For every woman who may wish to conceive or even if she desires not to start a family, it is important to have the basic knowledge of the first signs of pregnancy. Although, it is also true that the onset and the severity of pregnancy symptoms may vary within women, there are certain classic symptoms which generally do indicate pregnancy. They are listed below.
- Nausea and vomiting – Although, these symptoms are commonly referred to as morning sickness, these can occur throughout the entire day.
- Fatigue and sluggish feeling – An expectant mother’s body goes through huge hormonal changes which can make her feel unusually fatigued and lethargic.
- Irregular menstruation / Light Bleeding – Irregular menstruation is the classic sign which should set alarm bells ringing in most women. However light bleeding also known as spotting usually happens around the same time the woman would have been menstruating which could lead some women to assume that they are menstruating when in fact they are pregnant.
- Fainting and / or dizzy – The rapidly growing uterus compresses major arteries in the woman’s legs which leads the blood pressure to drop thus making her feel dizzy. Furthermore, irregular meals cause low blood sugar which can also make the woman feel light headed.
- Constipation – Pregnancy hormones affect bowel functions leading to constipation and this condition progressively worsens as the pregnancy progresses causing acute discomfort.
- Irritability – As the pregnancy progresses, the expectant mother feels irritable which is caused due to the enormous hormonal changes as well as the acute discomfort wrought by the other symptoms.
- Heartburn – With the progression of the pregnancy, the distended uterus starts to push upward as it grows. This factor along with the sluggish digestion lead to the stomach not emptying as fast which increases the stomach acid.
- Headaches and mood swings – If the lady experiences a prolonged spell of mood swings and headaches, this could be a pregnancy indicator.
- Tender and swollen breasts – This is a classic indicator of the first symptoms of pregnancy.
- Food aversions or cravings – If the woman experiences some strange aversion to certain foods or cravings for some foods, these are also the classic conditions of pregnancy.