2. INTRODUCTION
• Pregnancy symptoms differ from women to women and pregnancy to
pregnancy.
• However, one of the most significant pregnancy symptoms is a delayed or
missed period
• For a woman who has regular menstrual cycles and is sexually active, a
period delayed by more than a few days to a week is a suggestive of
pregnancy
• Understanding the signs and symptoms of pregnancy is important because
each symptom may be related to something other than pregnancy.
• Early symptoms include missed period, headaches, tender
breasts, nausea and lower backaches.
3. Missed Period
• Is often the first sign of pregnancy.
• Sometimes a woman who is pregnant may still
experience some bleeding or spotting around the
time of the expected period. This small amount of
bleeding that occurs at the time of the expected
menstrual period happens when the fertilized egg
attaches to the uterine wall and is referred to as
implantation bleeding.
• A missed menstrual period also does not confirm that
a woman is pregnant even if she has regular cycles,
since both emotional and physical conditions may
cause absent or delayed periods.
4. Breast swelling, tenderness, and
pain
• Swollen or tender breasts is a pregnancy symptom which may begin as
early as 1-2 weeks after conception. Women may notice changes in their
breasts; they may be tender to the touch, sore, or swollen.
• Fullness or heaviness
• A deepening of the color of the area surrounding the nipple (areola)
and/or a dark line going down from the middle of the central abdomen
area to the pubic area (linea nigra).
• Linea nigra typically disappears in the months following delivery of the
baby.
5. Nausea and Vomiting
• Nausea and vomiting are also common in early pregnancy. "morning
sickness,“
• Its typical onset is anywhere between the 2nd and 8th weeks of
pregnancy.
• Elevations in progesterone that occur early in pregnancy are thought to
slow the emptying of the stomach and may be related to the development
of nausea.
• Cravings for, or aversions to, specific foods or even smells.
• In most women, nausea and vomiting begin to subside by the second
trimester of pregnancy.
6. Fatigue and Tiredness
• Fatigue is another symptom that may be experienced early, in the first
weeks after conception
7. Abdominal Bloating
• Some women may experience feelings of abdominal enlargement or
bloating, but there is usually only a small amount of weight gain in the first
trimester of pregnancy.
• Sometimes women also experience mild abdominal cramping during the
early weeks of pregnancy, which may be similar to the cramping that
occurs prior to or during the menstrual period.
8. Elevation of Basal Body
Temperature
• A persistently elevated basal body temperature (the oral temperature
measured first thing in the morning, before arising from bed) is another
characteristic sign of early pregnancy.
• An elevation in the basal body temperature occurs shortly after ovulation
and persists until the next menstrual period occurs.
9. Mood swings and Stress
• Mood swings and stress are common symptoms reported by many women
in the early stages of pregnancy.
• The rapid changes in hormone levels are believed to cause these changes
in mood.
You may experience signs or symptoms of pregnancy within a week of conception. However, it is possible you may not experience any symptoms for a few weeks.
Sometimes a woman who is pregnant may still experience some bleeding or spotting around the time of the expected period. This small amount of bleeding that occurs at the time of the expected menstrual period happens when the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall and is referred to as implantation bleeding.
