Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Pregnancy Symptoms

Pregnancy symptoms can vary from one woman to another. Symptoms can even vary from pregnancy to pregnancy in the same woman. In fact, some pregnant woman may not have any symptoms at all for awhile and another woman will know she is pregnant very easily just from her symptoms alone. So, how does one identify that she is pregnant when there is such variance in symptoms? Sooner or later every pregnant woman is going to experience at least one indication that she is pregnant, so it pays to know what exactly the symptoms are when you are pregnant.

Many women stress over signs that they may be pregnant before they even take a pregnancy test. The thing is though, that many early pregnancy symptoms are also signs of a woman's period in her premenstrual cycle. It's best to actually take a pregnancy test and see your doctor to confirm that you are pregnant. If you can't wait that long or are just questioning your pregnancy, here are a list of common pregnancy symptoms.

Missed Menstrual PeriodThe missed period is probably the number one clue that a woman may be pregnant. There are some problems to this though. Some women may have implantation bleeding when they are first pregnant which can be mistaken for a period. Implantation bleeding happens when the fertilized eggs attaches to the wall of the uterus. This usually happens right around the time that a woman may expect her menstrual period. The other problem with this symptom is that some women don't have regular periods and may not be able to keep track of missed periods properly.
Swelling and Tenderness in BreastHaving swollen, tender breast is another sign of pregnancy. Some women may have the feeling of just having fuller or heavier breast at this time and not necessarily tender or swollen. There may also be a greater sense of sensitivity in the breast as well. This is another confusing pregnancy symptom as this happens before a menstrual period as well.
Morning SicknessSome women swear that they know they are pregnant the minute that they start getting nauseous. This is what people call "morning sickness" even though it does not have to happen in the morning, but can happen at night or be an all day feeling. Many times, morning sickness doesn't make an appearance until after the third week of pregnancy, which is usually after a woman has already missed her period. Morning sickness can also include aversions to certain foods as well as cravings for other foods. It does not have to involve actual vomiting and can vary greatly in strength from one woman to the next.
Frequent UrinationIn the early stages of pregnancy, many women report that they have to urinate more frequently, especially at night. This is most likely caused by the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), which is produced by the body when a woman is pregnant. This is the same hormone that pregnancy test use as indicators for being pregnant or not. This hormone is believed to stimulate frequent urination in the early stages of pregnancy when it is rapidly being produced. Later in pregnancy, frequent urination is caused by the weight of the uterus sitting on the woman's bladder.

There are plenty of other pregnancy symptoms as well. They are:
  • abdominal bloating
  • positive pregnancy test
  • change in nipple color
  • elevated body temperature
  • mood swings
  • Linea Nigra (dark line that appears on the stomach)
  • extremely tired and fatigue easily
  • Braxton Hicks contractions
  • sensitivity to smell
  • heartburn
  • constipation

If you think that you have one of more of these pregnancy symptoms, call your doctor to schedule an appointment


About the Author

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