Pregnancy Symptoms

Written by The Blue Heron Clinic

Expecting a baby can be one of the most exciting times in a woman's life. Newly expectant mothers are known to eagerly look for signs of the budding life within them, and most women experience no shortage of pregnancy symptoms. From nausea and backaches to hair growth and swelling, expectant mothers can also expect signs of their impending arrival to show up in almost every part of their body.

Absence of Menstruation

Absence of menstruation, that is to say not having a monthly period, is one of the first and most common symptoms of pregnancy. Throughout every menstrual cycle, the body prepares for the possibility of egg fertilization by building up a lining in the uterus. If no egg is fertilized by the end of the cycle, menstrual hormones signal the body to cleanse the uterus of this lining, resulting in a monthly period. When a woman becomes pregnant, other hormones take over and prevent this from happening, creating an absence of menstruation.

Morning Sickness

One of the most widely known symptoms is morning sickness. Although named for the common misconception that it occurs early on in the day, pregnant women can be affected by nausea and vomiting during any time of the day or night. While some women are unfortunate enough to have to endure morning sickness for an entire nine months, for most it subsides after the first trimester, or sometime around the fourteenth week. Some medical professionals theorize about what causes morning sickness, but no known cause has been determined.

Food Cravings and Aversions

Food cravings are one symptom that most pregnant women have, but aren't often bothered by. Food aversions, on the other hand, are often upsetting. Many expectant mothers find that even some of the foods they loved previously, now smell unpleasant and can bring on nausea or vomiting. Unlike morning sickness, it is common for food aversions to last for the entire time a woman is pregnant.

Fatigue

Fatigue plaques many pregnant women. This is also a particularly common symptom during the first trimester, but can continue much longer. This symptom can be attributed to both hormones and the additional energy a woman's body uses to accommodate the growing baby inside.

Backache and Pain

Backache is another of the commonly associated symptoms of pregnancy. Increased body mass and weight gain, particularly in the lower abdominal region, can shift an expectant mother's center of gravity. This adjustment is often compensated for by pulling the lower back forward and thrusting the stomach outward, creating that characteristic posture of expecting women. This unnatural position creates strain on the back, which can result in painful backache.

Sciatica is one of the more painful, although less common, pregnancy symptoms. Sometimes the position of the expanding uterus or the baby itself can create irritation in the area of the sciatic nerve. Women who experience this describe sharp or shooting pain, tingling, weakness, or numbness ranging from the lower back to just above the back of the knee.

Headaches

Most expecting mothers will probably have a headache at some point during the nine months. This is especially common during the first trimester, and is widely attributed to the sudden surge of pregnancy hormones. Another cause for headaches is increased blood volume. A woman's blood volume increases substantially during pregnancy and the resulting increased pressure, particularly in the sinuses, can cause headaches.

Breast Changes

Most women experience breast growth while pregnant. This allows for the physiological changes necessary in order to accommodate breastfeeding. Breast tenderness is experienced at some point by most expectant mothers. It can vary from mildly tender to moderately painful, and may or may not continue past the first trimester. Enlargement and darkening of the areola—the skin surrounding the nipple—is another likely breast alteration. Unlike most other symptoms of pregnancy, some breast changes have the potential to last even after the baby has been born.

Breech Presentation Pregnancy

A breech birth is the birth of a baby from a breech presentation. In the breech presentation the baby enters the birth canal with the feet or buttocks first as opposed to the head first. This bottom-down position, may present hazards to the baby during birth, and the mode of delivery (vaginal versus Caesarean) is controversial in the fields of obstetrics and midwifery.