Learn the 5 Early Signs of Pregnancy
Written by: Perry Nichols
By simply learning the early signs of pregnancy we are essentially increasing our odds of having a healthy baby. Most women aren't aware that they are pregnant until either missing a period, or even two. Unfortunately, this leaves precious months of fetal development to chance. Although, by being more in tune with our bodies and learning all of the early signs of pregnancy, we can do the absolute best we can for the quickly growing baby.
Here are five of the most common, early signs of pregnancy:
1. Frequent Urination
Often, even before the first missed period, many women report noticing an increase in the number of trips they're making to the bathroom. Some may even be awakened once or twice during the night by the incessant need to urinate. The reason for this is a certain hormone, known as "the pregnancy hormone" that is produced after the embryo has been implanted within the uterus. This hormone is referred to as human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG.
2. Missed Period
A missed period is a rather common sign of pregnancy, however, it definitely isn't a foolproof method as many women's menstrual cycles are irregular for one reason or another. Stress, tension, or certain illnesses and conditions may all affect menstruation.
In other cases, a woman may experience spotting, mistaking it instead for their monthly period, and never actually knowing they are pregnant. The best way to prevent this is to keep a record of your basal body temperature, taken each morning at the same time, and noting any persistent spikes in temperature which are similar to, but longer than during ovulation.
3. Morning Sickness
Perhaps the most common of all the early signs of pregnancy is morning sickness, which, contrary to its name, can occur during any time of the day. That nauseating queasy feeling is also usually accompanied by vomiting in about half of all pregnant women and usually occurs one month after conception. Thankfully most women quickly recover, never getting sick enough to worry about dehydration or malnutrition, which are possible conditions during this earliest trimester of pregnancy.
4. Unexplained Fatigue
Complete exhaustion or a feeling of constant tiredness may be other early signs of pregnancy for some women. It's suspected that this is usually due to a surge of the hormone progesterone which increases during pregnancy. Mood swings and stress are two other feelings commonly reported along with fatigue during the very early months of pregnancy.
5. Sore Breasts
Sore or enlarged breasts are another of the early signs of pregnancy as the body adjusts to new and surging hormones that are being produced. Feeling similar to just before your period, breasts may become tender to the touch, but should improve as the increase in hormones levels off and the body has had a chance to get used to the many changes it's going through.
Not every woman will have any or all of these common symptoms, as some only have a missed period, or even no sign at all as many confuse spotting with a shortened or irregular menstrual cycle. If you do have one or more of the above early signs of pregnancy, be sure to take a home pregnancy test or contact your doctor as soon as possible.
