Pregnancy is an emotional roller-coaster ride for any woman. Even physically, it pushes you to your limits. During this period, the body is going through many changes, making every day an uphill struggle. One such challenge is coping with morning sickness. It is by far one of the most unpleasant experiences one can endure.

What Is Morning Sickness All About?

It is one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy. It causes nausea, dry heaving, and other such symptoms. Contrary to the name, morning sickness can occur at any time. For some, the sign wanes as the day progresses, while others feel nauseated throughout the day. In this article, we cover the trajectory of morning sickness. So, keep reading to have all your questions answered.

When Does Morning Sickness Start?

Morning sickness varies from person to person. For some, the symptoms make an appearance after 5 weeks of pregnancy. On the other hand, some might experience morning sickness as one of the first signs. Ideally, morning sickness begins after two weeks of missing your period. The symptoms can be mild or severe, depending on the person.

When Is The Peak Of Morning Sickness?

Typically, morning sickness is at its worst when you are 9 to 10 weeks pregnant. This can be caused by the peaking of human chorionic gonadotropin hormones, which occur simultaneously. While morning sickness can cause you misery, it doesn’t have any long-lasting effects. Normally, it stops after the first trimester. However, research shows that the symptoms intensify when the baby starts developing organs. According to many researchers, morning sickness could be a defence mechanism to protect the fetus from toxins.

When Does Morning Sickness End?

The symptoms become manageable once the second trimester starts. After peaking for 8 to 11 weeks, morning sickness stops bothering you altogether. Of course, there are some exceptions. Some women have complained about feeling nauseous in the second trimester of pregnancy. In some rare cases, morning sickness assails them even in the third trimester.

Feeling nauseous during pregnancy is a healthy sign. If you experience morning sickness, you are less likely to face a miscarriage. So, even if morning sickness follows you to the second trimester, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s probably because you have a sensitive digestive system. Still, it’s better to consult your doctor to ensure the safety of your soon-to-be baby.

As a mother, it’s only natural for you to be over-protective of your baby. However, not every symptom poses a threat to your child. As long as you eat healthily and get enough sleep, your little one will be safe. In some cases, however, it’s okay for you to be vigilant. There have been cases where expecting mothers experience unusual symptoms. If not resolved soon, it can be a cause for concern. Therefore, you should keep an eye out for anything unusual. If you are undergoing a severe case of morning sickness, then talk to your doctor. The golden rule is to seek professional help whenever you are unsure and know the ways to deal with morning sickness. Prioritize your safety over everything else.

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Many women know very little about their anatomy. They just witness their periods every month but are not aware of the facts behind their menstrual cycles. Although they know that menses are related to the childbearing ability of a woman, many do not even recognize pregnancy in the first couple of months if they have an irregular cycle. Nature has equipped the human body in a way that it informs us about the bodily changes through symptoms and so is the same with conception. Body conveys certain information through the symptoms when a woman gets pregnant. The key lies in understanding those symptoms and relating them to the health condition. Recognizing the symptoms requires observation and this observation should actually be a continuous process to understand the communication our body does with our minds.

However, certain symptoms such as breast tenderness and stomach cramping are common in both the pregnancy and pre-menstrual phases. This could be the reason for the confusion between pregnancy and pre-menstrual syndrome. If you persistently experience cramps without your periods, it can be suspected of pregnancy as per the experts. But missed periods are the first sign of pregnancy that many women observe. Most of the symptoms may not be exclusive to pregnancy. Let us clearly understand what the general signs of early pregnancy are.

Sore Breasts

Tenderness in breasts may also be experienced prior to your periods. However, you may feel a difference in both of them. Secretion of pregnancy hormones after conception leads to sensitive breasts. Heaviness and fullness are also its signs.

Abdominal Cramps

Some pregnant women may experience mild cramps in their uterus in the early pregnancy days which can also be a common experience before the menstrual cycle begins.

Nausea

It is a universally known fact that pregnant women have nausea but it is not imperative that you will experience it from day one of your pregnancy. Hormones can be blamed for this and these hormones start releasing once conception starts. This may continue for weeks, months, and for some, nausea can irritate till the last trimester. Usually, it lasts till the second trimester.

Fatigue

Morning sickness and tiredness persist in some pregnant women till the last day of their gestation period and can start to appear from the early pregnancy weeks. Progesterone can be blamed for its inconsistent levels crucial in making you feel tired in the early safety of pregnancy.

Food Aversions

It is not an exaggeration to say that women experience aversion to certain foods right from day one of their pregnancy. Garlic, boiling porridge, seafood are the few irritants you commonly come across. Similarly, you may have cravings for some typical foods of your choice or surprisingly those foods that you may have hated earlier.

Minimal Bleeding

When the fertilized egg implants in your uterus, you may experience slight bleeding but not every pregnant woman finds this in her early weeks of pregnancy. If you notice bleeding a little excessive than spotting, you may have to bring this to the notice of your doctor.

Mood Swings

All the above facts along with the sensitively inconsistent hormones may play a crucial role in affecting a pregnant woman’s mood. However, this may disappear after the first trimester. Very few women have long-lasting effects related to moods.

Although, it is interesting to notice the signs of early pregnancy your body tries to communicate with you, a pregnancy test will get you the sure shot results and so are the majority of women rely on these tests without having to wait for a period of time to understand the good news.

Sources:
http://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/cramps-but-no-period#headaches6
http://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/pms-symptoms-vs-pregnancy-symptoms#mood-changes4
https://wehavekids.com/having-baby/am-i-pregnant-early

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If the first indicator that you were pregnant came via a missed period, relax. This happens to most women. However, some women feel that something has changed inside their bodies in the week of conceiving a baby. Of course, the more dramatic changes of pregnancy – swollen belly, changed gait, mood swings – occur much later. However, some early symptoms of pregnancy may manifest themselves a little before or with the first missed period.

For instance, you might feel a mild aversion to certain smells. This is because your sense of smell and taste are heightened after conception. You might feel that your perfume smells sharper than usual, but the aroma of certain fried food may make you nauseous. And though you might not feel the full-blown nausea of later weeks – known as ‘morning sickness’ – you might still experience mild dry retching in response to certain tastes and smells.

Then you might notice a change in your breasts. Your breasts may have become a little tender, which you will notice particularly when you wear a tight shirt or bra. This happens because of early hormonal changes and is completely normal. The feeling will subside in a few days.

If you feel yourself getting tired or extremely sleepy, it’s yet another early symptom of pregnancy. The body produces more progesterone hormones, which induce sleepiness in the woman. The progesterone levels soon normalise, and the feeling of fatigue disappears.

Of course, there is the biggest symptom of all – a missed period. Once this happens, you will suspect (or hope) that you are pregnant and take a urine pregnancy test. You will miss your period because the uterus has by now implanted a fertilised egg on to its wall, and the uterine lining is gearing up to prepare for your baby. Though a pregnancy test may indicate a positive pregnancy, it is better to get a confirmation from your gynaecologist.

Since your pregnancy is now confirmed, it is time to say congratulations!

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If your body has begun to show changes recently, and so has your mood, you could be pregnant. Often, the signs of pregnancy are able to manifest themselves even without the tell-tale ‘missed period’ to ring the first bell. But it is easy to confuse these symptoms with those your body registers during a menstrual period.

For instance, you might experience tender breasts and bloating in your midriff even before your period begins. These two are also signs of pregnancy. Besides, you may even undergo mood swings in the days leading up to your period. The same symptom is exhibited in the early stages of pregnancy. Instead of wondering if you’re pregnant or not, it is better to take a pregnancy test or consult your gynaecologist.

Why do these early signs occur?

One of the earliest signs of pregnancy is tenderness or soreness in the breasts. This is because the body produces a higher amount of progesterone, which occurs in response to the fertilised egg being ‘fed’ by the body. This results in more blood being produced, which floods the breast tissue and causes tenderness.[1]

Apart from mild cramping (which is often confused with indigestion) and some pale spotting, the body adjusts itself well to the preparation for carrying the child. The ovaries stop producing mature eggs after the fertilised egg has implanted on to the uterine walls. This is what causes the woman to miss her next period. More symptoms of pregnancy begin just after the fourth week.

After the fourth week

The signs of pregnancy start showing themselves in earnest after the fourth week. The woman may feel nauseous, bloated, moody and fatigued. A surge of hormones causes frequent urination, irritability, tender or aching breasts and morning sickness. In the coming weeks, the woman gains weight as the foetus grows. Her body readies itself for the baby’s growth by replenishing her blood volume, helping nourishment reach the baby and strengthening her womb muscles to carry the baby’s weight[2]. The heart rate picks up, the woman may feel breathless and tired and soon, her gait changes to accommodate her realigned centre of gravity. By the fifth month, the woman’s belly shows the pregnancy as well.

[1] http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/signs/symptoms/signs-you-may-be-pregnant/#page=2

[2] http://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/early-symptoms-timeline

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Only 15 percent of twin pregnancies complete the 36 weeks gestational period. Twins and triplets are more likely to be born early, concurs NHS, UK. Pregnancy and parenthood may well be a life-changing event for a couple. Parents to-be often prepare their homes well in advance to welcome their little bundle of joy, their son or daughter. Wouldn’t it be all the more joyous if you were to find out that you are having twins!

6 Twin Pregnancy Symptoms

Twins may be a result of two separate eggs fertilizing with two separate sperms which results in fraternal or dizygotic twins. Or they may be a result of a single embryo splitting into two to develop into two babies who are called identical twins or monozygotic twins. Twin pregnancy symptoms are mostly similar to a singleton however, some symptoms may be elevated or increased. Gone are the days, when twin pregnancies were revealed during childbirth. Nowadays, twin pregnancies are confirmed in the very first trimester through an ultrasound. Here are common pregnancy symptoms that might lead you to believe that it is a double whammy.

A Rapidly Growing Belly

A rapidly growing belly or when the “uterus is too large for dates” may be an indication of twin pregnancy.

Elevated HCG Levels

HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is the hormone that helps to detect pregnancy through a urine test. Twin pregnancies may have highly elevated levels of HCG. However, it may not necessarily be the case.

Doppler Heartbeat Count

A Doppler test is used to monitor foetal heart rate distinguishable in the late first trimester. A physician may detect more than one heart beat indicating twin pregnancies. However, it may be misleading, as the second heartbeat may be a background noise or may even sometimes be the mother’s heartbeat.

Excessive Morning Sickness

Early morning sickness may be elevated in some mothers expecting twin deliveries.

Early Foetal Movements

Mothers about to have twins may experience the baby or babies moving inside much earlier than a singleton pregnancy.

APF Results

APF or Alpha fetoprotein is a type of blood test mostly done on pregnant women to determine increased risk of birth defects. It is done in the second trimester. Twin pregnancies are likely to reveal positive or unusually high results.

Twin pregnancy symptoms being mostly similar to a singleton makes it difficult to tell for sure whether there is one foetus or two. Get an Ultrasound done as soon as possible to ascertain whether you are going to be parents to one or two babies. Twins are most likely to be born in a family with multiple pregnancy history.

Whether twin or singleton, do not forget to opt for Umbilical Cord Blood banking to secure your child’s future health. Cord blood banking helps preserve the cord blood stems cells that possess the ability to replicate host of other types of cells, therefore proving to be instrumental in myriad treatments of severe diseases.

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