Part 1: Pregnancy symptoms and changes

Pregnancy symptoms differ from woman to woman, and each women that has been pregnant two times knows pregnancy symptoms differ also from pregnancy to pregnancy. Some women experience pregnancy symptoms even before missing their periods,which may be within a week of conception, while others may have period and not knowing for month or two they're pregnant.  
In this article we will present symtoms that symolize pregnancy.

Delay or difference in menstruation

Most common pregnancy symptom is delay or difference in menstruation. When woman becomes pregnant, her next period should be missed. However, some women still bleed while they're pregnant, but the bleeding is usually lighter and shorter than normally. Such bleeding may be explained with excessive weight gain or loss, hormonal problems, stress and tension, fatigue, breast feeding. If light bleeding occurs, it is recommendable to take a pregnancy test or visit your doctor.       
If you're usually pretty regular and your period doesn't arrive on time, you'll probably take a pregnancy test long before you notice any other pregnancy symptoms. But if you're not regular or you're not keeping track of your cycle, some other symtoms may help you realize you're pregnant.

Tender breasts

Breasts that are tender and swollen may signify early pregnancy. Breasts may be swollen, sore and tender to touch. This symptom may occur as early as 1 or 2 weeks after conception. Tender breasts remind of the exaggerated version of how your breasts feel before your period. Explanation for tender breasts may be found in hormonal imbalance. Discomfort should diminish significantly after the first trimester, as body adjusts to the hormonal changes.

Darkening of areolas

In pregnant women the skin around their nipples may get darker.

Fatigue

Fatigue or tiredness is a pregnancy symptom which can also start as early as the first week after conception. It is not proven what causes fatigue: scientist claim it might be rapid increase of hormone progesterone levels. As with other pregnancy symptoms, some women experience tiredness, some do not; those who do should start to feel more energetic once they hit second trimester, although tiredness will return again in late pregnancy when carrying more weight. other explanations for fatigue could be exhaustion, stress, cold or some other illness.

Implantation bleeding

Implantation bleeding can be one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms, and can occur 10th day after conception. Implantation bleeding occurs when the tissue surrounding the egg, attaches to the endometrium and slowly eats its way into the lining. As this happens, it eats through the mother's blood vessels, forming blood lakes within itself. When these blood lakes form near the surface of the tissue surrounding, they often cause implantation bleeding.  Implantation bleeding is brown to pink in color and is much lighter than period bleeding and lasts only day or two. Implantation bleeding is most often followed by spotting and slight menstual cramping.
If you on the othe hand experience any bleeding or spotting that is accompanied by pain, you must contact your practitioner, since this can be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy!  
Other explanations for bleeding could be actual or altered menstruation, some sort of infection or abrasion from intercourse or  changes in birth control pills.  

Morning Sickness

Morning sickness is besides menstruation delay of the most known pregnancy symptoms. In most pregnancies women have to deal with it in the first trimester: sickness usually starts month after conception, around 2 – 8 weeks after conception, while other women deal with it throughout most of their pregnancy (except late pregnancy). Others again are lucky enough not to deal with it at all. About half of women that experience nausea and vomiting feel complete relief by the beginning of the second trimester. Morning sickness does not relate just mornings: nausea and vomiting can be a problem morning, afternoon and night.    
Other explanations for vomiting and nausea can be food poisoning or other stomach disorder.

Increased sensitivity to odors and food cravings

While most may not have strong desire to eat marmelade and pickels, majority of pregnant women develop sort of food cravings, and on the other hand feel repelled by the smell of coffee or fried chicken. No one really knows for sure, why pregnant women develop cravings and why others feel repulsive: perhaps this is a side effect of rapidly increasing amounts of estrogen in system.    
Increased sensitivity to odors and food cravings may last throughout the entire pregnancy.

Backaches and headaches

In early pregnancy dull lower backheadaches can occur and this sort of pain can last throughout the entire pregnancy. Cause for backache are sudden sudden rise of hormones. This is also the case with headaches.  

Increased basal body temperature

Typical for pregnancy is increased basal body temperature. 

Abdominal bloating

In some cases abdominal bloating occurs as early as 6 weeks. Of course as pregnancy progresses and baby starts to grow abdominal bloating increases.
Early abdominal bloating is caused, as all other changes in body, by hormonal imbalance. Hormonal changes may leave you feel bloated- very similar feeling to the one that women have just before their period arrives or the first day or two of the period.   

Frequent urination

Around 6 to 8 weeks after concption some women find themselves hurrying to the bathroom all the time. This is because during pregnancy the amount of blood and other fluids in woman's body increases. Consequently this leads to extra fluid being processed by kidneys and ending up in your bladder.