancy symptoms as early as a week after having unprotected sex. This is because the fertilized egg can move from the fallopian tube to the uterus and implant there.
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