Early pregnancy symptoms

Missing a period can be an alarming sign of pregnancy. However, several early signs of pregnancy exist before a missed period in women.

When you conceive, your body undergoes some hormonal changes, which influence physical changes that can be visibly spotted 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. For example, some women may feel that their nipples are more sensitive, or their breasts may ache a little or appear fuller than normal. Others, however, might not experience these changes in the body until late in their pregnancy. Alternatively, some women may experience an increase in superficial veins on their breasts or the appearance of tiny nodules in the areola around the nipple.

Frequent urination
Pressure from enlarging uterus on the bladder increases your trips to the bathroom. Some women experience this symptom right from the beginning of their pregnancy. However, 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, you could be thrown right into the deep end with a feeling of sickness even before a missed period because of hormonal changes.

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 conjure a metallic taste in the mouth. Some people take this as a sign of the body denying things they do not need during pregnancy. Contrarily, some mothers-to-be experience heightened cravings, which is another common indicator of pregnancy.

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