There are many early signs that you may be pregnant. The
obvious one is a late period but this can be caused by a number
of things, an excessive weight gain or loss, a change in birth
control methods, or just an imbalance of hormones.
Nausea and vomiting, commonly known as morning sickness, will
last for the first 2-8 weeks of gestation. Though its common
name is a little misleading, as it can occur throughout the day,
not just in the morning. There isn’t actually any known reason
as to why women go through this nausea and little is known on
preventing it. Women differ in how they deal with it. Some women
find that a cup of tea and a ginger biscuit in the morning help,
others find acupressure and massage can help. It’s all about
finding what works for you best.
Fatigue is another common symptom in the earlier weeks. This is
due to the fact that your body is going through some major
hormonal changes. And also due to the increased amount of
progesterone going round your body, your temperature will
increase leading you to feel sluggish.
Sensitivity to tastes and smells can also occur. Foods that you
once enjoyed can now leave you feeling nauseous.
The areola (the area around the nipple) will darken during
pregnancy. Though this can happen because of a hormonal
imbalance if you’re not pregnant
You may start feeling faint or dizzy if you stand still for too
long. This is because as your uterus grows it can put pressure
on the major arteries in your legs causing the blood supply to
slow making you feel light headed. Also eating infrequently can
lower your blood sugar which is a vital nutrient to the growing
baby.
With your uterus swelling, this puts pressure onto your bladder
making you feel like needing a wee more frequently. Most woman
feel this a week or two after becoming pregnant.
The hormones during pregnancy slow down your bowel movements.
This gives your body more time to get nutrients out of your
food, thus causing constipation. Unfortunately this will happen
all the way through pregnancy and in most cases get worse as the
pregnancy progresses. Making sure you eat a healthy diet full of
fibre and nutrients can help ease the discomfort.