Parenting & Family

Symptoms of Pregnancy

Trying to have a baby can be exciting and frustrating. If you are trying to have a baby then you probably have read all the books, tried all the strategies for conceiving, and now you have to wait 2 to 3 weeks to see if it all worked. However, while you will need to wait for the official results of a pregnancy test for several weeks, you can start to look for early pregnancy symptoms right away.

Energy Level

One of the earliest symptoms that you start to feel when you first become pregnant is fatigue. You may feel slightly tired at first, however, as you approach your missed period you will probably see a dramatic increase in how tired you feel throughout the day. The cause of your fatigue is a group of hormonal changes in your body that increase your progesterone level, that lower your blood pressure, that lower your blood sugar, and that increases your blood production. All of these biological changes drain your energy and make you feel groggy.

Changes in Your Breasts

Another early symptom of pregnancy is breast tenderness. This will most likely be the first symptom that you become aware of after you conceive. In addition to being sensitive and sore, your breasts may also start to change shape and size. They may become heavier and larger.

Food Issues

Food issues also develop during the early phases of pregnancy. You may first experience morning sickness without vomiting. Nausea may be triggered by the smell of a particular food or aroma. Morning sickness may be caused by many things including a stronger sense of smell, hormonal changes in your body, and a slower digestive process.

Food cravings and aversions are other early signs of pregnancy. These symptoms may appear suddenly or they may develop gradually. These changes in your food preferences are caused by dramatic hormonal changes in your body.

The final food issue that you will deal with during early pregnancy is constipation. Constipation during the first trimester of your pregnancy is due to hormonal changes and a slower digestive system. If you think that you may be pregnant you will not want to use a laxative to cure your constipation. Talk to your doctor for an appropriate remedy for early pregnancy constipation.

Emotional Changes

Mood swings are another symptom that women in the early part of their pregnancy experience. Like most of the other early pregnancy symptoms, mood swings are caused by changing hormonal levels.

Physical Symptoms

In addition to the other symptoms that have been mentioned earlier, you may also develop headaches. Headaches during early pregnancy are usually caused by the increase in blood production caused by pregnancy hormones.

Feeling dizzy and fainting are two other physical symptoms that you may experience during early pregnancy. These symptoms are caused by two different things. First of all they can be caused by dilated blood vessels. Secondly they can be caused by low blood sugar.