Understanding Symptoms Of Pregnancy!

When you’re trying to conceive a baby, waiting for your next period can be a test of patience. If your menstrual cycle varies from month to month or if you haven’t been keeping track of your cycle dates you may not even be sure of when your period is to begin. However, a missed period is not the only sign of pregnancy. Here are ten others signs to watch out for.

1. Sensitive nipples: As your hormone levels increase so does the blood supply to the breasts and nipples. This can make you feel extra sensitivity in the form of a tingling sensation around the nipples.
    
2. Nausea: Morning sickness affects most pregnant women but some women are spared this experience. Morning sickness can start as early as four weeks into the pregnancy and is marked by feelings of queasiness and an urge to vomit. Despite its name, morning sickness can affect a woman at any time of the day.
    
3. Frequent urination: A combination of surging hormones and a higher volume of blood in the body can make your kidneys work extra hard. From the 6th week of pregnancy onwards, women find themselves urinating more frequently. This may also be accompanied by a burning sensation.
    
4. Food cravings: Cravings for ice cream, pickles etc. is often joked about when it comes to pregnancy, but this can be one of the first signs of pregnancy. After conceiving a baby, a woman is likely to go off certain flavours even though they may be things she liked otherwise. You may also notice a metallic taste in your mouth and change in your sensitivity to the smell of things as well.
    
5. Tiredness: As the body gears up to nurture a growing foetus, mothers find themselves abnormally tired. Pregnancy hormones also add to this feeling along with making you upset and emotional. This fatigue is often highest in the first and third trimester.
    
6. Darker nipples: Pregnancy hormones can also cause changes in the appearance of your skin. One of the first noticeable changes is darkening of the nipples. Your nipples may also become more erect and the bumps around them may become more pronounced.
    
7. Spotting: It is easy to mistake light bleeding for a period, but if you are pregnant this is known as implantation bleeding. The reason for this spotting is not known but it occurs as the fertilised egg settles into the uterus. This spotting may also be accompanied by mild cramps.
    
8. Bloating: Pregnancy hormones can make you feel bloated especially in the abdominal area. This feeling is similar to the feeling some women have just before their menstrual cycle begins.
    
9. Mood swings: Pregnancy hormones affect neurotransmitters in the brain. For some women, this can cause heightened emotions while for others it can lead to depression and anxiety.
    
10. High basal body temperature: Basal temperature refers to your lowest body temperature and is usually taken as soon as you wake up. If your basal temperature has been higher than normal for more than two weeks consecutively, it may be a sign that you are pregnant.