What are the signs of pregnancy?

Most women won't experience early pregnancy symptoms until the fertilized egg attaches itself to uterine wall, several days after conception. Others may notice no signs of pregnancy for weeks together and begin to wonder if they are pregnant only when they miss a period. Following are the first signs of impending motherhood:

1. Food cravings. Food cravings can sometimes be a sign of pregnancy. Don't rely on them as a sure symptom, but if cravings are accompanied by some of the other symptoms on this list, then start counting days from your last period.

2. Darkening of your areolas. If the skin around your nipples is getting darker, you may have successfully conceived, though this can also signal a hormonal imbalance unrelated to pregnancy or may be a leftover effect from previous pregnancy.

3. Implantation bleeding or cramping. About 8 days after ovulation, you may experience implantation spotting, a slight staining of a pink/brown color, and some cramping. This is caused due to the egg burrowing into endometrial lining. You may also see little spotting around the time you are expecting your period.

4. Frequent urination. Once the embryo implants and it begins producing the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), you might find yourself going to the bathroom very often.

5. Fatigue. High levels of hormone progesterone can make you feel very tired even when all you've done is put in a day at your office. Fatigue is an indication of early pregnancy, though possibly not a surefire symptom on its own.

6. Tender, swollen breasts. If pregnant, your breasts will probably become increasingly tender to touch, similar to the way they feel before your period.

7. Altered sense of taste. You might notice that your sense of taste changes. Some women have a metallic taste in their mouth, while others cannot stand the taste of tea, coffee, or a food they typically like.

8. Morning sickness. If you're lucky, then morning sickness won't hit you until a few weeks after the conception. But as early as a couple of days following conception, you may begin feeling nauseated.

9. A missed period. A missed period is one of the surest sign of pregnancy in a woman of childbearing age who generally has regular periods.

10. A positive home pregnancy test. Incase you've waited to test until at least the first day of missed period and a blue line appears in the test window, you're most likely to be pregnant.

Pregnancy usually lasts 40 weeks or 9 months. That time is divided into 3 periods called trimesters during which different things happen to your body as well as to the baby. Following is a list of some normal things a pregnant woman may experience during each trimester -

The First Trimester (Week 1 - Week 12)

6 Weeks: By 21 days after fertilization, the embryo's tiny heart begins beating.

Also,

• Your period stops or may become very light.
• You can feel nausea. Some women vomit.
• Your breasts swell and become tender.
• Your nipples as well as the area around the nipples (areola) get darker
• You have to urinate very often.
• You feel tired.
• You might become constipated and have heartburn
• You may have headaches.
• You may experience mood swings -- feel sad, angry, or happy for no reason.

The Second Trimester (Week 13 - Week 26)

18 Weeks: By this time the eyebrows, eyelashes, and fine hair appear. The child can grasp with he help of his hands, kick, or even somersault.

Also,

• You gain weight.
• You may feel the fetus moving.
• The skin on your stomach stretches and can get dry. (Use lotion for lessening the chance of stretch marks.)
• The breasts get bigger. Wearing a supportive bra can help
• A little amount of thin fluid (called colostrum) could come out of nipples.
• You may experience an ongoing heartburn, indigestion, as well as constipation.
• You may also get nosebleeds.
• Your hands, feet, ankles and face may swell (this is called edema).
• A dark line develops on the skin between the navel and private area.
• A "mask" or pigmentation may develop on your face. (It goes away once pregnancy ends.)
• You may also begin to develop varicose veins.

The Third Trimester (Week 27 - 40)

24 Weeks: Seen here at 6 months, the unborn child is covered with fine hair called lanugo and a waxy substance known as vernix. The fetus still has much growing to do, but some babies could survive if born early.

Also,

• You can observe the fetus move from the outside.
• Your navel pushes out.
• You begin to have backaches.
• You begin to walk differently for accommodating the weight of the fetus.
• You can experience painless "practice" contractions.
• You have shortness of breath.

Finally, labor and delivery!