Becoming pregnant means nine-plus months of joy, excitement, and anticipation. But there’s also anxiety, stress, and concern, especially if you’re undergoing the less than glamorous initial symptoms. So, besides the constant uncertainty, what are the signs your pregnancy is going well in the first trimester?
Are you constipated, urinating frequently, and experiencing a roller coaster of emotions or mood swings? Your pregnancy is on the right track. Drastic hormonal changes mark the first three months, which induce nausea, a slowdown of your gastrointestinal system, cravings, and breast tenderness.
The first trimester starts from the first day of your last menstrual period and lasts till the 12th week. During this initial stage, you may get a severity of symptoms, leading you to suspect something is wrong with your baby. Find out how to identify the signs your pregnancy is going well.
Signs of a Healthy Pregnancy That Accompany the First Trimester
Your nerves are wracked to shreds between the time you find out about your pregnancy and your first doctor’s appointment. You’ve been experiencing an unfamiliar symptom, especially if this is your first conception. There’s nothing to see, except for weight gain and breast size increase, but do these signs point to your first trimester going well?
According to the National Institutes of Health, early pregnancy symptoms like nausea or vomiting are indicators of a healthy pregnancy. If you’re currently in the throes of a never-ending puke-fest, having aversions to certain smells or foods, you’re at a lower risk of miscarriage.
But it’s typical to worry, no matter how feeble or severe your first-trimester pregnancy signs are. Take a look at these symptoms, by which you’ll rest assured that your growing baby is on track during the initial three months.
You are Exhausted
One of the signs of a normal pregnancy is fatigue, or feeling exhausted and ready to hit the sack at any time. Hormones, blood pressure, and blood sugar cause these changes in the first trimester. One of these hormones is progesterone, secreted by your ovaries in large quantities. Its side effects include slowing down metabolism and relaxing your muscles, causing lethargy and sleepiness.
While hormone levels may stabilize in your second trimester, an increase in size and weight due to your baby bump’s growth doesn’t much help with your exhaustion. Each person is different, so going through a lot, or a little fatigue shows your pregnancy is going well. That means you shouldn’t consider feeling well or energized during these initial weeks as a sign of abnormalities either.
Are Your Tests and Screens Normal?
You can have an early screening when you’re pregnant today. That’s as opposed to years ago when you had to wait through the first trimester. Initial testing looks for potential problems like a sexually transmitted disease, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and other chromosomal disorders. These tests, apart from providing you with peace of mind, help your obstetrician with knowledge about your baby’s health.
Rising of your hCG hormone is one of the definitive signs of pregnancy going well that’s tested. That’s the substance detected by home pregnancy kits. A blood test can also track its rise. Your levels should double every two days or read at least 53% per 48-hour period.
You‘re Nauseated and Vomiting
Morning sickness isn’t relegated to the early hours of the day. You may experience nausea at any time, even at night. It all boils down to how sensitive your body is to the pregnancy hormones flooding your system during the first trimester. Increased hCG hormone levels cause morning sickness. That occurs between the fourth and seventh week, only stabilizing on the fourth or fifth month.
You’ll be exposed to higher hCG levels if you’re carrying multiples, and, therefore, prone to severe morning sickness. Not experiencing nausea shouldn’t also make you panic. Your system could be handling the side effects of the hormone better.
Do Your Breasts Feel Different?
Your breast size may increase overnight, or your nipples are sore. A surge of progesterone hormones leads to tenderness in your boobs, and a darkening of the areola or that dark circle surrounding your nipple. Your veins will also start looking more prominent as a sign that your pregnancy is on the right track.
You’re Constipated, Visiting the Toilet Often
Frequent urination is a sign that your pregnancy is healthy. Under the stimulation of various hormones, your uterus grows exponentially, putting pressure on your bladder. You’ll feel like peeing all day, and a higher progesterone level will slow down your basal metabolic rate and relax your muscles. That means you’ll feel full, constipated, or gaseous, setting you up for a longer timeout in the toilet.
Are You Seeing a Thick, Milky Discharge?
Also called leucorrhea, a thick, milky white discharge is common in early pregnancy. That’s as a result of over-producing the hormone estrogen. An increase in pelvic area blood flow also stimulates your body’s mucus membrane. A normal flow, which indicates that gestation is proceeding well, is clear, odorless, and typically pasty.
It’s essential to see your doctor if your leucorrhea’s coloration is yellow or green and when it has a foul-smelling odor. Wear a pad for the protection of your clothes. Avoid tampons in early pregnancy as they aren’t considered safe.
You Don’t Have Any Symptoms?
There’s no cause to worry if there’s no sign of untoward symptoms during your first trimester. If you feel great, and everything is okay except for a slight weight gain, puffiness, or bloating, it points to a healthy pregnancy.
You’ve had your screens and everything is confirmed normal. As such, there’s no need to worry that you’re not vomiting. Take care of yourself, listen to your body, and keep an open line of communication with your care provider. As long as you maintain all appointments and continue with your antenatal vitamins or folic acid, yours will be a healthy pregnancy.
Conclusion
The first trimester can be a magical or horrendous time, depending on the physiology of your system. With or without severe symptoms, your body goes through changes in preparation to carry your unborn baby full term. Note these signs and avoid feeling anxious about their severity, since your pregnancy is going well.
I’m Cathrine and I’m a 39-year-old mother of 3 from Utica, New York. And I’m extremely happy you’ve come to visit my hide-out on the web. Here I post about everything related to family-life and usually it will involve babies and lessons I’ve learned over the years from experts, friends, and my own mistakes. So hopefully you will find what i write fun and informational!