Have you missed your monthly meeting with your BFF? Do you think you may be pregnant? Maybe you're trying to conceive? Or maybe you're just pondering what it would be like to be pregnant? Whatever the reason may be, I have compiled a list of the most common signs and symptoms of pregnancy below.
"Keep in mind that every woman and every pregnancy is going to be different. You may experience some or all of these symptoms. You may even experience symptoms that are not on this list."
#1. INCREASED SENSE OF SMELL
This was always a first for me! In the beginning, your senses may be on overdrive and you may feel like you've developed some sort of super power. However, this new force is not so much fun when you're feeling queasy over the simplest things. You may start smelling things you normally wouldn't smell such as a pickle on a sandwich, animals, dirty socks laying on the floor or a peanut butter sandwich someone's making in the other room. This is one of the first symptoms I have when I'm pregnant which leads me to the next symptom.
# 2. FOOD AVERSIONS
Food aversions and heightened sense of smell go hand and hand. You usually don't have one without the other. Some smells can turn you off to foods that you normally enjoy. That Snickers bar you eat every now and then may just be the last thing you want to eat until your baby is born. On the flip side, some women crave things they normally wouldn't eat. Some articles explain that this is due to your bodies lack of certain nutrients. For example, my past pregnancy I craved lots of collard greens, which I love anyway but I think the cause was because my body was lacking iron. When I had my blood drawn, I found out I was slightly anemic which totally made sense. Some foods on the other hand may just make you sick just thinking about them. Either way, it's temporary. Most women will experience these aversions in their first trimester but they can last throughout the entire pregnancy.
# 3. NAUSEA
Nausea is one of the most common symptoms in the first trimester of pregnancy. The uneasiness you feel is primarily due to the rise of hormones. Another common term used to describe this feeling is "Morning sickness". Even though this feeling is most common in the morning, it can persist all day. Most women will become nauseous before they even miss a period. Although many of us cannot escape this symptom, there are many remedies you can try, to help alleviate this awful feeling. If you are one of the few that does not experience this symptom, consider yourself lucky. It's miserable.
# 4. EXHAUSTION
Because your body is going through so many changes, you will experience extra sleepiness. One of the changes is increased blood volume in order to nourish your growing baby. Other contributing factors could also include hormonal and emotional changes. The best advice I have for you is to rest when you can. If you're feeling extremely fatigued you may want to have your thyroid checked. Some doctors will routinely check this during pregnancy and some will not. It wasn't until my 4th pregnancy that my doctor checked my thyroid blood levels and found out that my thyroid levels were low which was causing me to feel more fatigued then normal. Pregnancy for some reason can effect your thyroid so it's always good to have it checked during this phase. Another contributing factor to your fatigue could be anemia but almost all providers will check your blood levels at your first or second maternity appointment.
# 5. TENDER BREASTS
Similar to your period, you may have heavy or sore breasts.Once again HORMONES!! Symptoms can begin as early as four weeks. This is why I recommend wearing a sports bra, nursing bra or T-shirt bra during pregnancy. Most of these bras are wire-free, hook free and un-padded which make them the most comfortable undergarments during this time.
# 6. MILD CRAMPING
You may experience some mild cramping similar to your period. This is due to the implantation process of the egg in the womb. This is normal as long as it's not severe, one sided or accompanied by bleeding. This can also happen off and on throughout your pregnancy due to your uterus growing. If your cramping intensifies and is accompanied by vaginal bleeding or excessive fluid you may be having a miscarriage. If your pain is one-sided you may be experiencing an ectopic pregnancy which can be life threatening. Make an appointment with your healthcare provider as soon as possible so they can order tests and perform an ultrasound.
# 7. MOOD SWINGS
You may experience frequent mood shifts. One minute you're as happy as can be and the next minute you're crying for no reason. It's like your a teenage girl all over again. You may even get upset or irritated more easily. Once again, fluctuation in hormones are the culprit. This is very common and normal. Explain to your loved ones that you may get moody or emotional. Pregnancy can be overwhelming so it's best to talk to someone you trust and love to help you through this process. Try to keep positive and remind yourself that you are growing a beautiful little life inside of you.
# 8. SPOTTING
You may have scant amounts of light vaginal bleeding that may be pinkish- red- brown in color. This is due to the fertilized egg implanting itself into the wall of the uterus. When I say scant, I mean a few drops of blood in your underwear or you may have a little blood when you wipe. The best way I can compare this would be like the days leading up to your period. When you make an appointment with your provider let them know you are experiencing spotting so they can further assess you.
# 9. URGE TO URINATE
This symptom will usually appear a few weeks after conception and unfortunately, lasts the entire pregnancy. There are several reasons you will experience this symptom. One of the reasons is increased fluid production in the body that fills your bladder and causes increased pressure on your growing uterus. Prepare yourself, because this too, also lasts the entire pregnancy.
# 10. MISSED PERIODS
The most obvious sign of pregnancy is a missed period. However, there are other conditions that can cause you to have a missed period such as stress, medications, nutrient imbalance, a hypothyroid and several other conditions involving the reproductive system. If you have missed a period and have any of these symptoms, the first thing you should do is take a pregnancy test. Don't feel like you need to buy an expensive pregnancy test. You can go to most dollar stores and buy one for $1 and yes, they do work. These are the tests I used to verify most of my pregnancies.
My test is negative, what do I do now? If you are having several of the above symptoms along with a missed period, I would wait another week or so before taking another test. Make sure you take the test early in the morning when you first wake up. This is when the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (HCG) is the highest. Sometimes the tests do not always pick up enough of this hormone if it is too early in the pregnancy. In the meantime, I would try to make an appointment with your gynecologist or primary care physician to see what could be causing these symptoms.
I hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for reading. Have a blessed day!
