Medical Questions » Pregnancy Questions » Question No. 791
| Question: | I know a woman' s periods stop when you get pregnant, but are there any other signs in a woman that she is pregnant? My girlfriend says she is pregnant, but she is acting very peculiarly, and I am not sure if she is being truthful. |
| Answer: | When a woman becomes pregnant, her body undergoes many changes, but I' m afraid rhat none of these are really specific enough for you to tell by looking at her if your girlfriend is really pregnant.
Very early, the breasts will enlarge and become tender, and a tingling sensation will be felt in the nipples. With a first pregnancy, the skin around the nipple (the areola) will darken, and the small lubricating glands may become more prominent to create small bumps, but this darkening may also occur with the oral contraceptive pill.
Hormonal changes in early pregnancy cause the woman to want to urinate more frequenrly. This settles down after the twelfth week, but later in pregnancy the size of the womb puts pressure on the bladder, and frequent urination is again necessary.
Some women find that they develop dark patches on the forehead and cheeks. Called chloasma, these patches are caused by hormonal changes affecting the pigment cells in the skin. Such changes can also be a side effect of the contraceptive pill. The navel and a line down the centre of the woman' s belly may also darken. These pigment changes fade somewhat aftet the pregnancy bur will always remain darker than before.
It is obviously time for you and your girlfriend to have a serious discussion, and you may offer to accompany her ro her first antenatal doctor' s visit, as I am sure you wish to be fully involved with the new baby. See what her reaction is, and take things from there.
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