Pregnancy is an exciting time in a woman’s life, it is a time of great change for your body, and in your life, as you get ready for your baby to arrive. It also can be a time when you may be worried about some of the changes you are experiencing, and you want to know when you should seek help or Am, I supposed to feel this way, or is something wrong?
Many pregnancy symptoms aren’t enjoyable, but I want to reassure you they are completely normal. Most women tend to start experiencing symptoms about 3-4 weeks after conception at a gestational age of 5-6 weeks.
To help you know what to expect, I’ve compiled this list of symptoms that typically accompany pregnancy.
Early Pregnancy Symptoms
- The very first symptom anyone has of pregnancy is a missed period. It may seem obvious, but it really is the cardinal sign that you might be pregnant. As early as the first day of your missed period, it’s possible to find out if you’re pregnant with either a home pregnancy test or a blood test in your doctor’s office.
- Nausea and vomiting are among the most common symptoms for women in the first trimester of pregnancy. Over half of pregnant women will experience some nausea, and unfortunately, many also have some vomiting.
- Pregnant women will typically start to experience nausea and/or vomiting before the 9th week of pregnancy. These symptoms may also be associated with food cravings or aversions.
- Breast tenderness or achiness also appears very early in pregnancy. This happens due to fluid retention as well as an increase in size of the milk glands. The amount of fatty tissue increases due to increased levels of pregnancy hormones. The nipple and areola also become darker very soon after conception.
- Fatigue and sleepiness are a common complaint in early pregnancy. Increased levels of pregnancy hormones – progesterone in particular – can make you sleepy.
Late Pregnancy Symptoms
- Women often complain about urinating a lot during pregnancy. Early in pregnancy, progesterone relaxes the urinary tract. As pregnancy continues, your growing uterus puts pressure on your bladder, making it seem like you just can’t hold as much urine.
- About three-fourths of women will regularly feel short of breath during pregnancy due to the upward displacement of your diaphragm. Don’t worry though – you (and your baby) are getting enough oxygen!
- Pregnant women are notorious for mood changes and emotional swings. They are caused by several different factors: physical stress from the pregnancy itself, fatigue, changes in metabolism, and hormonal ups and downs.
- Dizziness is a common symptom that worsens in the last trimester of pregnancy, as the uterus gets bigger and pushes more on the veins returning blood from your legs.
- Increased skin pigmentation isn’t limited to your breasts. Other prominent changes include darkening of the line that runs from below your belly button to your pubic bone and dark splotches that appear on your forehead and cheeks.
- Finally, a lot of pregnant women struggle with insomnia. This can continue throughout pregnancy and may be hard to solve. Decreasing your screen time immediately before bed and a warm night-time bath may help.
The good news? Pregnancy and these symptoms only last for nine months – and many of these symptoms will end even sooner. Focus on the end result – I guarantee it will be worth it!
Signs of healthy Pregnancy
Being healthy in your pregnancy is of utmost importance. If you are not taking care of your health during pregnancy, chances of your child developing various health conditions grow multiple folds. So, if you are planning a pregnancy or are already pregnant, you must make sure that you are absolutely healthy and so is your child.
There are many tell-tale signs of a healthy pregnancy. Of course, the first way to tell if your baby will be healthy or not is by knowing about your own health. If you want the baby to be healthy, you must yourself be healthy. Besides this, there are many signs you can lookout for if you want to make sure that your pregnancy is going all hale and hearty.
- The right blood pressure and blood sugar levels: In fact, the decision to get pregnant should be immediately followed by checking your blood pressure and the levels of sugar in your blood.
- The right growth of the foetus: As the months progress in pregnancy, so does the weight of the mother. If your foetus is growing right, it will reflect in an increase in your weight or through an ultrasound. If there’s any hurdle in the process, the foetus will not grow properly and hence, it can cause a disruption in your pregnancy.
- Gaining the right weight: If you weighed within your normal range when you were not pregnant, then the increase in weight during pregnancy should be around 13 to 15 kilos. However, if you were always on the higher side of your weight and were overweight or obese, the doctors would advise you a comparatively lesser weight gain.
- The levels of progesterone and oestrogen: These two are the vital hormones of pregnancy. Their optimal amount in your body will determine if you have a healthy pregnancy or not.
- The growth of the belly: For this, a doctor will guide you if the increase in the size of your belly is normal, more or less.
- The foetal movements: The foetal movements are indicators of the baby receiving an optimum amount of oxygen in the foetus. The pregnant woman will start experiencing them ideally between the 6th and 10th week of the pregnancy. The doctor will keep a check on them to make sure that your pregnancy is healthy.
Pregnancy diet
A healthy pregnancy diet should be much the same as your typical healthy diet, only with 340 to 450 additional calories per day. Aim for a healthy mix of foods, including:
- complex carbohydrates
- protein
- vegetables and fruits
- grains and legumes
- healthy fats
If you already eat a healthy diet, you’ll only need to make slight changes. Fluids, fiber, and iron-rich foods are especially important during pregnancy.