| Many women wonder if cramping is an early sign of | | | | that their period is about to arrive at any time when it |
| pregnancy. Cramping can be sign of pregnancy, and | | | | is really cramping due to these changes. Once they |
| sometimes it isn't a sign of pregnancy. Like most early | | | | miss their period for a few days or a week, they may |
| signs of pregnancy, cramping can also mean | | | | decide to take a test and find out they really are |
| something else. For most women who are not | | | | pregnant. |
| pregnant, cramping is a sign of a period coming on. | | | | If you chart your morning temperatures every day, you |
| When cramping is a sign of pregnancy, it can be | | | | may already suspect you are pregnant if your |
| confusing. Many women either feel that they must not | | | | temperatures are staying in the higher range. In this |
| be pregnant when they feel cramping, or they feel that | | | | case, early cramping may either confirm your |
| there must be something wrong with the pregnancy. In | | | | suspicions or cause you to worry about losing the |
| fact, cramping during early pregnancy is fairly common. | | | | baby. Cramping by itself usually isn't a problem, and |
| There are many reasons why women experience | | | | you can look at it as a good sign. If it is accompanied |
| cramping during this time in pregnancy. | | | | by bleeding, you should contact your care provider. |
| Implantation | | | | If cramping is accompanied by other possible signs of |
| Some women feel cramping when the embryo is | | | | pregnancy like nausea, tender breasts, fatigue, |
| implanting itself into the lining of the uterus. This usually | | | | sensitivity to smells, a change in vaginal discharge, and |
| happens between 6 and 12 days past ovulation, or | | | | urinary frequency, congratulations! You may want to |
| about 3 weeks after your last period began. | | | | start picking out names and planning the nursery. |
| Sometimes this cramping lasts just a brief time, and | | | | As you can see, cramping is often felt in early |
| other times it may linger as it turns into cramping | | | | pregnancy, and may actually be an early sign. It can |
| because the uterus is undergoing changes. | | | | just be difficult to decide if it really is a sign of |
| Early Pregnancy Changes | | | | pregnancy, or if it is a sign your next cycle is about to |
| Cramping as an early sign of pregnancy may also | | | | start. Patience is the best way to figure out what your |
| occur because the uterus is undergoing rapid changes | | | | cramping is telling you. Many women will experience |
| to accommodate the pregnancy. The uterus must | | | | cramping from early on in their pregnancy through |
| stretch and grow to make room for the developing | | | | most of the first trimester. Ask your friends who have |
| baby and placenta. There is more blood flow to the | | | | had babies how they felt. It will help you through the |
| uterus and it doesn't take long to grow from the size | | | | long days of second-guessing symptoms until you |
| of a fist to the size of a grapefruit. Many women think | | | | know for sure. |