Pregnancy

The Early Signs of Pregnancy
by: Shalene Chamings

One of the early signs of pregnancy is morning sickness. Sometimes nausea is made worse by fatigue, temperature fluxuations, certain smells and even the sight of food. Morning sickness may even be accompanied by vomiting. The truth is while nausea is one of the early signs of pregnancy and labeled "morning sickness" it may not strike a pregnant woman just in the mornings. Morning sickness and all its discomfort can occur at any time . . . even in the middle of the night. While morning sickness is one of the early signs of pregnancy that generally goes away after the first trimester, there are women who experience morning sickness during their entire pregnancies. Smells, certain foods and other things may cause nausea in a pregnant woman at any time during her pregnancy.

Morning sickness is said to be brought on by changes in a pregnant woman's hormones. The human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a hormone that is relatively high during the first few months of pregnancy. HCG, changes in estrogen levels and even changes in blood glucose levels can bring about morning sickness. One way to combat a drop in blood glucose is for pregnant women to always keep food in their stomachs. While eating may be the last thing on a woman's mind if morning sickness is one of her early signs of pregnancy, an empty stomach can make nausea worse.

Eating small snacks throughout the day can go far in helping a woman to combat nausea. Pregnant women who suffer from nausea can usually tolerate eating small snacks. This is usually easier for a woman that trying to consume two or three large meals each day. Pregnant women are encouraged to drink plenty of fluids. This can help to prevent dehydration. Dehydration can occur if a woman is having a lot of vomiting with her morning sickness.

While nausea and morning sickness is one of the most common early signs of pregnancy, it can be very frightening. If a pregnant woman has many episodes of vomiting and it is causing her to lose weight she should notify her OB/GYN. There are occasions when a pregnant mother may have to be put on intravenous fluids or given medication. It is important to note that a doctor will be able to determine if a pregnant woman is experiencing normal morning sickness or if she has an underlying medical condition that is causing her to vomit and lose weight. Other causes of nausea and vomiting could include peptic ulcer disease, gall bladder disease, appendicitis, hepatitis, infections, kidney insufficiency and more. If you are pregnant and you think you are experiencing more than just a dose of morning sickness that accompanies the early signs of pregnancy, you should consult your doctor immediately.

In addition to nausea, other early signs of pregnancy can include changes in breast sensitivity. Many women report that their breasts become very tender and feel full and heavy. Spotting very early in the first few weeks of pregnancy is also fairly common. However, this spotting should be reported to your doctor. Normal spotting will generally be accompanied with a yellow colored mucous. Lack of energy and fatigue is also one of the common early signs of pregnancy as well as frequent urination. Energy levels generally return during the second trimester only to fall again during the third trimester. Many women report they feel the need to frequently urinate throughout their entire pregnancies, while others report this as just a problem during the first and third trimesters.


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