Isn't this Hilarious !!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Symptoms of Pregnancy
The onset and degree of pregnancy symptoms will vary within women.
Some women can detect the moment they begin ovulating, while many women cannot tell when or if they have ovulated. Often, women can detect when the fertile days of their cycle has ended. Some can detect the moment they have become pregnant. And for others, one of the more. In fact, your own symptoms may actually be different from one pregnancy to another.
Pregnancy symptoms can also vary in their intensity, frequency and duration and will lessen after the first trimester.Pregnancy symptoms usually start as soon as the embryo implants in the uterus and starts releasing HCG. Which is around day 7-8 of having sex.
It is frustrating to realize that many pregnancy symptoms are very similar to those that occur right before menstruating.
If you are not trying to conceive, you might think it is just your period coming on again, when in reality you may be experiencing very early signs of pregnancy.
If you are trying to conceive, you may be frustrated when you think you may be experiencing early symptoms of pregnancy but they are only pre-menstrual symptoms.
However, combined with high temperatures and a longer luteal phase - they are key indications that you have achieved pregnancy success!
Once the very early pregnancy signs are experienced, confirm pregnancy by using one of the better home pregnancy tests (there are major differences in the reliability of the home tests for pregnancy) Becoming pregnant and enjoying a successful pregnancy is a complex but wonderful experience. Learn as much as you can about fertility, pregnancy and your health so the brand new person will have the very best beginning to life that is possible.
Missed Period
Perhaps the most obvious early symptom of pregnancy is when you've missed your period. This possible sign of pregnancy is often what causes women to search for more details about the other pregnancy symptoms. Some women might only experience a much lighter period compared to their usual. You might not experience any of the pregnancy signs listed below until around the time you notice you've missed your monthly cycle.
Nausea & Vomiting
One of these pregnancy signs nausea and vomiting can take you by surprise when you least expect it. These early pregnancy symptoms may come as soon as a week into the pregnancy. Many women experience nausea in the morning when they have coffee and/or eat something on an empty stomach. This is known as morning sickness (see below). Other women notice nausea in the afternoon or evening. Others feel queasy all day.
There is no explanation as to why pregnant women feel this or even a solution as to how to prevent it - however, eating small frequent meals, and snacking on saltine crackers seems to give some kind of relief. Eating a protein/carbohydrate at bedtime (try an apple and a glass of milk) tends to lessen the nausea that occurs in the morning.
This is an early symptom of pregnancy that seems to show up about a month after pregnancy has begun. It tends to level off once you are into your second trimester and your body adjusts to all the many changes it is going through.
Morning Sickness
This pregnancy symptom is well known, and it is related to the nausea symptom. It can be caused by a variety of factors. Your body is craving food and you have not eaten all night so your tummy feels queasy. Your body has way more hormones coursing through it than normal and this can . You are sensitive to aromas and foods, so your morning coffee may not agree with you. The usual breakfast you typically have may not settle well in your stomach during this time. Each woman is different and will have different foods that may or may not contribute to morning sickness.
Breast Tenderness
Your breasts play an important role in childbirth. They are naturally sensitive and become far more so when pregnant. This is one of the most obvious early symptoms of pregnancy.
When you become pregnant, your body begins preparing your breasts for producing milk and breastfeeding. Hormones start increasing. In addition to breast tenderness and swelling, your nipples may feel sore or extra sensitive. Some women notice their nipples darken in color. These symptoms are due to increasing amount of hCG hormone that begins at implantation
You may notice this pregnancy sign at bedtime when exercising or showering.
Frequent Urination
Many women start to feel this symptom within a week or two after pregnancy has occurred. Sorry to have to say this, but this symptom of pregnancy may remain constant for nine months.
Pregnancy causes the uterus to swell and it will start to enlarge for the growing fetus immediately. The swelling uterus puts pressure on your bladder making you feel the need for more frequent urination.
Also, pregnancy causes extra body fluids to be processed by your kidneys and bladder. That means more trips to the restroom.
Feeling Tired / Sluggish Fatigue
One of the earliest pregnancy signs for some women may be fatigue and exhaustion. You may start going to bed sooner, or find it harder than usual to get out of bed in the morning.
This one is pretty obvious. When pregnant your body is going through some major hormonal changes. hCG levels alone go from 0 - 250,000 mIU/ml in just twelve weeks. Your temperature is also higher due to the amount progesterone circulating through your body which will also make you feel a little sluggish.
If you know you are pregnant, try to take frequent rests or naps of 15 minutes to a half-hour whenever possible
Light Bleeding
One of the less known pregnancy symptoms is the slight bleeding and spotting that can be caused when the fertilized egg begins to implant itself into the uterus. This is known as "implantation bleeding" and it usually takes place between 3 to 6 days after fertilization.
It can even occur around the same time you would have gotten your menstrual period. Some women assume they have started their period when in fact they are pregnant.
Not all women experience implantation bleeding so it is not considered one of the most obvious pregnancy signs.
Dizziness and/or Fainting
When standing in one place you may feel dizzy or even faint. The growing uterus compresses major arteries in your legs which causes your blood pressure to drop making you extremely light headed. Skipping meals or going too long without eating may cause you to feel dizzy or faint. When not eating frequently enough it causes low blood sugar. Blood sugar is the primary source of food for your baby so it will be depleted much more quickly.
You want to eat frequent, healthy snacks to keep your blood sugar up. Stock up on portable lunch box foods you can take with you. Such as apples, bananas, grapes, yogurt cups, carrots and celery, cheese and crackers, small cartons of milk, juice boxes, granola bars, boxes of raisins, etc.
Constipation
This pregnancy symptom is caused by the uterus starting to swell and pushing against the stomach and other organs as it grows. Pregnancy hormones will slow down bowel functions to give maximum absorption time of vitamins and nutrients. Taking a quality prenatal multi-vitamin-mineral supplement is important to help your body get the nutrients it needs for your growing baby.
The increasing levels of hCG will also slow down digestion making your stomach not empty as fast which increases the stomach acid, leading to a feeling of heartburn. Soda crackers and sparkling water can help. Smaller more frequent meals are easier to digest. Drink plenty of water and eat fruits, vegetables and perhaps some raisin and bran cereal to help regularity. Some daily vitamin formulas also contain digestive enzymes (from pineapple and papaya fruits). These can help with digestion.
Ask your doctor before taking any kind of antacids as some contain aluminum and should be avoided. Unfortunately, this symptom usually only gets worse as the pregnancy progresses.
Irritability
Raging hormones are the cause of this...along with having to put up with all the other symptoms. This symptom should decrease soon into the second trimester but until then, a healthy diet, moderate exercise and plenty of sleep should help the crabbiness somewhat.
Food Cravings, or Aversions to Foods
A well-known cliché is the pregnancy sign-symptom of craving certain foods or unusual combinations of foods. For example, one woman said she craved midnight snacks of warm peach pie topped with vanilla ice cream. Everyone has a funny story about food cravings.
Taking a good pre-natal vitamin supplement and a pure fish oil capsule may ease some cravings and help prevent extra weight gain
Less well known but equally common pregnancy signs are aversions to certain foods. You may find that some foods you previously enjoyed are no longer appetizing. One woman told us she had always liked pizza, but couldn't stand it at all while she was expecting. Just the smell of it made her feel nausea. This problem may come and go for some women. For others it could last throughout pregnancy.
Another related early symptom of pregnancy is a heightened sensitivity to aromas. Even a favorite aroma, such as the smell of a food or perfume, can make you gag. The smell of fresh mowed grass, the smell of a gas station, smells of various foods, household cleaners, perfumes, cigarette smoke, etc., can all cause you to feel nauseated (see nausea symptom above). This is thought to be yet another side effect of the estrogen that is flooding your body.
Mood Swings and Irritability
Pregnancy along with the joy and symptoms fills your mind with question regarding delievery, motherhood, career, and finances, insurance and also the future of your child. All these thoughts and raging hormones can bring about mood swings in you.
It is perfectly normal to feel mixed emotions, excitement and depression, joy and sorrow, laughter and tears. Your partner may be very confused by this and may not seem to be supportive. Explain that your mood swings are very normal signs of pregnancy and that you need support and understanding.
You are the one doing all the hard work here and it is not asking too much for your partner to be patient, loving and to have plenty of hugs and kind words of support ready when you need them. Most fathers-to-be want very much to be supportive, they just need instructions. No one has ever told them anything about pregnancy symptoms. It is all a mystery to them.
This early symptom of pregnancy may decrease in the second trimester.
Higher body temperature
If your temperature is higher than usual and it stays high for two weeks in a row, something is obviously going on with your body. You may be pregnant (or you may have a low grade fever).
If you've been trying to conceive and hoping to get pregnant (it's a tough job but somebody has to do it), your doctor may already have suggested that you keep a record of your body temperature every day.
Low Back Pain
It is estimated that about half of all women will experience this pregnancy symptom.
This low back pain is caused by several factors. First is your weight change. You gain some weight because you are pregnant, your uterus gets bigger, and your baby grows larger every week. Next, your posture and torso are thrown out of alignment. This weight is mostly in the front of your torso, which pulls on your back. It is like wearing a backpack on your front instead of your back. This changes your posture and puts a strain on your back.
All of these changes added together can cause the early pregnancy symptoms of low back pain.
A Positive Pregnancy Test
If you are worrying about possible early symptoms of pregnancy, you can put your mind at ease with a pregnancy test. More than just a pregnancy symptom, this is scientific proof positive of whether you are expecting a baby or not.
Pregnancy tests work best if you wait to take them until at least a day or two after you miss your period. Even if the pregnancy test result is negative you should try it again a few days later to be sure. The best pregnancy tests are the ones done by your doctor or medical clinic. However there are some very high quality at home tests available too.
Some women can detect the moment they begin ovulating, while many women cannot tell when or if they have ovulated. Often, women can detect when the fertile days of their cycle has ended. Some can detect the moment they have become pregnant. And for others, one of the more. In fact, your own symptoms may actually be different from one pregnancy to another.
Pregnancy symptoms can also vary in their intensity, frequency and duration and will lessen after the first trimester.Pregnancy symptoms usually start as soon as the embryo implants in the uterus and starts releasing HCG. Which is around day 7-8 of having sex.
It is frustrating to realize that many pregnancy symptoms are very similar to those that occur right before menstruating.
If you are not trying to conceive, you might think it is just your period coming on again, when in reality you may be experiencing very early signs of pregnancy.
If you are trying to conceive, you may be frustrated when you think you may be experiencing early symptoms of pregnancy but they are only pre-menstrual symptoms.
However, combined with high temperatures and a longer luteal phase - they are key indications that you have achieved pregnancy success!
Once the very early pregnancy signs are experienced, confirm pregnancy by using one of the better home pregnancy tests (there are major differences in the reliability of the home tests for pregnancy) Becoming pregnant and enjoying a successful pregnancy is a complex but wonderful experience. Learn as much as you can about fertility, pregnancy and your health so the brand new person will have the very best beginning to life that is possible.
Missed Period
Perhaps the most obvious early symptom of pregnancy is when you've missed your period. This possible sign of pregnancy is often what causes women to search for more details about the other pregnancy symptoms. Some women might only experience a much lighter period compared to their usual. You might not experience any of the pregnancy signs listed below until around the time you notice you've missed your monthly cycle.
Nausea & Vomiting
One of these pregnancy signs nausea and vomiting can take you by surprise when you least expect it. These early pregnancy symptoms may come as soon as a week into the pregnancy. Many women experience nausea in the morning when they have coffee and/or eat something on an empty stomach. This is known as morning sickness (see below). Other women notice nausea in the afternoon or evening. Others feel queasy all day.
There is no explanation as to why pregnant women feel this or even a solution as to how to prevent it - however, eating small frequent meals, and snacking on saltine crackers seems to give some kind of relief. Eating a protein/carbohydrate at bedtime (try an apple and a glass of milk) tends to lessen the nausea that occurs in the morning.
This is an early symptom of pregnancy that seems to show up about a month after pregnancy has begun. It tends to level off once you are into your second trimester and your body adjusts to all the many changes it is going through.
Morning Sickness
This pregnancy symptom is well known, and it is related to the nausea symptom. It can be caused by a variety of factors. Your body is craving food and you have not eaten all night so your tummy feels queasy. Your body has way more hormones coursing through it than normal and this can . You are sensitive to aromas and foods, so your morning coffee may not agree with you. The usual breakfast you typically have may not settle well in your stomach during this time. Each woman is different and will have different foods that may or may not contribute to morning sickness.
Breast Tenderness
Your breasts play an important role in childbirth. They are naturally sensitive and become far more so when pregnant. This is one of the most obvious early symptoms of pregnancy.
When you become pregnant, your body begins preparing your breasts for producing milk and breastfeeding. Hormones start increasing. In addition to breast tenderness and swelling, your nipples may feel sore or extra sensitive. Some women notice their nipples darken in color. These symptoms are due to increasing amount of hCG hormone that begins at implantation
You may notice this pregnancy sign at bedtime when exercising or showering.
Frequent Urination
Many women start to feel this symptom within a week or two after pregnancy has occurred. Sorry to have to say this, but this symptom of pregnancy may remain constant for nine months.
Pregnancy causes the uterus to swell and it will start to enlarge for the growing fetus immediately. The swelling uterus puts pressure on your bladder making you feel the need for more frequent urination.
Also, pregnancy causes extra body fluids to be processed by your kidneys and bladder. That means more trips to the restroom.
Feeling Tired / Sluggish Fatigue
One of the earliest pregnancy signs for some women may be fatigue and exhaustion. You may start going to bed sooner, or find it harder than usual to get out of bed in the morning.
This one is pretty obvious. When pregnant your body is going through some major hormonal changes. hCG levels alone go from 0 - 250,000 mIU/ml in just twelve weeks. Your temperature is also higher due to the amount progesterone circulating through your body which will also make you feel a little sluggish.
If you know you are pregnant, try to take frequent rests or naps of 15 minutes to a half-hour whenever possible
Light Bleeding
One of the less known pregnancy symptoms is the slight bleeding and spotting that can be caused when the fertilized egg begins to implant itself into the uterus. This is known as "implantation bleeding" and it usually takes place between 3 to 6 days after fertilization.
It can even occur around the same time you would have gotten your menstrual period. Some women assume they have started their period when in fact they are pregnant.
Not all women experience implantation bleeding so it is not considered one of the most obvious pregnancy signs.
Dizziness and/or Fainting
When standing in one place you may feel dizzy or even faint. The growing uterus compresses major arteries in your legs which causes your blood pressure to drop making you extremely light headed. Skipping meals or going too long without eating may cause you to feel dizzy or faint. When not eating frequently enough it causes low blood sugar. Blood sugar is the primary source of food for your baby so it will be depleted much more quickly.
You want to eat frequent, healthy snacks to keep your blood sugar up. Stock up on portable lunch box foods you can take with you. Such as apples, bananas, grapes, yogurt cups, carrots and celery, cheese and crackers, small cartons of milk, juice boxes, granola bars, boxes of raisins, etc.
Constipation
This pregnancy symptom is caused by the uterus starting to swell and pushing against the stomach and other organs as it grows. Pregnancy hormones will slow down bowel functions to give maximum absorption time of vitamins and nutrients. Taking a quality prenatal multi-vitamin-mineral supplement is important to help your body get the nutrients it needs for your growing baby.
The increasing levels of hCG will also slow down digestion making your stomach not empty as fast which increases the stomach acid, leading to a feeling of heartburn. Soda crackers and sparkling water can help. Smaller more frequent meals are easier to digest. Drink plenty of water and eat fruits, vegetables and perhaps some raisin and bran cereal to help regularity. Some daily vitamin formulas also contain digestive enzymes (from pineapple and papaya fruits). These can help with digestion.
Ask your doctor before taking any kind of antacids as some contain aluminum and should be avoided. Unfortunately, this symptom usually only gets worse as the pregnancy progresses.
Irritability
Raging hormones are the cause of this...along with having to put up with all the other symptoms. This symptom should decrease soon into the second trimester but until then, a healthy diet, moderate exercise and plenty of sleep should help the crabbiness somewhat.
Food Cravings, or Aversions to Foods
A well-known cliché is the pregnancy sign-symptom of craving certain foods or unusual combinations of foods. For example, one woman said she craved midnight snacks of warm peach pie topped with vanilla ice cream. Everyone has a funny story about food cravings.
Taking a good pre-natal vitamin supplement and a pure fish oil capsule may ease some cravings and help prevent extra weight gain
Less well known but equally common pregnancy signs are aversions to certain foods. You may find that some foods you previously enjoyed are no longer appetizing. One woman told us she had always liked pizza, but couldn't stand it at all while she was expecting. Just the smell of it made her feel nausea. This problem may come and go for some women. For others it could last throughout pregnancy.
Another related early symptom of pregnancy is a heightened sensitivity to aromas. Even a favorite aroma, such as the smell of a food or perfume, can make you gag. The smell of fresh mowed grass, the smell of a gas station, smells of various foods, household cleaners, perfumes, cigarette smoke, etc., can all cause you to feel nauseated (see nausea symptom above). This is thought to be yet another side effect of the estrogen that is flooding your body.
Mood Swings and Irritability
Pregnancy along with the joy and symptoms fills your mind with question regarding delievery, motherhood, career, and finances, insurance and also the future of your child. All these thoughts and raging hormones can bring about mood swings in you.
It is perfectly normal to feel mixed emotions, excitement and depression, joy and sorrow, laughter and tears. Your partner may be very confused by this and may not seem to be supportive. Explain that your mood swings are very normal signs of pregnancy and that you need support and understanding.
You are the one doing all the hard work here and it is not asking too much for your partner to be patient, loving and to have plenty of hugs and kind words of support ready when you need them. Most fathers-to-be want very much to be supportive, they just need instructions. No one has ever told them anything about pregnancy symptoms. It is all a mystery to them.
This early symptom of pregnancy may decrease in the second trimester.
Higher body temperature
If your temperature is higher than usual and it stays high for two weeks in a row, something is obviously going on with your body. You may be pregnant (or you may have a low grade fever).
If you've been trying to conceive and hoping to get pregnant (it's a tough job but somebody has to do it), your doctor may already have suggested that you keep a record of your body temperature every day.
Low Back Pain
It is estimated that about half of all women will experience this pregnancy symptom.
This low back pain is caused by several factors. First is your weight change. You gain some weight because you are pregnant, your uterus gets bigger, and your baby grows larger every week. Next, your posture and torso are thrown out of alignment. This weight is mostly in the front of your torso, which pulls on your back. It is like wearing a backpack on your front instead of your back. This changes your posture and puts a strain on your back.
All of these changes added together can cause the early pregnancy symptoms of low back pain.
A Positive Pregnancy Test
If you are worrying about possible early symptoms of pregnancy, you can put your mind at ease with a pregnancy test. More than just a pregnancy symptom, this is scientific proof positive of whether you are expecting a baby or not.
Pregnancy tests work best if you wait to take them until at least a day or two after you miss your period. Even if the pregnancy test result is negative you should try it again a few days later to be sure. The best pregnancy tests are the ones done by your doctor or medical clinic. However there are some very high quality at home tests available too.
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