am i pregnant – pregnancy signs & symptoms

Signs and symptoms of pregnancyEmma’s Diary share 11 common clues that may mean you’re going to be a Mum.

www.emmasdiary.co.uk

Am I pregnant? Clue #1You’ve missed your period

Remember: You may miss your period for other reasons such as emotional upset, illness, severe weight loss, over‐exercising, anxiety about getting pregnant, onset of menopause and sometimes coming off the pill. A missed period alone doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re pregnant.

For a woman who has always been regular, a missed menstrual period is often the first symptom of pregnancy.


Am I pregnant? Clue #2Vaginal Discharge

An increase in white or clear vaginal discharge is normal in early pregnancy.

Be aware: If the discharge becomes coloured, smelly, or causes itching or soreness, you should tell your midwife or GP. This could be a sign of a vaginal infection. Vaginal thrush is common in pregnancy and may require treatment from your GP.


Am I pregnant? Clue #3Tender Breasts

Your breasts may feel different immediately if you are pregnant ‐ or in some cases not until the 2nd trimester.

Be aware: Some women notice that their nipples are more sensitive or that the breasts feel heavier, fuller and ache a little or tingle. There is usually also an increase in superficial veins over the breasts and tiny nodules may appear in the areola.


Am I pregnant? Clue #4Frequent Weeing

You may feel the urge to wee much more often in the first three months of pregnancy.

Why it happens? Many women find they have to get up during the night – sometimes more than once. This frequent need to pass water is due to pressure from the enlarging uterus on the bladder. It usually wears off slightly in the middle months and returns again when the baby is bigger and starts pressing on your bladder – especially when her head has engaged in the pelvis.


Am I pregnant? Clue #5Feeling Tired

Feeling tired can be very noticeable during the first three months and aclear early symptom of pregnancy.

Women who usually have boundless energy can find themselves simply having to catnap during the day. Tiredness in the early months can be caused by your body having to adapt to rapidly changing hormone levels, many women find that tiredness eases off in the middle months and then returns in the last trimester. Feelings of exhaustion are caused by the strain your increased weight puts on your body, frequent trips to the toilet during the night also mean that your sleep is disturbed so you are not getting as much rest as you need. www.emmasdiary.co.uk

Am I pregnant? Clue #6Constipation

The action of the hormone progesterone relaxes the muscle of the intestine reducing its movement and causing varying degrees of constipation. This can last throughout the whole pregnancy.

Constipation by itself is not a sign of pregnancy, but if you’re usually very regular it can be an addition clue.


Am I pregnant? Clue #7Feeling or being sick

Morning sickness can occur any time of the day not just the morning. Some very unlucky women feel sick all through their pregnancy and this can vary from being sick to just a feeling of nausea. The exact cause is not known but is thought to be associated with the high levels of the hormone progesterone.

Sickness or nausea is a common early sign for some women and it often lasts through first three months of pregnancy.


Am I pregnant? Clue #8Headaches

After the first trimester, headaches can be treated with the recommended dose of paracetamol.

Headaches are quite normal early and first symptoms of pregnancy and are thought to be caused by fluctuating hormones.


Am I pregnant? Clue #9Altered tastes

Shortly after missing the first period many women also start to go off certain foods and develop a strong aversion to the smell of cigarette smoke and the smell or taste of alcohol. Many women report an intense dislike of the smell of cooking fat or are repulsed by a food they previously enjoyed. Conversely some women may develop a strong craving for a certain food very early on and this too can be a clue to pregnancy.

Alterations in tastes may be among the earliest pregnancy signs. Some women experience a strange taste in their mouth, often metallic, even before the first period is missed.


Am I pregnant? Clue #10Bloating, cramps & back‐ache

These feelings and pains can be caused by hormonal changes and the growth of the uterus.

If you’re suffering from these things, it may not be pre‐menstrual syndrome as you think. These are also common early signs of pregnancy.


Am I pregnant? Clue #11Skin changes

These symptoms can sometimes persist for several months but, happily, many women report that their skin has never been so good as when they are pregnant, and that hair and nails are stronger too.

Changes in the skin are common in early pregnancy. Your skin can become drier and prone to an outbreak of spots.


For more information…

Emma’s Diary is one of the UK’s leading baby and Mum’s clubs, providing a wealth of information, advice and offers for mums and mum’s to be.

Join us today online at www.emmasdiary.co.uk and check out our Due Date Calculator and other resources specially created for pregnant mums.


am i pregnant – pregnancy signs & symptoms

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