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Normal Pregnancy Symptoms: Here’s What to Expect | Your Pregnancy Matters

Pregnancy is an exciting time in a woman’s life, but it can also be overwhelming as your body changes in new ways. As your first trimester gets underway, you might start wondering: 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.

Unfortunately, not every woman is lucky enough to have really regular periods, which makes this symptom less useful. If you are one of those women, think about other early pregnancy signs that might make you consider taking a pregnancy test.

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. While strange food cravings may last throughout the entire pregnancy, fortunately most of the nausea and vomiting will be gone by the end of the first trimester.

No one knows exactly what triggers nausea and vomiting – it may be due to increased levels of the pregnancy hormone HCG. Some have suggested that a long time ago nausea and vomiting kept pregnant women from eating things that might have been dangerous to the early pregnancy.

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.

When patients call with worries about bleeding during early pregnancy, I frequently ask if they still notice breast tenderness since it can disappear if the pregnancy is no longer viable.

Fatigue and sleepiness is a common complaint in early pregnancy. Increased levels of pregnancy hormones – progesterone in particular – can make you sleepy. Studies have shown if you give men progesterone you can induce the same sedation as occurs in early pregnancy! Fortunately this symptom typically resolves after the first trimester.

Late Pregnancy Symptoms

Progesterone causes relaxation of smooth muscle in your body, which leads to many of the symptoms pregnant women experience.

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.

A sluggish GI tract causes bloating and constipation. This can be worsened when we ask you to take iron supplements to prevent anemia.

Progesterone also relaxes the muscle in your esophagus, allowing acid to reflux from the stomach into the lower esophagus causing heartburn. The growing uterus makes this symptom worse by increasing the pressure on the stomach.

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.

When you suddenly change position or stand up, there is less blood flowing to your brain, causing you to feel lightheaded and unsteady. I advise women to go slow and give your body enough time to adjust when standing or sitting up.

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. Check with your OB provider if you can’t seem to develop a good sleeping routine.
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!

For more information about pregnancy, labor, and delivery, sign up to receive Your Pregnancy Matters email alerts when we publish new stories. Have a question or an idea for a story? Email us today! You can also make an appointment to see one of our specialists by calling 214-645-8300.

How does a normal pregnancy proceed? | 🤰🏻 👶🏻 🥳 Airmed

profile clinic The course of pregnancy for each woman can be completely different. Some symptoms may last for weeks or even months in one woman, while in another they are short-lived and do not affect productivity in any way.

A habitual pregnancy lasts about 39-40 weeks from the first day of the last period. It is divided into periods called trimesters. Each of them lasts from 12 to 13 weeks. During this period, various changes occur in the woman's body and various symptoms appear.

Stages of pregnancy

During the first trimester, a woman's pregnancy is accompanied by some symptoms, which may or may not appear at all. At this time, the body adapts to hormonal changes that affect almost all organs.

Outwardly, there are no changes, while inside everything changes "from" and "to".

Changes in hormone levels can cause nausea and vomiting, odors become unpleasant and make you feel unwell. Fatigue and increased drowsiness may occur.

A woman's breasts become swollen and tender as a side effect of hormone production. The nipples darken and increase.

Digestion slows down during pregnancy, resulting in heartburn, bloating and constipation.

In addition to physical changes, a woman may experience psychological changes such as: mood swings, emotional outbursts.

• First trimester fetal development:

The 1st trimester of pregnancy begins on the first day of the last menstrual period and lasts a total of 12 weeks. It is at this moment that a new life begins to develop in the body of a woman.

The development of the child is extremely fast, by the end of the first trimester the fetus has all organs and tissues. Such a pace of development in the first weeks makes the fetus vulnerable to everything that happens to the mother's body. Therefore, the use of alcohol, nicotine, drugs can lead to fetal pathologies and even abortion.

In the first trimester, a pregnant woman begins to enlarge the uterus, gradually putting more and more pressure on the bladder. Because of this, pregnant women go to the toilet more often.

• Second trimester fetal development:

Pregnancy in the 2nd trimester can indeed be called the most comfortable stage of childbearing.

This period lasts from the 13th to the 26th week. In the second trimester, the pregnant woman undergoes toxicosis. It becomes possible to determine the sex of the child using ultrasound.

The heart works much harder during pregnancy because it has to pump more blood to supply the uterus and placenta. This is necessary in order to provide the fetus with oxygen and nutrients.

It is because of the increased blood circulation that a woman's skin acquires a pinkish tint and is described as the "glow of pregnancy".

Pregnancy also manifests itself externally - the expectant mother's tummy becomes noticeable. The baby is rapidly developing in the uterus, and the woman begins to listen to her condition in anticipation of feeling the baby move.

• Fetal development in the third trimester of pregnancy:

The final and most exciting period of pregnancy is the third trimester. After all, this means that very soon mom and baby will finally meet!

In the 3rd trimester, pregnancy brings a number of psychological and physical inconveniences to the expectant mother.

A woman begins to listen to all the jolts of the fetus, monitors her secretions, fearing premature birth.

Physical difficulties appear, which are associated with an increase in the fetus and, as a result, the uterus. Often there may be shortness of breath, back pain, frequent urination, constipation, varicose veins, stretch marks become more noticeable.

• Therefore, the usual pregnancy is different for every woman. But even with the normal course of pregnancy during this period, it is necessary to be under the supervision of an experienced gynecologist and undergo the necessary examinations so that your baby is born healthy.

Pregnancy warning signs - Medpark

Pregnancy is a physiological condition that involves certain changes in a woman's body. Sometimes these changes can be perceived pathologically. Moreover, a pregnant woman, due to the characteristics of the immune system during pregnancy, is more susceptible to infections, and this can also affect the health of the fetus, which means it can lead to premature birth. For these reasons, national programs are being developed to periodically assess the health status of pregnant women, as well as to prevent and diagnose any possible complications early, in order to provide prompt and prompt assistance if necessary.

In obstetrics, time has been and remains the most valuable resource. Late diagnosis of pathology makes it impossible to act, resolve or change anything in the patient's treatment formula. When a pregnant woman notices symptoms that bother her, self-medication is strictly prohibited, therefore, a pregnant woman is advised to immediately contact an obstetrician-gynecologist when she considers it necessary.

The first trimester of pregnancy is important and confirming

The period when both the pregnant woman and the family doctor / obstetrician-gynecologist must be sure that the pregnancy has occurred and the embryo is developing well. Until 12 weeks, the embryo is "tested" by the pregnant woman's immune system, which tests the embryo to see if it is completely healthy and can continue its natural evolution. The vast majority of abortions that occur in the first trimester are due to the fact that the embryo does not have a healthy genetic development, the so-called natural selection takes place.

Some of the most important warning signs to watch out for during this period are:

• Bleeding from the birth canal in any form is the first warning sign that should make a woman see a doctor. Before 12 weeks of pregnancy, no medical treatment is indicated without ultrasound.
• Nausea and vomiting are natural symptoms for about 80% of pregnant women, but if a woman cannot even tolerate water, and the number of vomiting increases to tens, there is a risk of dehydration, so a doctor should be consulted. It is obvious that a pregnant woman during this period does not even receive enough food, but the most dangerous thing for the human body is not a lack of food, but dehydration. There are medications available to ease vomiting and improve hydration.
• A body temperature over 38 degrees is a symptom to watch for throughout pregnancy.
• Frequent urination is somewhat natural for a pregnant woman (due to the proximity of the enlarged uterus due to pregnancy and the bladder), but urination should in no case be accompanied by tingling and pain.

The second trimester of pregnancy is the optimal time for a pregnant woman to register

Make sure the pregnancy is evolving. If we refer to the national pregnancy monitoring program, it is recommended that the woman begin the formalities at the beginning of the 12th week of pregnancy. At 18-20 weeks, the first movements appear. Mom is convinced that everything is fine, the fetus is developing well. Although there are several sources of information that provide different checkpoints for monitoring the progress of a pregnancy, every pregnancy is different. The second trimester is not without risks, so the list of warning signs for this period is as follows:

• The passivity of the fetus is considered a warning sign, which one way or another can be appreciated by the mother on an intuitive level. If it seems to you that you have not felt any movement of the fetus all day, then a visit to the doctor should not be postponed. With the help of ultrasound or fetal cardiac monitoring, the condition of the fetus can be quickly assessed.
• The appearance of edema (on the arms, legs, under the eyes, on the face) is a serious symptom that indicates a possible preeclampsia. With the help of laboratory tests, dynamic analysis, ultrasound, the doctor will be able to assess the presence of edema as a norm or as a manifestation of preeclampsia.
• Severe headache (in the neck) associated with vomiting or blurred vision may also indicate preeclampsia. At the same time, headaches can be caused by overwork, so the doctor needs to correctly assess the cause of these symptoms.
• High blood pressure is a warning sign that should not be overlooked. As a rule, during pregnancy, fatigue and headaches should be monitored by measuring blood pressure values. Therefore, it is recommended to have a blood pressure monitor at home. If you find values ​​higher than 140 over 9 in your measurements0 mmHg Art. see a doctor immediately. Pressure is measured in complete physical and emotional rest. Sometimes, with high blood pressure, it is recommended to call an ambulance at home.

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