Pregnancy Signs and Symptoms - How to Determine Pregnancy

How do you know if you're pregnant? "Am I pregnant?" is a very common questions. The signs and symptoms of pregnancy are easy to recognized especially if it's not your first pregnancy. The signs and symptoms for all pregnancy are the same although they have different intensity.

Here are the signs and symptoms of pregnancy:

Late Period

This is usually the most noticed sign of pregnancy. Yes, the most common reason for missing your period is pregnancy. You can make sure by using pregnancy test kits that are widely available from drug stores. For better result, have pelvic exam as well.

Morning Sickness

Don't be fooled by its name. Morning sickness doesn't imply that nausea only happens in the morning, in fact it can happen any time during the day. Morning sickness usually occurs in your first trimester. It's caused by the increase in your pregnancy hormone, estrogen, which is produced by the fetus and placenta.

Swollen, Tender, or Sore Breasts or Nipples

This is early physical sign of pregnancy. This happens because your breasts are preparing for breastfeeding. This changes are induced by the increase production of progesterone and estrogen.

Sleepiness or Fatigue

There are few things that cause sleepiness or fatigue in pregnancy. There's an increased production of hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone is a natural central nervous system depressant and may induce sleepiness. Your emotion also changes during pregnancy and this causes fatigue and sleepiness. This symptom is a great sign for you to get enough rests before your baby's born.

Frequent Urination

Your need for toilet will increase. The growths in your uterus causes frequent urination.

Cramping

Cramping that's similar to menstrual cramps may occur in the early pregnancy. This happen because the uterus begins to expand to make room for the embryo to develop into a fetus that continues to develop

If you have one or more of these signs and symptoms, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're pregnant. You should see your doctor for health evalution.