Pregnancy is not an illness. But there are some common (and perfectly normal) ‘symptoms’ to look out for.
During pregnancy, your body changes shape in seemingly impossible ways and those pregnancy hormones run riot, causing a whole load of side effects. Most of them will be embarrassing, annoying or mildly uncomfortable. They're usually no cause for serious concern and will stop once baby arrives. We’re going to talk about:
How early do pregnancy symptoms start?
It’s different for every woman. Some women might notice the first signs of pregnancy as early as a week or two after conception and be taking a home pregnancy test within days. Others will start to feel early pregnancy symptoms four or five weeks after conception. In some cases, you may not feel any symptoms until your period is noticeably late – or even further into your pregnancy.
Which pregnancy symptoms are normal?
There is a long list of symptoms of pregnancy. Nearly all of them are perfectly normal. Not all women experience all of them, but most will notice a few during the time they’re pregnant. And there are plenty of tried and tested ways to deal with their effects.
Missed period
A missed period can be one of the first signs of pregnancy. But it doesn’t always mean you’re pregnant. There could be many other reasons for missing a month. The only way to be sure is to do a home pregnancy test and if that’s positive, follow it up with a check by your health professional as soon as possible to confirm the result and arrange your care programme.
Feeling tired
Feeling tired is one of the commonest symptoms of pregnancy. Maybe it’s nature’s way of telling you to slow down and take it easy. Maybe it’s the fact that you’re feeding that extra little person inside you, so you need extra nutrition to keep up. And as your baby grows, you’re carrying all that extra weight, too.
Sore breasts
Tender, swollen breasts are another symptom of pregnancy – not dissimilar to the soreness you get as part of your normal menstrual cycle. In pregnancy, the discomfort may increase over time, and you might also notice changes in how your breast look as well as feel. The areolas (the area around your nipple) may darken and tiny veins and lumps might start appearing. These are called Montgomery tubercles, there to lubricate your nipples and get them ready for breast feeding. Another of Nature’s clever tricks!
Constipation in pregnancy
It’s not at all unusual to suffer from constipation during early pregnancy, starting quite early on. The most likely cause is changes in hormone levels, but it can also be due to medicines, supplements (especially certain iron supplements) or simply not getting enough fibre in your diet.
What you can do about constipation during pregnancy
- Up your daily intake of wholemeal bread, whole cereals, pulses and high fibre fruit and veggies (preferably skin on)
- Keep things moving by keeping your body moving
- Drink plenty of water
Constipation can be uncomfortable but try to avoid straining when you’re on the loo. Save the pushing for later! Straining doesn’t harm your baby, but it can cause haemorrhoids (piles) further down the line. Tip for pooping while pregnant: Lean forward as much as your bump allows, take long, deep breaths and relaaaax!
Morning sickness or persistent nausea
The dreaded morning sickness! This is the one everyone’s heard of! Why it’s called this is a mystery, as it can happen at any time of day and often does. So persistent nausea is a more accurate term for it.
The cause is unknown, but like so many of the joys of being pregnant, it’s probably due to changes in your hormone levels. It usually starts around the sixth week of your pregnancy and, good news, should be gone by Week 14.
Nausea doesn’t affect every woman, in most it will be mild, in a very few it may be serious enough to merit a stay in hospital. It won’t affect your baby, but if your symptoms are serious, the vomiting lasts a long time, you’re losing weight or you’re worried in any way, it’s a good idea to talk to a health professional.
What you can do about morning sickness and persistent nausea?
- Drink plenty of fluids – dehydration can make nausea worse
- Soft drinks and ginger ale or a gingery infusion can help more than plain water
- Eat little and often
- Avoid having an empty stomach or getting too full
- Avoid rich, fatty or spicy foods
- If cooking smells make you feel queasy, eat something cold. Sandwiches, salads or plain biscuits are all good ways to keep topped up
When should I worry about morning sickness?
For most women, morning sickness is unpleasant but not something to worry about. A very few women suffer from excessive and prolonged vomiting, called 'hyperemesis'. If this isn’t treated, it’s not only exhausting it also leads to dehydration. So if you’re at all worried by the severity of your symptoms, see your doctor.
Increased passing of urine
Peeing, it may feel like you’re doing an awful lot of it during pregnancy! Suddenly, staying within reach of a toilet becomes a major priority.
During early pregnancy increased urination is due to hormonal changes, but in later pregnancy it is because that growing baby is pressing on your bladder. Later on you may find it harder to completely empty your bladder, too, leading to more frequent visits to the ladies’ room.
In the final few weeks of pregnancy you may find yourself leaking urine when you cough, sneeze or lift something. This is because your hormones have been busy softening your pelvic floor in readiness for the Big Day, and the increased pressure on it from your even bigger baby.
What can you do about increased urination?
- It’s never too soon to start doing pelvic floor exercises. Start while you’re pregnant, and if you keep them up throughout your life, it’s the best way to avoid continence problems as you get older.
- Don’t be tempted to drink less. You need to keep hydrated.
When should I be worried?
Increased urination during pregnancy is perfectly normal. But if you feel pain or burning when you wee it could be a sign of an infection, and time to talk to a doctor.
Back pain
It’s almost a given that you’ll experience back pain at some point during your pregnancy. Hardly surprising as you’re now carrying all that extra weight in one awkward place, your spine is all out of line and your posture has gone to pot. Not only that, but your hormonal changes have caused loosening and weakening of your ligaments, as well as increased water retention. You’ll probably find your backache is worse at night and could interfere with your much needed sleep.
What can you do to avoid or relieve back pain?
- Avoid heavy lifting and housework. Now’s your chance to delegate!
- Avoid standing for long periods at a time.
- Take frequent rest breaks with your legs raised up above your head.
- Try to maintain good posture.
- Sit tall, in chairs with good back support.
- Use your core. Tighten your abdominal muscles while you’re active, especially while walking or lifting.
- Take a moment. Try standing straight and drawing up to your full height, stretching out your spine. Make sure you breathe while you’re doing it!
Heartburn or acid reflux
During early pregnancy, the same hormonal changes that are loosening up all your muscles ready for the main event also weaken the valve between your stomach and oesophagus. Leaving the way open for stomach acid to come back up and cause acid reflux and indigestion. (Later on, the pressure of your growing baby will have the same effect.)
What can you do about heartburn or acid reflux during pregnancy?
- Eat little, often and slowly to give your stomach a chance to digest
- Avoid fatty, fried or spicy foods
- Avoid lying down straight after eating
- Sleep semi-upright, propped up by plenty of pillows
- Drink a glass of milk before you eat
If none of these help, talk to your doctor about prescribing an antacid that’s safe for pregnant mothers-to-be.
Mood swings
One minute you’re on a high, the next you’re raging or in tears. You’re not alone! Mood swings and roundabouts are a natural part of being pregnant. Those highs and lows can be caused by fatigue, stress and very understandable worries about the effect this major event is going to have on your life. The sheer physical discomforts of pregnancy can also get you down.
Pregnancy hormonal changes, especially oestrogen and the hormone progesterone, can have a huge effect on your mood. Oestrogen is closely linked to serotonin – the ‘happy hormone’ – so no surprise that fluctuating levels can affect you.
Progesterone is the hormone that’s telling all your muscles to relax during pregnancy, ready for the big push. But some women find increased progesterone makes them too relaxed, slows them down and causes fatigue. If you’re crying all the way through a love story, that’s the progesterone at work!
All you can do is roll with it, be kind to yourself, and remember it won’t last.
- Talk to your partner, friends and family about it
- Connect with other pregnant moms
- Think positive and stay away from fear-based pregnancy guides
- Make sure you’re getting enough sleep
- Try yoga or meditation as aids to relaxation
Mood swings are common during pregnancy. If, however, the lows seem to last a lot longer than the highs, and you’re feeling seriously depressed or acutely anxious most of the time, do talk to your doctor or midwife.
Other signs and symptoms of pregnancy
Swollen limbs and ankles
As though your tummy blowing up like a balloon wasn’t enough, did you know that 80% of pregnant women will also experience swelling in their ankles, feet and fingers. That’s because, during pregnancy, the body produces about 50% more blood and body fluids to help satisfy the needs of your developing baby.
Sometimes all this extra fluid collects in the legs, especially after standing or in hot weather, causing swelling in your ankles and feet and occasionally in your fingers, too. You’ll notice it more towards the end of the day and it will usually go down again at night while you’re asleep.
What can you do?
Avoid standing for long periods.
Take frequent rest breaks with your feet raised up above your head.
Ditch the heels and wear your comfiest shoes. Whatever they look like!
When should I be worried about swelling?
Swelling can be a symptom of high blood pressure, or a serious condition called pre-eclampsia. If you’re concerned that the swelling is severe, it’s in other parts of your body or doesn’t go down when you rest, then do contact your doctor.
Changes in vaginal discharge
Increased vaginal discharge during pregnancy is perfectly normal and, surprisingly, a Good Thing. It’s nature’s way of flushing the vagina clean, preventing infection travelling up into the womb. However, do talk to your GP or midwife if your discharge has an unpleasant smell, you feel itchy or sore, or you have pain when you wee. It might be a sign of infection, the most likely diagnosis being vaginal thrush. Undignified, unpleasant, but treatable.
Food cravings
Peanut butter binges. Ice cream with chilli sauce. Pickles with everything. Nobody knows why so many women develop bizarre food cravings during pregnancy.
Often these cravings are for foods containing nutrients that we do actually need more of. Such as calcium-rich milk or oranges (our vitamin C requirement doubles during pregnancy).
Food sensitivities and heightened sense of smell
Many women talk about familiar foods taste or smell strange, different or downright unpleasant at some point in their pregnancy. It’s not unusual to suddenly 'go off' foods such as tea, coffee or meat. This usually goes away as your pregnancy progresses. So it’s worth giving problem foods another go a few weeks later.
Implantation bleeding
Spotting can be one of the very first symptoms of pregnancy, showing up around 1-2 weeks after ovulation and sexual intercourse. This particular type of spotting is called implantation bleeding. Around six to 12 days after conception the fertilised egg burrows down into the lining of your uterus, causing minor irritation and bleeding. It’s easily confused with the start of a period, but it can also be a sign that you are pregnant! Implantation bleeding is usually pink or light brown in colour, and too light to fill a pad or tampon.
Tips for staying healthy during pregnancy
Staying healthy during pregnancy is pretty much like staying healthy at any other time. All the same basic rules apply!
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet with lots of fresh fruit and veg, fibre and protein
- Avoid caffeine, tobacco and alcohol
- Stay hydrated. It’ll prevent a whole lot of common problems, including constipation
- Stay active, don’t stop exercising just because you’re pregnant. (But always check with your doctor first.)
- Get the right prenatal healthcare in place the minute you suspect you’re pregnant. Or even as early as when you start planning
- Get regular check-ups
- Get plenty of rest with your feet raised up, and plan for sleep so you get enough
- Find ways to relax – sign up for a yoga or meditation class
We wish you a very happy and healthy pregnancy!
The information in this article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal advice.
