Early pregnancy symptoms

Early pregnancy symptoms

The most reliable sign of being pregnant is a missed period. Other common early pregnancy symptoms experienced are similar to premenstrual symptoms. 

some of the typical early pregnancy symptoms are-

IMPLANTATION BLEEDING

the attachment of fertilized egg to the wall of the womb is known as implantation. As this fertilized egg invades the lining of the womb, this might sometimes result in cramping or light spotting. It is known as implantation bleeding. This spotting will happen anywhere between 6 to 12 weeks after the fertilization. It is very light pinkish, and it usually settles in a day. It is not like your regular periods. Everyone will not experience this spotting or cramping.

WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT

1 put a pad on

2 keep an eye on the pattern of spotting

if spotting is light pinkish and settled on its own, then it could be implantation bleeding. If after some reddish spotting, you started noticing regular flow, which lasted for few days. It means you have got your periods.

MISSED PERIOD 

You will definitely miss your periods if you are pregnant. It becomes easier when your periods are regular, and you miss your periods; you can do a pregnancy test. It becomes tricky when your periods are irregular. Still, there is no harm in doing a pregnancy test and checking for it.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

1 do a urine pregnancy test- prefer early morning sample

2. If the urine pregnancy test is positive- book your appointment with your midwife or doctor

3. If your urine pregnancy test is negative- you still feel you might be pregnant, repeat in a week again and check if it is positive or negative.

NAUSEA AND VOMITING DURING OF PREGNANCY

80% of pregnant women experience nausea or vomiting during pregnancy. It usually starts around 4 to 6 weeks and lasts throughout the first trimester in most cases. 

WHAT TO DO NEXT

1 eat small frequent meals

2 avoid fatty food

3 take ginger tea or ginger ale, studies have shown that ginger helps in relieving nausea and vomiting

4 stay hydrated

5 if nothing helps- talk to your health care provider

GETTING EXHAUSTED EASILY

You will get tired easily; blame these pregnancy hormones for it. You will feel that you have no energy left whatsoever, and you want to lie in bed the whole day. It is more common in the first trimester of pregnancy.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

1 take frequent breaks during working hours

2 have a healthy diet 

3 take appropriate rest

MOOD SWINGS

mood swings are a common symptom in early pregnancy as well as in premenstrual syndrome. You might get emotionally upset, and unnecessary worries may haunt you at times. You might get into an argument easily with others. If mood swings persist and you miss your periods, that indicates early pregnancy symptoms. If your mood swings settle as your periods come, that means it is premenstrual syndrome.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

1 try to stay calm 

2 be positive

3 avoid any arguments

BREAST TENDERNESS

Pregnancy hormones make your breasts bigger and painful to touch. The veins around the breast are visible, and nipples appear darker than before. You can experience breast tenderness just before your regular periods as well.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

1 wear a supportive bra

2 buy breast pads

3 make yourself comfortable

GOING TO TOILET MORE USUAL THAN BEFORE

You will notice that you need to go to the toilet more often than usual, and you are passing more urine than before. Sometimes you might experience constipation as well. Everyone will not experience these symptoms. these are not the surest signs of pregnancy either

what to do next

1 stay hydrated and drink a sufficient amount of fluids

2 talk to your health care provider if you start experiencing a burning sensation while passing urine or develop fever

CRAVINGS AND AVERSIONS FOR VARIOUS FOODS

you might notice that you don’t like the foods you used to love before. You might also develop a particular metallic taste in your mouth.

On the contrary, there will be certain foods you will love and will have cravings for those foods. Smells of certain foods might make you sick.

what to do next

1 avoid smells that make you nauseous

2 have a healthy diet

3 avoid foods that contain empty calories

REFERENCES

https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/trying-for-a-baby/signs-and-symptoms-of-pregnancy/

https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/maternity-services/pregnancy/common-pregnancy-symptoms

https://www.nct.org.uk/pregnancy/am-i-pregnant/am-i-pregnant-early-signs-and-symptoms

https://mft.nhs.uk/app/uploads/sites/4/2018/04/17-64-Pregnancy-Advice-June-2018.pdf