I woke up to take the pregnancy test, and before I even peed on the stick, I knew that it would be positive. For the first time, I had pregnancy symptoms that I’d never experienced before. Many women have this experience and are able to read the signs and the symptoms and know they are pregnant before modern science can confirm it. Some of the most common pregnancy symptoms cannot only help women confirm their pregnancy, but they may hang around for the first few weeks or months. Identifying and dealing with early pregnancy symptoms can help women as they try to conceive and then survive the first few weeks and months of a pregnancy.
Breast Tenderness
This was the first early pregnancy symptom that I experienced when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter. While some women have breast tenderness regularly, this was something out of the ordinary for me. It occurred a few days before I expected my period, and was the first clue for me that I might be pregnant. This symptom was one that I dealt with in the early weeks of my pregnancies only. Simply avoiding touching or having my breasts touched was the easiest way to handle this symptom until it subsided.
Menstrual-like Cramps
With both of my pregnancies, I experienced menstrual-like cramps in the days leading up to the expected arrival of my period. Before the arrive of a period, many women simply overlook this pregnancy symptom. However, once they have had a positive pregnancy test they may become concerned by the cramping and what is causing it. Mention it to your doctor, but realize that many women experience mild, menstrual-like cramps following implantation and as their body adjusts to being pregnant. Unless it is accompanied by bleeding, or the cramping is excessive, there usually isn’t cause for concern. Likewise, there isn’t much that you can do to help relieve the cramps, other than to wait them out.
Increased Frequency of Urination
This is a common symptom for pregnant woman throughout their pregnancies. For some women, however, it can start from from the moment of conception, and last until delivery. I know that this was the case for me. Though it seems counterintuitive, be sure to drink plenty of water during your pregnancy. Drinking caffeinated beverages and juices will actually make the urination problem worse. Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces in water every day (example: you weigh 120 pounds, you should drink 60 ounces of water daily while pregnant), and though you’ll still be going to the bathroom a lot, your body will be getting all of the fluid it needs, and not wasting anything.
Exhaustion
The first trimester of my pregnancy was probably the most exhausting of the three. I couldn’t seem to get enough sleep. Many nights I came home from work, made dinner, and was in bed before 8 A.M. When 6 A.M rolled around, I could hardly get myself out of bed. Exhaustion is a common symptom of early pregnancy, and the best way to handle it is to listen to your body and get the sleep you need when you can. Once the baby arrives, uninterrupted sleep can be hard to come by.
Nausea and Vomiting
The hallmarks of pregnancy are nausea and vomiting, often called morning sickness. For me, nausea set in around 5-7 weeks with both of my pregnancies, and lasted all day. I found that the best way to cure it was to eat often and regularly. Letting my stomach got empty was the worst thing that I could do. I also ate whatever sounded good. If crackers sounded good, that’s what I ate. But for me, my body often craved greasy food to combat early pregnancy nausea. I’m not sure why it worked, but a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit often seemed to cure my morning sickness.
Of course, these early pregnancy symptoms don’t necessarily mean you are pregnant. However, combined with a positive pregnancy test, these early pregnancy symptoms are some typical signs that many women experience. Doing what you can to handle them in the early days is key, and helps you save your strength for the rest of your pregnancy.
