Pregnancy- Signs & Symptoms

Significant hormonal changes happen during pregnancy. These trigger a spread of symptoms. Some women experience many of the symptoms of pregnancy, while others may have only a couple of .

Symptoms of early pregnancy include missed periods, breast changes, tiredness, frequent urination, and nausea and vomiting (morning sickness). However, these symptoms could also be caused by other factors and don’t necessarily mean that you simply are pregnant, so if you think you’re pregnant take a home bioassay and see your GP.

A wide range of changes can occur in your body within the later stages of pregnancy, including backache, headache, leg cramps or varicose veins, itch or tingling, constipation, haemorrhoids or indigestion, vaginitis or discharge , or mood changes or depression.

If you’ve got any concerns don’t hesitate to speak to your GP. See your GP directly if you experience symptoms like vaginal bleeding or breaking waters, chronic pain, heat , severe headaches or vision loss.

Signs of pregnancy
The signs of early pregnancy can include:

• missed period
• nausea and vomiting (often called ‘morning’ sickness, but it can occur at any time)
• breast tenderness and enlargement
• fatigue
• passing urine more frequently than usual, particularly in the dark
• cravings for a few foods, distaste for foods you always like, and a sour or metallic taste that persists even when you’re not eating (dysgeusia).

Many of the signs of pregnancy, like a missed period (amenorrhoea), nausea (morning sickness) or tiredness also can be caused by stress or illness, so if you think that you’re pregnant take a home bioassay (urine test) or see your GP, who will administer a urine test, biopsy or ultrasound scan.

Missed period
Missing a period is usually the primary sign of possible pregnancy. However, some women experience light bleeding round the time of their expected period.

Nausea and vomiting
‘Morning’ sickness may be a condition that affects quite half all pregnant women. The symptoms include nausea and vomiting, and loss of appetite. most girls with nausea don’t just get symptoms within the morning, but experience them throughout the entire day.

Morning sickness usually begins round the fourth to sixth week of pregnancy and should settle by week 12, although it can continue for extended or return at around 32 weeks.

Breast changes
During pregnancy, the breasts become fuller, swollen and tender. These changes are almost like those you’ll have noticed within the few days before your period. During pregnancy, the skin round the nipple becomes darker and therefore the veins within the breast become more obvious.

Fatigue
Overwhelming tiredness is common in early pregnancy. this is often presumably caused by the huge increase within the steroid hormone progesterone. Progesterone is required to take care of the pregnancy and help the baby to grow, but it also slows your metabolism.

Try to get some more sleep or rest once you can during this early stage. Your energy levels will probably rise again by round the fourth month of pregnancy when the placenta is well established.

Tiredness during pregnancy also can be caused by anaemia, which is most ordinarily caused by iron deficiency. Eating iron-rich foods is vital within the prevention of iron deficiency anaemia during pregnancy. Medical treatment of anaemia in pregnancy involves taking iron supplements.

Frequent urination
Pregnancy causes a rise in levels of body fluids and greater kidney efficiency. The swelling uterus also presses against the bladder. As a result, most girls start experiencing more frequent urination within the primary few weeks of becoming pregnant.

Food cravings
Cravings surely foods are quite common in pregnancy, especially for foods that provide energy and calcium, like milk and other dairy products. you’ll also notice a sudden distaste for foods you previously liked.

Some women even develop an unusual taste for non-food items like soil or paper. this is often called ‘pica’ and should indicate a nutrient deficiency. Please speak to your GP or midwife if this develops.

Other symptoms of pregnancy
Many of those symptoms can also be indicative of other conditions. If unsure , see your GP.

• back ache
• breathlessness
• constipation
• haemorrhoids (piles)
• headaches
• heartburn and indigestion
• itchy skin
• leg cramps
• mood changes (such as unexplained crying)
• tingling and numbness in your hands
• vaginal discharge
• vaginitis
• varicose veins and leg oedema (swelling).

Backache
Back pain during pregnancy can affect quite one in three women. this is often usually thanks to loosening of ligaments and alter in posture thanks to the growing pregnancy.

You can help reduce back pain during pregnancy by wearing flat heeled shoes, using chairs with good back support, avoiding lifting heavy objects, and doing gentle exercise. Exercising in water can reduce back pain in pregnancy, and physiotherapy and acupuncture can also help.

Breathlessness
At the onset of pregnancy the hormone progesterone increases your lung capacity. this permits you to hold more oxygen to your baby and obtain obviate waste products like the CO2 that you simply both produce. At each breath you breathe more deeply and therefore the amount of air you inhale (and exhale) increases significantly. this will cause you to feel in need of breath.