More pregnancy symptoms

Tender, Swollen Breasts

One to 2 weeks into their pregnancy, some women may start to notice changes in the appearance and sensitivity of their breasts. They may become sore, swollen, or tender to the touch and there may be colour or size changes to the areola or nipple.

This symptom can also occur as a result of PMS, hormonal imbalances or from taking birth control pills.

    Quick Tip: Try cutting back on caffeine as this can sometimes contribute to breast tenderness.

Fatigue

This symptom might be noticed as early as one week after conception, but can also be caused by a host of other ailments and stresses, so it's not a very reliable indicator.

Increased Sensitivity to Tastes or Odours

No one is completely certain as to why this happens, one theory is that increased levels of estrogen are to blame. What is known is that in the early stages of pregnancy certain smells that never bothered you before may cause you to gag. Sometimes even your favourite foods will begin to disgust you.

Frequent Urination

Can begin six weeks after conception. During pregnancy, the amount of blood and other fluids in your body will increase. Once the extra fluid is processed, it ends up in your bladder and the next thing you know, you're running for the bathroom every 10 minutes.

The bad news is, as the baby continues to grow, it will start to push on your bladder and that will mean more frequent trips to the washroom for the rest of your pregnancy.

Abdominal Bloating

In early pregnancy your hormones will being to run amok, which could make you feel bloated, similar to what you may experience around the time your period starts.

    Quick Tip: If you're feeling bloated, try cutting back on salt and drink some extra water, this should help to ease bloat.

Food Cravings

No, it's not an old wives tale, pregnant women do find themselves craving certain foods. This may happen only one time, or it might continue to happen for the entire time that you're pregnant.

Elevated Basal Body Temperature

If you've been charting your basal body temperature and you notice that your temperature has been elevated for 18 days in a row, you're likely pregnant.

Pregnancy Testing

Whether you're experiencing these symptoms or not, if you think you might be pregnant the best way to find out as soon as possible is to take a home pregnancy test or get the doctor to test you.

Keep in mind that most home pregnancy tests are not sensitive enough to detect pregnancy until at least one week after a missed period.

Even if you take a home pregnancy test and get a negative result, if your symptoms persist or your period does not return to normal, you should see your doctor.

Connect with other pregnant women to exchange pregnancy symptoms, like sore and enlarged pregnancy breasts, in our pregnancy forum.

Learn more about early pregnancy at the American Pregnancy Association.

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