TOP 12 SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANCY

Menstrual cycle missing (missing of regular periods):  In general regular menses appear every 28 days. If the period is missing or if it is prolonged or irregular you can suspect of pregnancy. But if your periods are irregular or you lost track of when your next one was due, you won't realise your period is late. In this case, tender breasts, feeling queasy and needing extra trips to the loo may early clues that you're pregnant.       

Missed Period

Nausea feeling and vomiting: This is also known morning sickness.  This is the first symptom experienced commonly by most women. This may occur at any time of the day or night but more commonly occur in the morning due to empty stomach. Some pregnant women have experience nausea or vomiting or both but some complaints only uneasiness in mouth. Some women feels better by vomiting others find no relief.  

   

Changes in libido: Pregnancy is a time filled with many changes, both physical and emotional. You may be noticing that your breasts are growing, that your belly is becoming rounder, and that your moods are shifting like the wind. You may also be experiencing a number of changes in the sexual department. Many pregnant women find that their sex drive fluctuates throughout the nine months of pregnancy. Perhaps you simply can’t get enough sex and attack your partner every time he walks by you. Or maybe you would much rather take a relaxing bath than head to the bedroom.

Changes in Libido

Sex and libido - the very cause of conception - undergoes either positive or negative changes in the early weeks after conception. For some women, sex becomes a celebration of their pregnancy and brings with it a sense of 'freedom', because contraception is no longer a concern. Extra blood flow to the breasts and genitals can increase sensitivity, sexual arousal and the desire for sex. However, other women find that the first 12-14 weeks of pregnancy brings with it continual tiredness, nausea and/or vomiting, making sex the furthest thing from their mind. 

Enlargement and soreness of breast : Hormonal changes during pregnancy cause increased blood flow and changes in the breast tissue, which may make your breasts feel swollen, sore, tingly, and unusually sensitive to touch. Some women describe the sensation as an exaggerated version of how their breasts feel before their period.

 Starting at around 6 to 8 weeks, you may notice your breasts getting bigger. They'll continue to grow throughout your pregnancy. It's common to go up a cup size or two, especially if it's your first baby. Your breasts may feel itchy as the skin stretches, and you may even develop stretch marks on them.

You may be able to see veins under the skin of your breasts, and you may find that your nipples are getting bigger and darker. After the first few months, your areolas — the pigmented circles around your nipples — will also be bigger and darker. 

Breast Changes During Pregnancy

Frequent inclination to urinate: One of the earliest signs of pregnancy, even prior to a missed period, can be an increase in trips to the bathroom. Like so many pregnancy symptoms , this one can be pinned on hormones. After the embryo has implanted in your uterus, your body produces a pregnancy hormone known as HCG ( human chorionic gonadotropin) which can trigger an increase in urination.

Unfortunately this issue is not limited to the first trimester. As you pregnancy progresses, your blood volume increases nearly 50 percent over its pre-pregnancy level. This extra fluid gets processed through your kidneys and ends up in your bladder and you’re off to the bathroom again. As your baby grows, your uterus expands, pushing down on your bladder, urethra, and pelvic floor muscles. This pressure on the bladder can cause some pregnant women to experience “stress urinary incontinence” – that little dribble of urine that leaks out when sneezing, coughing, laughing, or when lifting heavy objects or doing some types of exercise. Towards the end of your pregnancy your urination situation may worsen a bit as the baby moves lower (in preparation for delivery) and puts added pressure on your bladder.

You may feel like you’re on an endless loop to the loo (especially annoying in the middle of the night!) but there are ways to ease your discomfort and to keep your bladder healthy throughout your pregnancy.

Strange cravings: Most women will experience food cravings at some point or another during pregnancy. In fact as many as half of all women will crave some type of cuisine or unusual food product during pregnancy. The most popular cravings include sweet and salty foods, while other women report craving spicy or fatty foods. Your body is working twenty four hours a day seven days a week to grow a healthy baby. Some cravings are simply the result of your body's needs for additional calories during pregnancy. Some of the most common food cravings documented among pregnant women are sugary cravings, dairy products, spicy foods, sour fruit and salty snacks. Based on these results, it is not surprising that ice cream, pickles, tomatoes and tomato sauce, lemon, cheese, and chocolate are some of the top cravings experienced during pregnancy.

Food Cravings during Pregnancy

Enlarged abdomen due to enlarging uterus : From conception to delivery, a woman's uterus can grow from the size of a pear to the size of a watermelon. But pregnancy isn't the only potential reason for an enlarged uterus. An enlarged uterus is common and can be a symptom of a variety of medical conditions, some of which require treatment.

This symptom can be hard to miss, as your uterus continues growing. You may notice this during the second or third month of pregnancy or a bit earlier if you've had previous pregnancies. Your uterus can usually be felt through your abdomen after the first trimester (or the 12th week).

Skin changes: You may begin to see many changes to your skin. You may see changes such as a sudden new glow on your face or pinkish, reddish streaks on your stomach. Not every pregnant woman will experience all the same skin changes. Below is a list of skin changes that are common during pregnancy.

• Pregnancy glow,
• The pregnancy mask,
• Acne, Linea nigra,
• Dark areas become darker,
• Red palms and soles, Spider veins,
• Skin tags,
• Heat rash,
• Itching,
• Pimply eruptions 

Fatigue : Fatigue is particularly common during the first trimester and tends to return in late pregnancy. Some women feel tired throughout pregnancy, however, and some hardly seem to slow down at all.

Many women feel constantly tired in early pregnancy, even before they're showing or carrying any extra weight. Even night owls may find themselves struggling to stay awake long enough to watch their favorite eight o'clock show.

Fatigue During Pregnancy

Pregnancy cramps: These cramps experienced by women after the first trimester of pregnancy. These cramps are intermittent, painless contraction that may occur every 10 to 20 minutes. Not everyone will notice or experience these contractions, and some will have them frequently. Some mothers say that they notice them more in subsequent pregnancies than in their first pregnancy. 

Positive pregnancy tests : HCG pregnancy tests or home pregnancy tests determine pregnancy through the detection of the hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in a woman’s urine. Doctors recommend that you wait until you have missed a period to take a home pregnancy test. If you can not wait that long to find out and you know the day you may have conceived, then the earliest you can take a test would be 14 days from possible conception. Home tests are usually 97% accurate when all instructions are followed correctly and the results are read on time. Some kits come with two tests so that in case you have made a mistake, you may take the home pregnancy tests gain.

Positive Pregnancy Tests

Ultrasound : Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to look at organs and structures inside the body. Health care professionals use them to view the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, liver and other organs. During pregnancy, doctors use ultrasound tests to examine the fetus. Unlike x-rays, ultrasound does not involve exposure to radiation.

During an ultrasound test, a special technician or doctor moves a device called a transducer over part of your body. The transducer sends out sound waves, which bounce off the tissues inside your body. The transducer also captures the waves that bounce back. Images are created from these sound waves.

Ultrasound

 For more information about Pregnancy can visit these sites:

1. http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/your-body-during-pregnancy/early-pregnancy-signs-symptoms_96033 
2. http://www.babycenter.in/preconception/activelytrying/toptensignsofpregnancy/ 
3. http://www.onlymyhealth.com/pregnancy-symptoms-1304590169.html 
4. http://www.americanpregnancy.org/gettingpregnant/earlypregnancysymptoms.html