Early Pregnancy Symptoms and the Myth about Morning Sickness

If only ginger ale could cure all early pregnancy symptoms. There are many misconceptions about what to expect in the earliest stage of pregnancy, and just as many about the different ways you might not actually be pregnant. There is no getting away from pregnancy tests if you want a definitive confirmation, but there are other signs you could look out for.

Cravings & Dislikes

Many expecting mothers report an insatiable hankering for food at the beginning of their pregnancies.  There are new favourites and new pet hates all of a sudden, and they can be directly attributable to the newfound pregnancy hormones in your bloodstream.

Another early pregnancy symptom is the tendency to feel nauseous.  It makes no difference whether you actually throw up – the messy bit is just indicative of how nauseous you felt, and does not imply that you are more “ill” in any way.  As soon as mere days after conception, women will develop a heightened sense of smell, which also triggers the infamous morning sickness, despite it happening virtually day and night.

Feeling Blue or Great

Mood changes are also likely to occur even in cases where the pregnancy goes otherwise unnoticed.  This demolishes the theory about mothers feeling emotional upon learning the news, and points an accusatory finger at the hormones again. 

Dizziness is frequent amongst those who were previously afflicted with low blood pressure. Combined with hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar levels, feeling faint becomes a certainty.

All this does not bode well for your diet, since you now crave strange foods but your stomach refuses to take in anything.  Your body has therefore thoughtfully thrown in a dose of progesterone, which slows your bowel movements. Unfortunately, sometimes it will grind to a halt altogether, leading to constipation.

Rising Mercury

If you have a habit of taking your temperature in the morning and charting your ovulation, a sustained rise over two weeks mean that you are well on your way to becoming a mother. These are just some of many possible early pregnancy symptoms, but when in doubt, always consult your doctor.