PREGNANCY SYMPTONS

PREGNANCY SYMPTONS

Pregnancy symptoms differ from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy; however the first indication that a woman might be pregnant is often a missed menstrual period. The onset and degree of pregnancy symptoms will vary within women.Some women experience pregnancy symptoms within a week of conception. For other women, symptoms may develop over a few weeks or may not be present at all.

Fatigue

One of the early signs of pregnancy is sensitive, sore breasts caused by increasing levels of hormones. The soreness may feel like an exaggerated version of how your breasts feel before your period. Your discomfort should diminish significantly after the first trimester, as your body adjusts to the hormonal changes. Early pregnancy is time when a woman’s body is working very hard to keep up with the changes that occur. This means increased hormone production, as well as the fact that the heart is pumping harder and faster due to the escalation of blood flow – necessary to bring nutrients to the growing fetus.

Implantation bleeding

Implantation bleeding can be one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms. About 6-12 days after conception, the embryo implants itself into the uterine wall. Some women will experience spotting as well as some cramping. The most common reason for light bleeding during early pregnancy is implantation. Implantation bleeding occurs when the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterine lining and usually occurs about 10 to 14 days after conception.

Nausea or vomiting

If you’re like most women, morning sickness won’t hit until about a month after conception. (A lucky few escape it altogether.) But some women do start to feel queasy a bit earlier. And not just in the morning, either – pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting can be a problem morning, noon, or night.

This well-known pregnancy symptom will often show up between 2-8 weeks after conception. Some women are fortunate to not deal with morning sickness at all, while others will feel nauseous throughout most of their pregnancy.

Frequent urination

During the first trimester of pregnancy, it’s easy to believe you might have to “move” into your bathroom since it seems you are constantly running to make to the bathroom. The growing uterus causes frequent urination during pregnancy. The first and third trimesters of pregnancy are typically when the most intense frequent urination happens. Many pregnant women find themselves running to the bathroom more often than usual and this is caused by the enlarging uterus pushing on your bladder.

Constipation

Pregnancy hormones will slow down bowel functions to give maximum absorption time of vitamins and nutrients. Unfortunately, this symptom usually gets worse as the pregnancy progresses. An increase in progesterone causes digestion to slow down, so food passes more slowly through the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to constipation.

Conversely, you can be pregnant without ever experiencing these symptoms and these signs and symptoms aren’t unique to pregnancy. Home pregnancy test kits are available in most drug stores and many supermarkets and can help determine if you are pregnant. If you are late for your period and are using a home pregnancy test kit, wait seven to 10 days before trying the test. Many test kits recommend testing “as early as the first day of the missed period,” but testing early may lead to an inaccurate result. Once you’ve gotten a positive result, make an appointment with your practitioner.