Early pregnancy symptoms: Am I pregnant?

When you conceive, your body undergoes some hormonal changes, which, in turn, cause some other changes that can be recognized if you pay close attention.

Given below are some early symptoms of pregnancy that you might experience before a missed period.

Sore breasts
Your breasts might feel different from the offset. For some women, their nipples could be more sensitive or their breasts might ache a little or appear fuller than normal. Others, however, might not experience this feeling until late in their pregnancy. Alternatively, some women may experience an increase in superficial veins over their breasts or the appearance of tiny nodules in the areola, around the nipple.

Frequent urination
A growing need to pee is attributed to the pressure caused by the enlarging uterus on the bladder. Some women experience this symptom right from the beginning of their pregnancy. It usually wears off during the second trimester only to return with a vengeance toward the final weeks of pregnancy.

Frequent exhaustion
Weariness is a common early symptom of pregnancy. Some women feel completely drained almost immediately; this usually eases after 12 weeks, which is often referred to as the “blooming” phase.

Feeling nauseated
The first trimester of pregnancy is predominately marked by nausea and vomiting. Sometimes, because of hormonal changes, you could be thrown right into the deep end with a feeling of sickness even before a missed period.

Change in appetite
Soon after confirming their pregnancy, some women go off something, for example, tea, coffee, and alcohol; this could happen to some women even before knowing they are pregnant. Even certain fragrances could prompt a feeling of a metallic taste in the mouth, which could be a sign that our body is simply telling what it does not need. Contrarily, some mothers-to-be experience very early cravings, which are another indicator of pregnancy.

Vaginal discharge
An increase in white or clear discharge is common in early pregnancy. Please consult your doctor if it becomes coloured or smelly.

Headaches
Besides feeling exhausted, headaches could appear from the offset, but these usually ease off as your pregnancy progresses.

Constipation
In many women, another common side effect during early pregnancy is constipation. Try to prevent this by drinking lots of water.