Some women sail through pregnancy with only very minor signs or symptoms, whereas others seem to have it all. If this is you don’t be afraid. There are many things you can do to ease the affect these symptoms have on you and many of the things described below will disappear by the early portion of your second trimester.

Most likely, you won’t experience any pregnancy symptoms until about the time you’ve missed your period or shortly thereafter. If you start to experience one or many of the symptoms below and you haven’t had a period for a while, you may very well be pregnant.

Take a home pregnancy test and find out for sure. It’s best to wait until at least the first day of a missed period before you take a pregnancy test. (If it’s negative, try the test again in a few days.) Once you’ve gotten a positive result, make an appointment with your practitioner and head on over to our pregnancy area.

Missed period

The most common first indication that you may be pregnant is a missed period. Home pregnancy test kits that are available in most drug stores can help determine if you are indeed pregnant. However, these tests are often not correct all the time and may not be able to detect pregnancy if they are performed on the first day of a missed period. These tests measure the levels of a hormone called hCG that is secreted in large amounts if you are pregnant. Here is a list of other possible causes of missed periods that you should consider:

Reasons for a missed period:

- Pregnancy is the most common reason for a missed period
- During breastfeeding you may find that you will miss your period. However, it is important to realize that you can still get pregnant during this time.
- Certain medical conditions can cause you to miss your period, with it resuming after you are healthy again. If you have a co-existing illness that may be causing you to miss your period, see your medical doctor.
- Excessive exercise. Females who exercise excessively (e.g. marathon runners) will have periods of menstruation cessation. By reducing their exercise to more appropriate levels, they are usually able to return to normal cycles. Also, low body weight associated with excessive exercise or poor eating habits/malnutrition can cause disruptions in your cycle.
- Birth control pills often cause some women to miss their period completely. Even after stopping to take the pill, many women experience aberrant menstrual cycles for three to six months.
- Menopause. As women approach menopause their periods continue to get more and more irregular until they eventually stop completely.

Morning Sickness

Though this affects many pregnant women, only approximately 50% of women experience this at some time during their pregnancy. Often it may be the first sign that you may be pregnant, but usually this won’t hit you until about a month after conception. Some women are sick all day or even just in the night and the symptoms may vary form mild queasiness to vomiting. Typically, morning sickness tends to peak around eight to ten weeks, when you hormone levels are highest, and then will taper off as you begin your second trimester. A rare form of morning sickness known as hyperemesis gravidarum is a condition of uncontrollable nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that results in dehydration and acidosis.

Breast Soreness

As is common during your periods, breasts become extra sensitive during your pregnancy. This is caused by increasing levels of hormones that accompany pregnancy. These same hormones are present during your period but to a lesser degree, which is why, you may also experience tender, swollen breasts during your period. This feeling typically diminishes significantly after the first trimester, and goes away after the second trimester of your pregnancy.

Headaches

Due to the changes in your body, headaches are a common symptom of pregnancy. However, headaches alone are not a reliable sign of pregnancy since many other conditions exist that may cause headaches. A new headache should always be evaluated by your health care practitioner.

Bloating

Bloating is present both in pregnancy and prior to your period. It may present immediately or within a few weeks.

Vaginal Discharge

Vaginal discharge with itching or burning may be a sign of an infection or sexually transmitted disease. However, without itching or burning, a discharge may be present during pregnancy. This is due to the build up of mucous that is occurring by the cervix to create a plug in order to shield your developing baby from infections and other harmful things.

Fatigue

Changes in the hormones in your body, especially increased progesterone levels may cause you to feel tired or even completely exhausted. Further, the extra effort that your body is exerting when starting to make and nurture a baby will magnify your fatigue. Once you hit your second trimester, your normal energy levels should return.

Bleeding or spotting

Some women experience a small amount of red, pink or reddish brown spotting. This is a normal sign and indicates that the fertilized egg is beginning to burrow into the lining of your uterus about six days after fertilization. However, if you also experience pain along with bleeding or spotting, call your doctor immediately as this can be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.

Increased sensitivity to odors and foods

It is not uncommon to be overwhelmed by certain smells that you liked before or find that certain foods are now completely repulsive to you. Both of these may be a side effect of rapidly increasing estrogen in your system and may come and go or last throughout your pregnancy.

Frequent Urination

With pregnancy, your body increases the amount of blood and other fluids which leads to extra fluid being filtered by your kidneys and ending up in your bladder. The result is that you may find yourself going to the bathroom at a much higher frequency than before. This may start as early as six weeks into your first trimester and remain or even get worse throughout your pregnancy.