Pregnancy symptoms:
Top ten signs you might be pregnant
Could you be pregnant? Some symptoms may show up about the
time you've missed a period – or a week or two later. In fact, 7 out of 10
women have symptoms by the time they're six weeks pregnant.
If you're not keeping track of your menstrual cycle or if it
varies widely from one month to the next, you may not be sure when to expect
your period. But if you start to experience some of the symptoms below – not
all women get them all – and you're wondering why you haven't gotten your
period, you may very well be pregnant. Take a home pregnancy test to find out
for sure!
1. The proof: A positive home pregnancy test
In spite of what you might read on the box, many home
pregnancy tests are not sensitive enough to reliably detect pregnancy until
about a week after a missed period. So if you decide to take a test earlier
than that and get a negative result, try again in a few days. Remember that a
baby starts to develop before you can tell you're pregnant, so take care of
your health while you're waiting to find out.
2. Your basal body temperature stays high
If you've been charting your basal body temperature and you
see that your temperature has stayed elevated for 18 days in a row, you're
probably pregnant.
And finally ...
3. A missed period
If you're usually pretty regular and your period doesn't
arrive on time, you may decide to do a pregnancy test before you notice any of
the above symptoms. But if you're not regular or you're not keeping track of
your cycle, nausea and breast tenderness and extra trips to the bathroom may
signal pregnancy before you realize you didn't get your period.
4. Nausea
For some women, morning sickness doesn't hit until about a
month after conception, though for others it may start a week or two earlier.
And not just in the morning, either: Pregnancy-related nausea (with or without
vomiting) can be a problem morning, noon, or night.
About half of pregnant women with nausea feel complete
relief by the beginning of the second trimester. For most others it takes
another month or so for the queasiness to ease up. A lucky few escape it
altogether.
5. Tender, swollen breasts
One of the early signs of pregnancy is sensitive, sore
breasts caused by rising levels of hormones. The soreness and swelling 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.
6. Fatigue
Feeling tired all of a sudden? No, make that exhausted. No
one knows for sure what causes early pregnancy fatigue, but it's possible that
rapidly increasing levels of the hormone progesterone are contributing to your
sleepiness. Of course, morning sickness and having to urinate frequently during
the night can add to your sluggishness, too.
You should start to feel more energetic once you hit your
second trimester, although fatigue usually returns late in pregnancy when
you're carrying around a lot more weight and some of the common discomforts of
pregnancy make it more difficult to get a good night's sleep.
7. Frequent urination
Shortly after you become pregnant, hormonal changes prompt a
chain of events that raise the rate of blood flow through your kidneys. This
causes your bladder to fill more quickly, so you need to pee more often. This
symptom may start as early as six weeks into your first trimester.
Frequent urination will continue – or intensify – as your
pregnancy progresses. Your blood volume rises dramatically during pregnancy,
which leads to extra fluid being processed and ending up in your bladder. The
problem is compounded as your growing baby exerts more pressure on your
bladder.
8. Abdominal bloating
Hormonal changes in early pregnancy may leave you feeling
bloated, similar to the feeling some women have just before their period.
That's why your clothes may feel more snug than usual at the waistline, even
early on when your uterus is still quite small.
9. Mood swings
It's common to have mood swings during pregnancy, partly
because of hormonal changes that affect your levels of neurotransmitters
(chemical messengers in the brain). Everyone responds differently to these
changes. Some moms-to-be experience heightened emotions, both good and bad;
others feel more depressed or anxious.
Note: If you've been feeling sad or hopeless or unable to
cope with your daily responsibilities, or you're having thoughts of harming
yourself, call your healthcare provider or a mental health professional right
away.
10. Food aversions
If you're newly pregnant, it's not uncommon to feel repelled
by the smell of a bologna sandwich or a cup of coffee, and for certain aromas
to trigger your gag reflex. Though no one knows for sure, this may be a side
effect of rapidly increasing amounts of estrogen in your system. You may also
find that certain foods you used to enjoy are suddenly completely repulsive to
you.
18 Week Pregnancy
Symptoms
Fetal movement: If you’ve noticed an unusual rumbling in
your tummy these days, you may be starting to feel your baby’s movements in the
womb! But don’t worry if you haven’t felt anything out of the ordinary — it may
take a few more weeks for you to pinpoint those first kicks.
Flatulence: Finding it hard to contain the gas bubbles? Try
to relax — tension can cause you to swallow air and add to the problem.
Varicose veins: If the varicose veins in your legs are
starting to itch or ache, consider wearing support hose, which applies pressure
to the legs and give blood a little upward push toward your heart. Put them on
before you get out of bed in the morning to prevent the blood from pooling.
Leg cramps: As if it weren’t enough that your precious sleep
is interrupted by trips to the bathroom to pee, now you may find yourself suddenly
woken up during the night by shooting spasms in your calves. Experts aren’t
entirely sure what causes them, but you can help fend them off by doing calf
stretches before hitting the sack.
Bleeding gums: Those pesky pregnancy hormones cause mucous membranes
in your body (including those in your mouth) to swell, which can mean inflamed,
irritated, and bleeding gums. Continue to floss and brush regularly, but try
not to be too aggressive in your technique since this can further aggravate
sensitive gums.
Stretch marks: If the appearance of a new stretch mark has
got you feeling down, here’s an activity that may cheer you up — get your
partner to rub moisturizing lotion over your belly. And maybe even get him to
give you a massage while he’s at it!
Mild swelling of ankles and feet: As your body tissues
accumulate fluid (your pregnant body requires extra fluid to support you and
your baby), you may notice swelling in your ankles and feet (fluid tends to
pool there thanks to the law of gravity). Reduce water retention in your feet
by avoiding standing or sitting for long periods — and try to keep your legs
elevated when you can.
Skin, hair, and nail changes: While you may have been hoping
for a pregnancy “glow,” you may have gotten eczema, redness, or acne instead.
These skin conditions are perfectly normal during pregnancy (blame those
hormones again), but if you choose to see a dermatologist, be sure to mention
that you’re expecting. Some skin medications like Accutane and Retin-A are not
safe during pregnancy.
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