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14 Early Signs of Pregnancy | All you need to know (part 2)
When you’re trying to conceive, any slight new symptom can get your heart pounding. Waiting to see if two pink lines are in store for you this month can be agony, so it’s hard not to read into every twinge, cramp, and an extra trip to the bathroom. But what are the first signs of pregnancy you should really be on the lookout for？Here, we break down the most common early pregnancy symptoms and what you can do to ease any ensuing discomfort.
What should you do?
If your cycle is regular, missing your period is one of the first early signs of pregnancy, so try taking a pregnancy test (or calling your doctor) to confirm. If your periods are irregular, it’s possible you just skipped a month — or you could be pregnant. A pregnancy test will help tell.
What should you do?
In most cases the queasiness isn’t too overwhelming, so listen to your body and try to stay calm. We suggest eating frequent small meals, nibbling on some crackers before getting out of bed, taking vitamin B6 or B12 or ginger tablets, and drinking tea or ginger ale. But if you’re losing significant weight or can’t keep anything down, you may be suffering from a more serious problem (like hyperemesis gravidarum), so talk to your doctor. Get more morning sickness tips to help minimize any nausea and vomiting.
What should you do?
If it’s really bothering you, try to stay away from those strong-smelling odors. Consider taking the stairs instead of the elevator so you’re not overwhelmed by someone’s perfume. Change lanes if you find yourself stuck behind an exhaust-heavy truck. At home, wash your clothes often (since odors cling to fibers), and switch to unscented cleaners and toiletries in order to curb those unpleasant smells.
What should you do?
Moderate indulgence is fine (and totally inevitable), but watch your intake of empty calories, especially if they start to replace important nutrients. There are easy and healthy snacks that will give your body the nutrients it needs without downing three quarts of ice cream.
What should you do?
The best way to deal is simply to avoid whatever foods are triggering your aversions. If it’s chicken, try eggs or another source of protein. If it’s milk, get your calcium fix from yogurt or even supplements.
What should you do?
Not a fan of pregnancy symptoms like gas and bloating? Eat small, regular meals and stay away from gas-causing foods like fried foods, sweets, cabbage and beans. Eating and drinking slowly will keep you from swallowing excess air (you’ll later use this technique when feeding baby), and loose clothing will keep you comfy. Yoga classes can also help settle things down. If your pregnancy gas is really intense, talk to your doctor before taking medication.
Is constipation a symptom of pregnancy? It can be. It goes hand-in-hand with bloating and occurs for all the same reasons. If you’re making more trips to the bathroom to pee but far fewer for the other, ahem, function, pregnancy could be the reason.
What should you do?
Eat as many fiber-rich foods as your queasy tummy will allow, and don’t forget to drink lots of water. If you’re really struggling, you might even consider adding a bit of white grape or pear juice to your diet. In addition, talk to your doctor about switching to a different prenatal vitamin, since there are some that tend to cause less constipation than others.
8. Missed Period
If you’re hoping to start the journey to motherhood, your heart probably races every time you visit the bathroom around the time your period is due. So it’s only natural to feel pretty excited if you’re late, even by a day. After all, it’s one of the classic early signs of pregnancy. While the accuracy of a pregnant test increases the longer you wait to take one, many pregnancy tests these days are able to detect hCG levels up to five days before your period is supposed to start.What should you do?
If your cycle is regular, missing your period is one of the first early signs of pregnancy, so try taking a pregnancy test (or calling your doctor) to confirm. If your periods are irregular, it’s possible you just skipped a month — or you could be pregnant. A pregnancy test will help tell.
9. Morning Sickness
The one-two punch of nausea and vomiting are pregnancy symptoms that strike some women very early on, but for most sufferers, the fun begins around week six. Morning sickness is a bit of a misnomer — while you’re likely to feel more nauseous on an empty stomach (like in the morning before you’ve had breakfast), that queasiness can pop up at any time of day.What should you do?
In most cases the queasiness isn’t too overwhelming, so listen to your body and try to stay calm. We suggest eating frequent small meals, nibbling on some crackers before getting out of bed, taking vitamin B6 or B12 or ginger tablets, and drinking tea or ginger ale. But if you’re losing significant weight or can’t keep anything down, you may be suffering from a more serious problem (like hyperemesis gravidarum), so talk to your doctor. Get more morning sickness tips to help minimize any nausea and vomiting.
10. Heightened Sense of Smell
If your favorite dish suddenly smells like dead fish, you may be experiencing one of the more bizarre early signs of pregnancy. Often associated with morning sickness and all the lovely things that come with it, having a super sniffer isn’t exactly a blessing. Most of the time, strong smells will seem nauseating to the mom-to-be.What should you do?
If it’s really bothering you, try to stay away from those strong-smelling odors. Consider taking the stairs instead of the elevator so you’re not overwhelmed by someone’s perfume. Change lanes if you find yourself stuck behind an exhaust-heavy truck. At home, wash your clothes often (since odors cling to fibers), and switch to unscented cleaners and toiletries in order to curb those unpleasant smells.
11. Food Cravings
If you’re expecting, chances are you might experience strong food cravings, especially in the first trimester. Some common yearnings you can chalk up as pregnancy symptoms? Sweet, spicy, salty and sour.What should you do?
Moderate indulgence is fine (and totally inevitable), but watch your intake of empty calories, especially if they start to replace important nutrients. There are easy and healthy snacks that will give your body the nutrients it needs without downing three quarts of ice cream.
12. Food Aversions
Ah, pregnancy — the only topic where it’s totally normal to discuss cravings and aversions in the same breath. One of the more unusual signs of pregnancy, aversions to or distaste for certain foods during early pregnancy and food cravings may be opposite pregnancy symptoms, but they can be equally as strong. Common aversions include meat, onions and eggs, although a pregnant woman can develop a distaste for just about any food.What should you do?
The best way to deal is simply to avoid whatever foods are triggering your aversions. If it’s chicken, try eggs or another source of protein. If it’s milk, get your calcium fix from yogurt or even supplements.
13. Bloating
Is gas a sign of pregnancy? It can be. A boost in progesterone and estrogen is one of the common early pregnancy signs, causing many women to swell up early on, and with it often comes pregnancy gas. Abdominal pain or tightening, bloating, belching and passing gas all accompany pregnancy, sometimes for the entire nine months.What should you do?
Not a fan of pregnancy symptoms like gas and bloating? Eat small, regular meals and stay away from gas-causing foods like fried foods, sweets, cabbage and beans. Eating and drinking slowly will keep you from swallowing excess air (you’ll later use this technique when feeding baby), and loose clothing will keep you comfy. Yoga classes can also help settle things down. If your pregnancy gas is really intense, talk to your doctor before taking medication.
14. Constipation
Is constipation a symptom of pregnancy? It can be. It goes hand-in-hand with bloating and occurs for all the same reasons. If you’re making more trips to the bathroom to pee but far fewer for the other, ahem, function, pregnancy could be the reason.What should you do?
Eat as many fiber-rich foods as your queasy tummy will allow, and don’t forget to drink lots of water. If you’re really struggling, you might even consider adding a bit of white grape or pear juice to your diet. In addition, talk to your doctor about switching to a different prenatal vitamin, since there are some that tend to cause less constipation than others.