Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Pregnancy is regarded as a gifted phase in any woman's life. Almost every woman in this world thinks that her life is incomplete without motherhood. Hence, It is a very common practice to be anxious to know if one is pregnant or not. Early pregnancy symptoms help in deciding whether one has to take a pregnancy test to confirm the pregnancy.

Symptoms of pregnancy do not remain the same for every woman. In fact the symptoms that a woman experiences might experience differ from one pregnancy to the other. However they are some early pregnancy symptoms that are commonly experienced by majority of women.

1 Missed Period:

This is the most common of the early pregnancy symptoms. Many women begin to search for other details regarding pregnancy only after missing their period. For some one the period is lighter than usual rather than complete absence of menses. It is important to note that all the other symptoms listed below mostly do not occur before the occurrence of a missed period.

2 ‘Feeling’ Pregnant:

Some women have an intuition that they are pregnant. It might sound a little strange but this is regarded as one of the most common early signs of pregnancy.

Some women might feel a little dizzy, moody or light headed, while others might experience heartburn, constipation, soreness in breasts, stiffness in knees and many other similar discomforts. In a nutshell one might not feel like one’s usual self.

3 Changes in Breasts:

One of the most noticeable early pregnancy symptoms is swollen, tender or sore breasts. This might be noted while going to bed, during shower, exercise or while getting dressed. During pregnancy the body is being prepared for a series of changes, among which the changes occurring in the breast, like extra sensitivity in them is an important one. Some women might also notice the nipples becoming dark.

4 Fatigue:

Some women feel tired and exhausted at a great amount. Even a simple activity might lead to exhaustion. It might be harder to wake up early in the morning or one may feel the need to go to bed earlier. Activities like exercising might seem like an Herculean task. It is better at such situations to take a short nap of 15-30 minutes to rejuvenate the body.

5 Urination at an Increased Frequency

During pregnancy, there is a swelling of uterus which exerts extra pressure on the urinary bladder. This causes the need for frequent urination. The family members and friends of a pregnant woman might notice the frequent trips taken by her to the rest rooms. This is also because during pregnancy the amount of body fluids increase. This symptom would continue to occur throughout the period of pregnancy.

6 Nausea

This is one of the early pregnancy symptoms that might take one by surprise by occurring when least expected. This symptom might start as early as a week after someone has become pregnant. Majority of women experience it during the morning while having a coffee or breakfast. This is also termed as morning sickness. However there are also women who feel nauseous in the afternoon or evening. There are also women who experience this symptom throughout the day.

This problem could be solved by taking smaller and more frequent meals than having a big meal thrice a day. Some suggest that milk and saltine crackers help solving the issue. One good news is that, this symptom seems to disappear once the second trimester begins.

7 Aversion to Food and Food Cravings

Aversion to certain food and craving for certain other food are very common among the early pregnancy symptoms. Sometimes a pregnant woman might crave for a food that she normally hated. This symptom can be somewhat controlled by intake of prenatal vitamin and pure fish oil which is also good for the health of the growing fetus. This also helps in controlling the weight gain.

The above said are only few of the early pregnancy symptoms. The exhaustive list contains more symptoms like dizziness, heartburn, constipation, mood swings, sensitivity to aroma, irritability and weight gain. Pregnancy is an important phase in any woman’s life hence it is significant to ensure that one is well informed about all stages of pregnancy and take the necessary steps. While it is a good habit to keep oneself updated about information regarding pregnancy by reading books and searching the net, it is also important to remember that no step should be taken without consulting the doctor.