Pregnancy is the stage a mother goes through of carrying the baby inside her womb. A normal pregnancy lasts for nine months before giving birth. During this period the embryo will gradually develop and become a fetus when it reached two months. The baby further develops until it is finally ready to come out of the womb.
Pregnancy is a result of sexual intercourse between a male and female. This development stage is called fertilization. Nowadays, artificial insemination is also now possible due to medical development, which means that a female need not to have a sexual intercourse to get pregnant. Instead, the semen could be artificially injected to a woman to fertilize her egg.
Women experience different signs and symptoms when pregnant. Though it may vary from one woman to another, some basic signs and symptoms to look out for are discussed below.
Menstruation Delay
The most common sign is when a woman misses her period. Some experience irregularities in their menstruation. But in some cases, some will not miss their period especially at the early stage of pregnancy.
Menstruation occurs when an egg released in the ovary is not fertilized. It is shed out as menstruation every month. If an egg is fertilized with sperm, menstruation stops for the meantime while the fetus is developing. Women will normally stop menstruating for nine months if pregnant.
Bleeding
This normally happens when the embryo plants itself through the uterine wall, and spotting and cramping is experienced. It usually occurs between six to twelve days right after conception. Do not mistake it for menstruation. Consult your doctor to verify, especially if you are suspecting pregnancy already.
Morning Sickness
Morning sickness or nausea is one of the most popular symptoms of being pregnant. This symptom normally occurs two or one month following conception. Some women may even experience vomiting. Morning sickness does not only occur in the morning but can also happen at noon or night time. In some cases, this symptom will not occur to others while some women may experience morning sickness the whole period that they are pregnant.
Swollen Breasts
Sometimes pregnant women’s breast becomes swollen or soft. The breast also becomes sensitive and a change with its appearance will be noticeable. This symptom usually happens around one to two weeks of pregnancy.
Sensitive to Taste and Odor
This is one of the symptoms which most pregnant women experience during the early stage of pregnancy. Pregnant women become easily irritated with smells or even with their favorite food. Thus, it is very common for the pregnant to crave for certain foods.
Repeated Urination
Usually at after six weeks of pregnancy, pregnant women will experience frequent urination. This is due to the increase of fluid and blood of the body. This excess in fluid will go through the bladder which causes repeated urination. Normally, the urination will take place every 10 minutes. As the baby becomes bigger, so as the amount of fluid in the body and urination becomes more frequent.
Craving for Food
This symptom is one of the oldest symptoms. Pregnant women will crave for food and sometimes rare food. Some women will only crave for food once but others will experience food craving longer.
Bloating of the Abdomen
During early pregnancy, the hormones of the body become very active which causes a feeling of a bloated abdomen. The feeling is the same as when the period begins.
If you are expecting your pregnancy and experience any of these signs, the best thing to do is to have a home pregnancy test or visit your physician as soon as possible. Sometimes home pregnancy tests are unreliable so it is best to undergo pregnancy test with professional doctors. This is very important so as to have early precautions and be prepared for your pregnancy.
It is better to be aware that you are indeed pregnant so as to have proper care and nutrition. Also, once you are aware that you are pregnant, you will be more cautious with your lifestyle.