Have You Noticed These Early Pregnancy Symptoms?

The most common early pregnancy sign that hints that a woman is pregnant is the missed period. At that time, many early pregnancy symptoms may begin to occur, and confirm what is already known because of the body's own response to the many changes taking place. Missing a period is often the first early pregnancy symptom that women notice, but others may have appeared before then, but which are subtle enough that they are not linked to pregnancy. Until these early pregnancy symptoms become strong enough, many women don't notice them as being related to pregnancy. If you did notice them, that might be the best time to take a pregnancy test.  But by the time a woman hits the sixth or seventh week of pregnancy however, these early pregnancy signs might be difficult to ignore.

Yuck. Even the thought of that food makes me want to throw up.

Most women are surprised at how early in their pregnancy they start to either crave or despise certain foods. When you look at charts of pregnancy symptoms week by week, these symptoms often show up much later in the term. However, challenges with different types of food can begin very early in the first trimester and will sometimes continue on throughout the pregnancy. It is interesting that your craving for ice cream and pickles may turn into a craving for anchovies and chocolate milk just a few months later.

Rising hormone levels, primarily HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), are the cause of many early pregnancy symptoms. The fluctuations in hormones can sensitize the nose to a variety of odors, and the odors are often the cause of the food aversion. The best way to deal with these early pregnancy symptoms is to take your prenatal vitamin on schedule every day to ensure that your body is getting the nutrients it needs throughout your pregnancy. Don't make your nausea worse, though, by taking your vitamins on an empty stomach.  Then try to cater to your aversions and cravings as much as possible while sticking to a healthy diet as much as possible.

When did I strain my back?

Low back pains probably won't make most women think they are pregnant, since early on, weight gain has not begun! Many books that talk about pregnancy symptoms week by week will also list low back pain in the later months of pregnancy as the growing baby begins to put a strain on the mother's body. However, many women do experience low back pain as one of the early pregnancy symptoms as well. Once again, you can blame hormones for this discomfort as they prepare your joints and ligaments for the delivery of your baby at the end of your term.

You probably know many of the early pregnancy symptoms. Many early pregnancy symptoms are common enough that most women will experience them, like morning sickness, fatigue and swollen breasts. There are other early pregnancy symptoms that often occur so early that many women are not expecting them, including food cravings and low back pain. Be sure to check with your doctor if you have any concerns about any of these or other early pregnancy symptoms.