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Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Pregnant or Premenstrual?

Am I pregnant or premenstrual? Sometimes it can be hard to tell, especially in the very early stages of pregnancy. But, it will not take long before you know for sure and then you can expect to see some serious changes taking place very quickly. You will experience a wide variety of pregnancy symptoms, ranging from nausea and vomiting to fatigue and bloating. However, it is important to remember that each pregnancy is different and the pregnancy signs and symptoms vary with the individual and even with each successive pregnancy you may have. You may be sick as a dog with your first baby and not even gag with the next one. It's an adventure!

The important thing to remember is that even though there is a loose order in the way symptoms may occur, they can come or not come at different times for each pregnancy. The earliest signs of pregnancy may be so subtle you miss them, thinking you're having pre-menstrual issues. If you're not sure, do a home pregnancy test. They're fast and very reliable when done according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Missed Periods and Feeling Pregnant

Perhaps the most common and obvious pregnancy sign is a missed period. This is often the catalyst to taking a pregnancy test and then scrutinizing to see if there are any more pregnancy symptoms on the horizon. Sometimes menses is just a lot lighter in the month you conceive and you'll need some other signs to convince you.

There are women who know exactly when they conceived. They "just felt pregnant" and they were absolutely right. Maybe feeling queasy, touchy, and a bit bloated causes you to contemplate the reality of a pregnancy. Maybe it is that you simply don't feel like yourself. Regardless, that intuition is often proven out.

Breast tenderness can be a bit confusing initially because many women experience breast tenderness and swelling just prior to their period. However, when you become pregnant your body begins to prepare to feed your baby right away. Hormones are raging around and your breasts swell and become incredibly tender and sensitive. Even your nipples hurt. You'll notice them darkening as time goes on, the areola becoming broader and little glands begin to excrete oil to keep the nipples supple.

Fatigue

One of the more common early pregnancy signs is fatigue. For the first few weeks of your pregnancy you find you can hardly keep your eyes open. A day at work can leave you totally exhausted. You go to bed earlier than ever and want to stay in bed long after it's time to get up. Everything is just too much effort. This pregnancy symptom is caused by the increasing hormone levels and the fact that your body is going through myriad changes - it's hard work preparing for and growing a baby. Find the time to nap when you feel tired (if it's possible). Be sure to block out time to rest when you're home.

Suddenly you are running to the bathroom a hundred times a day - at least it feels that way. Another early pregnancy symptom is frequent urination. As the uterus swells it puts pressure on the bladder so you have to go more often. Also, your body is producing extra fluids that have to be processed by your kidneys and bladder. This symptom isn't going to go away. Actually, it will become more intense as time goes on. Sorry about that.

Nausea and Morning Sickness

You may find yourself gagging at smells and feeling nauseated and ill at the most unusual times. Nausea and vomiting, commonly called morning sickness (although it can hit at any time of the day), is one of the earliest pregnancy signs. Not everyone gets it, but most women do to some degree. If you do find you are feeling ill in the morning, keep some soda crackers right by the bed and eat two or three before trying to get up. If you get sick later in the day or evening, you may find that eating small amounts throughout the day helps to keep nausea at bay. This early pregnancy symptom commonly arrives on the scene within a month of becoming pregnant and usually is gone by the end of the first trimester.

As your pregnancy progresses, the symptoms change. Some are gone totally and others hang on - like urinary urgency. You can check out the other symptoms and the general timing of when they appear in the course of pregnancy by going clicking here.