Pre-Pregnancy | Falling Pregnant
Pregnancy Signs and Symptoms: Am I pregnant?
Every day a large number of women worldwide ask themselves the following question: How do I know if I am pregnant? Although pregnancy symptoms vary in intensity, frequency and duration from woman to woman and from pregnancy to pregnancy, the earliest pregnancy signs are usually easy to recognise. Herewith a list of common symptoms that can indicate the fact that you are indeed expecting a baby.
1. Missed period
When your period is late the most logical conclusion you come to is the fact that you must be pregnant. You don’t have to be, however, as your period can be late for a number of other reasons – such as stress, illness, being overweight or underweight and changes in medication.
2. Morning sickness
Nausea and/or vomiting are pregnancy symptoms that are most common between weeks four and eight, however some women experience morning sickness throughout their whole pregnancy while some don’t experience it at all. Morning sickness – usually triggered by certain smells – can actually occur at any time of the day, and is generally caused by a rapid rise in oestrogen produced by the foetus and placenta.
3. Extreme tiredness and exhaustion
In your first pregnancy trimester your body is trying to get used to all the changes that are happening within, and will be working hard to adjust to these changes. This means that you’ll more likely than not feel very tired – more so than what you normally do. Also your foetus is taking necessary nutrients from you in order to grow, which means that your supply of important vitamins and minerals such as iron will decrease. Besides, your body is producing more progesterone – which is known to cause tiredness. You’ll also be emotional as hormones are playing havoc with your body, and this will no doubt wear you out as well.
4. Bloating and a higher body temperature
A bloated tummy can be an early pregnancy sign, and so can a higher body temperature. BBT, your basal body temperature, is the temperature of your body as you wake up and get out of bed in the morning. During ovulation your BTT normally increases, but during menstruation it decreases again. However when you have conceived your BTT continues to stay high after your period is late. This means that a high temperature could indeed indicate the fact that you are pregnant.
5. Tender and swollen breasts
Tender and swollen breasts is a common early pregnancy symptom for most women. As your breasts undergo changes to prepare for breastfeeding, they will be sore and extra sensitive. The same goes for your nipples, which sometimes also darken in colour.
6. Light bleeding and cramping
When a fertilised egg implants itself in the uterine lining, 10-14 days after conception, you might experience a light bleeding. And when your uterus begins to expand in order to make room for your growing baby, cramping similar to menstrual cramps often occur.
7. Lower back pain
When it comes to lower back pain, this is a common early pregnancy sign that can be caused by a number of reasons – such as weight gain, the fact that your posture gets thrown out of alignment, lack of sleep because you are uncomfortable and hormonal changes (i.e. joints and ligaments are loosening up to get your body ready for birth).
8. Frequent urination
For a pregnant woman running to the bathroom all the time is very common -especially in your first and last trimester – as your uterus is growing and puts pressure on your bladder. Also, pregnancy causes extra body fluids to be processed by your kidneys and bladder.
9. Headaches, dizziness and fainting
Increased hormone levels can cause intense headaches when you are pregnant, especially in your first trimester. And simple tasks such as climbing stairs and standing in line at the grocery store can make you feel light-headed or even make you faint. When you are pregnant your uterus swells and will compress arteries in your legs – which in turn can drop your blood pressure and make you dizzy. Also, if you don’t eat for a while you may feel very faint.
10. Mood swings and irritability
It’s completely normal to feel anxious about pregnancy and birth. It’s also normal to at the same time feel happiness and anticipation. Increased hormone levels in pregnant women can indeed cause severe mood swings, and feeling irritable is also very common. A patient, loving partner who can give you plenty of hugs is definitely what the doctor orders here!
11. Loss of appetite, food cravings and aversion to certain foods
Pregnancy hormones play a big role here, but there’s also some truth in the theory that you crave what your body needs and are repulsed by what’s not good for you; which explains why regular coffee and alcohol drinkers often go off it as soon as they are pregnant. Whatever your cravings are, try to not give into them too often unless they are healthy foods, and try to stay away from those foods that make you feel ill. And although you’re experiencing loss of appetite, remember that your baby needs nutrients – which means that you have to carry on eating whether you like it or not.
12. Just “that” feeling
A mother’s intuition is more often than not proven correct. So if you think you might be pregnant, especially when experiencing a few of the pregnancy symptoms explained above, you are more than likely right!
The symptoms of pregnancy can very often be mistaken for the onset of premenstrual symptoms, as some of the early symptoms mimic these quite closely. Also, signs varies from woman to woman and you can never really be 100% sure of what’s going on until you have taken a home pregnancy test (or two). So run to the pharmacy, grab a couple of tests and confirm that feeling once and for all… Good luck!
Hi, I had my period last week only for 3 days and i usually get them for 7 days. I’m always tired over the last month and a half. All this week iv been feeling sick and also vomiting a few times with no temp etc. I done a pregnancy test and it came up negative but i’me still worried.
Jenny > If you want to be 100% sure you can always go for a bloodtest. If it’s negative, I would suggest you see your GP for a check-up.
Im going to tell you now, I think im adding you to my favorite writers list. This is such a nice post and really hit the nail on the head for me. Please continue. Your readers need you.
Some of the reasons given to explain lower back pain during pregnancy are mere myths which people spread through word of mouth and are based on no research. One can learn the truth about the causes through an informed research. Many mothers consult doctors because of these problems. I don’t like lower back pain, drives me nuts. Did it go away after your pregnancy?
I have this small dizzyness and something like periods pains and my breast are swallod
And its about 3wiks nw cn u help me and tell me whats wrong wth me
I strongly recommend that you see your Doctor, who will be able to tell you why you are experiencing these symptoms. Perhaps buy a pregnancy test to rule out pregnancy as a possible cause.
I have the back pain and it is painfull i dont what can i do to stop it!!!
Palesa > As I said above, I strongly recommend that you see your doctor or go to your nearest clinic, they will be able to suggest treatment for your back pain and all the other symptoms you are experiencing. Please rule out pregnancy first before taking any medication. If you are pregnant then you need to be careful what medicines you take (as this can harm your baby), but your doctor will explain this all to you when you make an appointment.
i saw my periods on the 1st of december until the 5th. They came again on the 26- 31 as i always count 20 days before my next one. When i missed my periods in January i went to the doctor and my suspicions were true i was 6 weeks but when i had a scan done on my 9th week it said im 14 weeks and 1 day how is that possible .
@ Busisiwe.There could be two reasons for this, firstly in some cases women do experience bleeding in the beginning of their pregnancies due to implantation of the embryo. So yes you might have been pregnant in December even though you had signs of bleeding. The second reason could be the inaccuracy of scan readings. Working out how far you are in your pregnancy is not a exact science and the Doctors could be a little out. Either way, stop worrying about it, the baby will arrive when he is ready. Goodluck