Imagine finding out you're pregnant—and that you conceived 5 months ago. It sounds incredible, but it's possible, says Jane van Dis, M.D., OB-GYN and medical director at Maven Clinic, the largest telemedicine network in women's and family health. Show
"The patients I've cared for who've experienced this almost always report that their periods are irregular. They're not surprised or investigating if, for instance, they've missed their period for two, three, or even four months," Dr. van Dis explains. According to research in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 1 in 475 women may not realize they're pregnant until 20 weeks, and another 1 in 2,500 women only learn they're pregnant once they're in labor. It's not uncommon to have no pregnancy symptoms in the four to six weeks after your last period. Doctors date pregnancy to the first day of the last menstrual period. "This number is off by two weeks because most women know the day of their period but they don't know the day of conception," says Dr. van Dis. webphotographeer/Getty Images
The first symptoms usually show up about 14 days after the fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall, and might include nausea, breast tenderness, and changes in nipple color. This could be days or weeks after a woman expects her period to start. In fact, almost 30 percent of women surveyed by the American Pregnancy Association said they missed their period before any pregnancy symptoms began. "Most pregnancy symptoms will present themselves within the first six weeks," says Kecia Gaither, M.D., MPH, FACOG, double board-certified OB-GYN and director of perinatal services at NYC Health and Hospitals, Lincoln. No Pregnancy Symptoms at 20 WeeksFor women with irregular menstrual cycles, though, a missed period doesn't always signal pregnancy. And someone who doesn't think she's pregnant might attribute her symptoms to other causes (blaming constipation and nausea on gastrointestinal issues, for example). "Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) oftentimes will have months on end without a period," says Dr. van Dis. "On the flip side, some women have bleeding on and off throughout the first trimester and even into the second trimester. It's a complication and symptom of pregnancy, but if she has no other symptoms of pregnancy, she may attribute the bleeding to an irregular cycle." A menstrual cycle is an important vital sign, says Dr. van Dis. Providing your doctor with a thorough history of your menstrual cycle offers insight into your reproductive organs and hormonal status.
Can You Be Pregnant and Not Know It?What about the rare 1 in 2,500 women who find out they're pregnant only once they're in labor, who, presumably, had no pregnancy symptoms? "There are indeed women who 'didn't know they were pregnant'—these women have underlying, often undiagnosed psychological issues," says Dr. Gaither. Pregnancy denial is a condition in which a pregnant woman does not notice that she's pregnant and lacks "objective perceptions of the pregnancy," according to the scientific journal BMC Psychology. Denial of pregnancy can happen with women who don't want to be pregnant, including teenagers, people with addiction, and those who, for various reasons, believe they're not ready to have a child. "I haven't done a lot of research into it but it seems to me, for someone to not know they're pregnant until labor, there's a mixture of physiology—wherein there really were very few or no signs of pregnancy—and mental health issues," says Dr. van Dis. "There is such a distinct difference between a belly full of food or bloating in the intestines and the belly that develops over the course of pregnancy because there's a gestating baby inside," Dr. van Dis adds. This article was originally published on May 23, 2017. It was updated on November 26, 2020 by Ariane Signer. Many pregnant women will not experience the stereotypical symptoms that generally accompany pregnancy. Nausea, exhaustion, hormone changes, food cravings, and fatigue for 9 months. Unfortunately, we don't know in advance how our bodies will respond to being pregnant, and certain factors can affect our experience. It's more common that we hear about the negative side effects that come with pregnancy, but some women actually have very smooth sailing throughout their pregnancies! A lack of negative side effects doesn't mean that something is wrong with the fetus or the expectant mother, though. Many women fear that an absence of side effects might mean that there is a complication with the pregnancy. In reality, sometimes it comes down to luck. Some women just have very few side effects, which leads them to feel like they aren't 'really' pregnant. Well-meaning family and friends will sometimes make us worry by giving us snippets of their own experiences. It's important to remember that each pregnancy is as unique, and not experiencing symptoms the way that a friend or family member did does not indicate that there is anything wrong with you. A woman needs to measure her pregnancy against her own feelings, health, and what her medical care practitioner is telling her to do. These are some of the common things that a woman will experience that makes her feel like she's not really part of the pregnancy club. It is quite normal to not feel pregnant, so don't fret if you are experiencing any of these things. 15/15 Handling HCG Rises Well
HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is the hormone that will register on the pregnancy test after a woman is confirmed as pregnant. It controls all the hormonal changes that will be taking place inside of her when she becomes pregnant. Usually most pregnancies are confirmed by even a small hormonal shift. It will throw off things like their mood, food cravings, tiredness etc. But some women are simply built in a way that basically make them more immune to the rising hormonal levels; in other words, they are less affected by the changing hormones in the body. It does not mean that one group of women is stronger or healthier than the other. Their bodies just adjust differently to rising HCG, which affects things like if they develop nausea, morning sickness, food cravings etc. This is how some women won’t feel pregnant if they are experiencing basic pregnancy symptoms. 14/15 Free From Morning Sickness Again, if a woman is blessed to have a body that adjusts quickly to all kinds of physical changes even prior to pregnancy, she may experience a bit of morning sickness such as nausea, but it is so brief and passes so quickly that she may chalk it down to food poisoning or a gastro bug. She and the people around her may not attribute it to pregnancy either because her HCG levels are not registering pregnancy yet, or because she does not think it is part of her pregnancy symptoms as her friends have all had more severe pregnancy symptoms right from the beginning, or pretty much after discovering they were pregnant. She is definitively one of the lucky few who can move forward without a lot of early pregnancy discomfort and needs to celebrate this instead of worrying about it. 13/15 Periods Were Never Regular To Begin With
A lot of women don’t have regular menstrual cycles. In this case, it is very difficult to time ovulation and even know when they do eventually fall pregnant. Therefore, the pregnancy symptoms they are experiencing may may be attributed to exhaustion, a flu or any series of hormonal things that happen to a woman every month. Keep in mind that HCG tests also don’t register in some women for a while and symptoms on average start at 6 weeks, so it is hard to know what is happening at first. This makes it extra difficult and confusing for a pregnant woman, her partner and those around her. They do their best, and she can monitor how her symptoms are going. Are they increasing suddenly? Are they decreasing? She should also consider doing a pregnancy test a second or even third time before ruling out pregnancy. Calling her doctor and scheduling an appointment is also a great idea. 12/15 Spotting Mistaken For A Period
Very similar to what was just discussed, some women have unpredictable cycles since hormones can go up and down, and unless the women is actively trying for a baby, she may not even realize the spotting she is seeing is not her period. This is something called implantation, bleeding where the egg burrows inside so baby can begin to grow. And let’s face it, even if she is trying for a baby, her period may always have started with light spotting so the behavior is not different from her usual monthly friend. If she also does not have any other symptoms yet, which is common as it would still be early in the pregnancy, she will disregard it all and only realize a few weeks later that she is going to be a Momma and her life is going to change forever. 11/15 Not Gaining Weight As Quickly Every woman has heard that once she becomes pregnant, she will begin to put on weight at a very accelerated pace, due to the fact that her body is housing a growing baby. Then, there are the food cravings that cause a woman to eat more food and in a lot of cases, heavier foods so that she keeps up her energy while growing the next generation inside her. Some women, though, simply don't put on weight as quickly, and many seem to only gain in their bellies. It’s quite normal for a pregnant woman to think that something is wrong with her body, her baby, or both. There could be a health issue and she should always speak to her medical care professional about it. But most of the time, this isn't cause for concern. Every body is different, and some body types go through pregnancy without gaining much weight. Inability to gain weight in pregnancy might make a woman feel like she isn't actually pregnant. 10/15 Low HCG Levels
Sometimes it is as simple as the fetus putting out low HCG levels. This could mean that there is a complication with the future baby, or it could simply be a fluke. The best way to know is for to speak to a medical care practitioner and get some additional tests done to rule out anything serious or any complications. Her doctor will advise her when and if this is necessary at the appropriate time. In the majority of cases, however, this is simply the fetus registering low for no particular reason. This will delay a woman experiencing any of the other common pregnancy symptoms, but she is not to worry. She is just as pregnant as the next woman with all the symptoms of nausea, exhaustion and hormones. As long as she has been given a clean bill of health by her doctor, she should rest assured that all is well and enjoy the lack of symptoms. 9/15 Pregnancy Test Doesn't Pick Up Anything
A woman may not realize that though she is actively trying for a baby, she is in that in-between phase of it being too early to find out she is pregnant, and too soon for the results to show on a pregnancy test. However, she could still be pregnant and just not showing the symptoms due to it being early days still. This is the time she should still be taking care of her health, not overdoing it with activity and not assuming she is not pregnant when she very well could be. Ideally, sleeping and eating well, and abstaining from alcohol or any other risky foods or drinks is a good idea. Friends who recount stories of how sick and tired they were and how she couldn’t possibly be pregnant will not be helping matters at all. She should wait and see instead, using caution and common sense, and eventually she will know what is happening sooner or later if she gets her period or not. It will also eventually register on a pregnancy test or a blood test. 8/15 Gets An Energy Boost
A woman gets pregnant and all she wants to do is sleep, right? Wrong! Or rather, not always right. Yes, the vast majority of women are falling asleep standing up at the kitchen sink or in the shower, but many women experience the opposite of exhaustion - energy! Yes, energy ladies! They are able to exercise vigorously or as vigorously as before, they have tons of that positive energy to cook, clean, go out and are as chipper as ever almost all the time. As for the women who don't experience morning sickness, they may even fear for the fetus’ health while thinking that this is too good to be true and too easy. But, as with everything else, women’s bodies are all different with how they process things. What they need to do is follow doctor’s orders and their own gut. If the doctor says all is well and they feel terrific, within reason they can do the activities that make them feel good. There will be no danger to baby at this point. 7/15 No Strange Food Cravings Everyone knows how pregnant women have sent their partners out at odd hours of the night for pickles and ice cream, or other such strange food cravings. Many women who are not experiencing strange food cravings and just want to eat normal amounts of things on the Canada Food Guide for the most part. However, the occasional sweet tooth will lead expecting moms to worry and begin to wonder if all is ok. Are they really pregnant and is their future baby healthy? The answer is yes, most likely. Every woman’s body is different. Every pregnancy is different. She need not judge herself against a family member or friend’s pregnancy and feel bad one way or the other. Again, as previously discussed, anything that is worrying her needs to be brought up with her health care provider who will most likely assure her that as long as she and baby are measuring well, there is nothing to worry about in the least. 6/15 Being One Of The Lucky Few And then there are the truly blessed souls out there who escape pregnancy symptoms pretty much throughout most or all of their pregnancy. These lucky ladies do not have morning sickness, bloating, major cravings for junk, acne breakouts, bloating, swelling or anything else that makes pregnancy annoying to go through. They breeze through pregnancy glowing, energetic, and doing pretty much most of the things they did pre-pregnancy. It is a wonderful feeling to experience and they are the envy of all the pregnant future moms who are not so lucky to avoid many pregnancy symptoms. Some of the ones that drive most women crazy are nausea, tiredness, bloating, aching, soreness, and mood swings. They should not feel bad about this, just be appreciative of the fact there's a baby at the end of it all! And as long as at their prenatal visits all seem to be going well, they have no need worry. Sometimes things just go really well and we need to sit back and enjoy it. These are the women who are always saying, 'I just don't feel pregnant!' 5/15 Symptoms That Appear Later In The Pregnancy
There are also cases where the woman doesn't experience a lot of typical pregnancy symptoms in the first trimester, and she and others think she has escaped them altogether. However, in the 2nd or 3rd trimester, things might catch up to her: super intense bloating, vomiting, mood swings, food cravings etc. It’s like it was saving itself up to make a grand finale before baby’s arrival. This can be a brutal shock as maybe family and friends did not warn her how pregnancy hormones can go up and down, go away and return, then go away again. If she was not expecting it to happen, this can be quite stressful. She need not worry though. With a calm mind and positive attitude, she will get through it. She may or may not be happy to be experiencing these symptoms at this late date, but she can rest assured that she is not alone. Many women have this happen, and go on to finish their pregnancy in a healthy and safe way. 4/15 No Swelling!
There are those lucky few that experience absolutely no swelling of the joints, hands, feet or face. Despite her age, if she is in good health and has a good diet and exercise regime in place beforehand, she more or less can guarantee good results in this area. However, sometimes things happen that are outside a woman’s control. And this does not mean that she did not try. In fact, she may have done everything right and still developed complications. This could be due to something unforeseen in her health or in the fetus. If that is the case, her obstetrician or midwife would be following up with her and giving her their recommendations on how to make the rest of her pregnancy go as smoothly as possible. As long as she is being monitored and watching her own body closely, she has nothing to worry about. 3/15 No Weird, Vivid Dreams
Many pregnant women are prone to experiencing vivid, strange, and sometimes scary dreams. Even if you don't normally have strange dreams, you might start to experience them when pregnant. Yes, these types of weird and vivid dreams do happen, but as with everything else, they are not the norm for every pregnant female out there. There are many women who do not experience dreams any differently than pre-pregnancy, and even when they have the occasional weird dreams, they are just that - occasional. Like many of the other symptoms, this pregnancy effect is not true for every woman out there. Therefore, if she is not having this happen to her, she need not worry that something is wrong. 2/15 No (Additional) Mood Swings
Many pregnant women will also worry if they do not have any mood swings. Again, this is very normal. Not all women who are pregnant will experience mood swings, high or low, just like some will experience lots of them. It depends on how well a woman’s body handles all the different hormones coursing through her during pregnancy from start to finish, as well as how she perceives the hormones and handles her feelings about them. Though many women have pregnancy mood swings and have no reason to feel embarrassed or ashamed by them, many have mild ones or none at all. It is all relative to the woman and her body and no apologies need be made. As long as her doctor is keeping tabs on her and future baby’s health and all seems fine, she does not need to worry. 1/15 Drive Is Sky Rocketing
This may sound funny to many women who probably can barely keep their eyes open, never mind have a fun sex life before baby’s arrival. Yet, as strange as it seems, while many women experience low sex drive along with complete exhaustion, others are super aroused and all they want to do is take it to the bedroom with their partner. They can’t get enough of the act that got them in this situation in the first place, and for many this is an utterly new feeling that is actually quite enjoyable. It may be complicated if their partner does not feel the same however. For example, they are worried about hurting the pregnant partner in some way or damaging baby. This is why as long as the pregnancy is not high risk, there is no reason why the two should not feel inclined to enjoy each other as much as desired. This is particularly nice as after baby arrives, there won’t be too much time for relations at the beginning. NEXT: 5 Signs That Prove Your Partner Is Ready To Be A Father Sources: Just Mommies, Bustle, Mom Junction Should I be worried that I don't feel pregnant?If you don't feel pregnant (or have symptoms that come and go), rest assured that if you've had a positive pregnancy test, you're most likely pregnant. No one knows why some women have no pregnancy symptoms, but it doesn't mean that there's something wrong with your pregnancy.
Why do I not feel pregnant some days?There will even be days when you'll be entirely symptom-free. This is all perfectly natural and usually of little cause for concern. In some cases, the symptoms may not so much disappear but rather become less noticeable as you begin coping with the frequent changes in your body.
Do pregnancy symptoms come and go in first trimester?Sudden loss of symptoms doesn't always mean there's something amiss with your pregnancy. In fact, sore breasts and nausea can come and go. That said, if you feel different or have some other reason for concern, call your doctor.
Is it okay to sometimes not feel pregnant?Some people who are pregnant are relieved to have few or no symptoms, but others worry that a lack of symptoms is a sign that their pregnancy is not healthy or that it could end in miscarriage. If you don't have any pregnancy symptoms at all, rest assured that while it isn't common, it's not impossible.
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Is it normal to sometimes not feel pregnant in the first trimester
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