Hip pain and aching joints

Do your hips feel sore, and does your every step hurt? Is your hip pain keeping you up at night? This pregnancy ailment is not uncommon, unfortunately. Aching hips and joints are hormone-induced, and will go away when you give birth.

Weak bladder control or pregnancy incontinence

Have you got trouble reaching the bathroom in time, and do you “leak” when you laugh? Weak bladder control is not a much talked about pregnancy symptom, but it is very common nonetheless, particularly in the final weeks.

Belly button “popping” outwards

Many expectant mothers notice how their belly buttons suddenly pop outwards. This is a normal, though perhaps unexpected thing to happen. Have you got a pregnancy outie too? This might be one of the most fun pregnancy signs out there. Don’t worry. I won’t stay that way.

Colostrum leaking from the breasts

Are your breasts starting to leak yellow, thick milk? This is colostrum, the first milk you produce for your baby. Leaking colostrum is a sign that your body is preparing for birth and feeding your baby.

Prodromal labor – irregular contractions

Prodromal labor or irregular contractions that don’t get stronger or closer together often precede active labor. While this may not be the real thing just yet, it is certainly a sign that you will meet your baby sometime soon!

Baby “dropping” into the pelvis

Sometime in the final weeks or days of pregnancy, your baby will move lower into your pelvis to prepare for childbirth. After this happens, you are likely to feel more comfortable, and many of the less pleasant pregnancy symptoms will go away.

Losing your mucus plug

A mucus plug is just what it sounds like: a thick plug made out of mucus. During pregnancy, it protects your uterus, and thereby your baby, from bacteria and infections. When you are about to give birth, you will lose that mucus plug.

Insomnia due to uterine size

During the final weeks before you give birth, your tummy might have grown so much that it is impossible to find even a semi-comfortable position to rest in. Late in the third trimester, the sheer size of your uterus can cause insomnia.

Development of stretch marks

Stretch marks are, unfortunately, simply a part of pregnancy for a lot of ladies. They can appear anywhere on the abdomen, back, thighs, breasts or buttocks.

Heavy fetal movement and hiccups

During your third trimester, your baby will not just flutter – he or she will kick, punch, and do acrobatics in there! Your partner, friends and relatives can share your joy and feel the baby too now. Sometimes, your can even feel your baby have hiccups!

Pregnancy hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are quite literally “a pain in the butt”. What can you do to get relief from this frequent pregnancy complaint? Anti-inflammatory medications, or herbal remedies like witch hazel, can relieve you from some discomfort. They do need time to heal, though.

Pregnancy shortness of breath

Are you having trouble breathing in the second and third trimesters? Shortness of breath in pregnancy can be caused by hormonal changes and the fact that your internal organs are running out of space.

Gestational diabetes – diabetes in pregnancy

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that can affect pregnant women. A glucose test will be part of your routine prenatal care to test for gestational diabetes.

Abdominal “popping” sounds

Have you noticed any weird popping or clicking sounds – when you move, or when your baby is dancing around inside your body? What is that all about? It’s not entirely clear what causes it, but we do know many women have this.

Pelvic Girdle Pain

Pelvic Girdle Pain is a condition that affects pregnant women, and can cause a lot of pain in the pelvic area as well as the hips and thighs. Fortunately, PGP only affects a small number of pregnant women, but if this is one of your pregnancy signs, it can be difficult to cope with the pain.

Nesting instinct – the natural urge to prepare your house for the new baby

Have you got the terrible and unstoppable urge to keep scrubbing, cleaning, reorganizing, and washing? If you are in your third trimester of pregnancy, this definitely means the nesting instinct has hit you!

As your pregnancy draws to an end, you will be wondering what the signs of impending labor are! Read Third trimester pregnancy signs – part 2 to find out what to expect in the final weeks of pregnancy.

Swollen ankles as a pregnancy symptom

Swollen ankles are the most frequently encountered form of water retention, or edema. Many pregnant women experience swollen ankles starting in their second trimester, but swollen ankles might strike later on, during the third trimester too. What can you do to fight swollen ankles? Not a lot, apart from exercising regularly and changing positions. Drinking plenty of water helps too.

Separation of abdominal muscles – making space for your growing baby

Have you noticed how your abs have moved apart, and separated into two parts? That’s diastasis recti, something that happens to many women in pregnancy to accommodate their growing baby.

Braxton Hicks contractions

Any pregnant woman will notice occasional tightening of her uterus. These painless  contractions have nothing to do with labor and are a second and third trimester pregnancy symptom. You will have more of them after exercise or doing the deed. A change of position often makes them go away.

More frequent headaches

Many pregnant women suffer from headaches quite a lot. There are several underlying causes of pregnancy headaches, and how to cure them depends on what the culprit is. Stay hydrated, try to get plenty of fresh air, and sleep a sufficient amount of hours during the night if possible. And if nothing else helps, an over the counter pain killer is fine every once in a while.

Itchy nipples during the second and third trimesters

While you are pregnant, your breasts will start preparing for breastfeeding and they will go through a lot of changes. Growing breasts, leaking milk and… itchy nipples are all things that can happen to you. It’s all normal – but can be really irritating!

Lower back pain in the second and third trimesters

Pregnant women in the second and third trimesters often struggle with lower back pain. Your joints and muscles are under much more stress than normally, and as your baby develops and grows, you are likely to feel the strain.

Frequent episodes of heartburn – acid reflux

Acid reflux is a nasty burning sensation in your chest, caused by stomach acids. Hormonal changes and increased pressure on your stomach are responsible for frequent episodes of heartburn during pregnancy, starting around the second trimester. Heartburn can be very unpleasant, but fortunately there are many natural cures.

Cravings for certain foods

Pregnant women craving certain foods is a world-wide phenomenon. What makes you crave unusual foods during your pregnancy, or foods that you never even liked before you found out you were expecting? The cause is unclear as of yet, but cravings are a fact of life. Giving into them is fine – within reason, of course. Some women crave non-food items like coal or sponge. Don’t eat those!

Montgomery’s Tubercules

Do you have any raised bumps on your areolas, the darker skin that immediately surrounds your nipples? These are called Montgomery’s Tubercules and they are caused by a gland in your breast tissue. While Montgomery’s Tubercules are an unexpected pregnancy sign for many moms to be, they are totally normal and definitely not anything to worry about.

Enlarged breasts – your body is preparing for breastfeeding

Have you suddenly gone from an A Cup to a D Cup? Growing breasts are a sign that your body is preparing to breastfeed your baby once it is born. From the later stage of the second trimester onwards, you may even start leaking colostrum, the first milk you will produce for your baby.

Blood pressure changes – hypertension or hypotension

Any blood pressure changes after the 20th week of pregnancy are considered gestational. Normally, low or high blood pressure in pregnancy is not a great cause for concern, but there are exceptions. In some cases, dangerously high blood pressure is a sign of preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication only cured by delivering the baby.

Skin changes – that pregnancy “glow”

That beautiful pregnancy glow is no myth! Many pregnant women truly have perfect skin, and look better than they have in a lifetime. Not everyone gets this, but if you are among the lucky women who do, it will appear in the second trimester.

Water retention – edema

Have you noticed swollen ankles and feet? Water retention, or edema, is a totally normal symptom of pregnancy, albeit a slightly unpleasant one. Staying hydrated properly can help fight it, and plenty of changes in position are useful too.

Check out Second trimester pregnancy signs – part 3 if the symptom you were looking for did not appear in this list!

A growing uterus

When your first trimester is over, and your fatigue and pregnancy nausea is a thing of the past, nicer symptoms of pregnancy will become obvious. By the 20th week, your uterus has ascended to the level of your belly button and your pregnancy will probably be visible to everyone. Whether your baby bump is big or small, your baby is changing rapidly in the second trimester.

Feeling fetal movement

You have probably been waiting to feel your baby move ever since you first found out that you were pregnant. The majority of women first notices this sensation in their second trimester of pregnancy, though a fetus actually starts moving in utero at six or seven weeks gestation.
Pregnancy weight gain

Are you worried whether you are gaining enough weight, or think you might be putting it on too quickly? Pregnancy weight gain is an individual process, and your ideal weight depends on a few circumstances. Paying attention to healthy eating should be the priority of every pregnant woman.

An increase in appetite – “eating for two”

Are you constantly hungry, and do you feel like there is some truth in that expression “eating for two” when you are pregnant after all? Should you go with the flow and eat as much as you like, or is there any reason to restrict your calorie intake? The answers depend on your health and what you are eating. Lots of veggies will be fine; milk shakes… not so much. If in doubt, talk to your doctor or midwife.

These are, of course, not the only second-trimester symptoms! If you happen to be looking for something else, you will probably find it at Second trimester pregnancy signs – part 2.

Read on for some of the more unusual first trimester symptoms.

An altered libido – wanting more sex, or none at all

The hormonal changes that you are going through during pregnancy affects your body in many different ways. Many women find that they have a higher sex driver, or a much lower sex drive, once they get pregnant.

Unusual vaginal discharge

Just as your vaginal discharge continues changing throughout the menstrual cycle, it is different when you are pregnant too. Most women notice an increase in vaginal discharge.

Mood swings or feeling very emotional

Perhaps you can simply not stop crying, and the smallest thing will set you off. Or perhaps, you have a sudden anger problem, or you go back and forth between feeling euphoric and sad. Mood swings in early pregnancy are caused by hormonal changes and are very normal.

First trimester weight loss

Are you in your first trimester, and losing weight instead of gaining it? First trimester weight loss is not uncommon, and can have several reasons. The best approach is to eat as well as you can, and to keep an eye on the situation. Some weight loss is normal, but it should not continue into the second trimester.

Skin changes – impurities on the facial skin

Are you suffering from pimples like you are back in High School? Skin changes and impurities on the facial skin are experienced by many pregnant women. They can last your whole pregnancy, but are likely to turn up soon after you conceived. Zits or oily skin can alarm you that it might just be time to take that pregnancy test!

Linea negra – a dark vertical line on your tummy

Have you noticed a dark stripe stretching downward from your belly button? That is the linea negra. Three quarters of pregnant women get them!

Loss of appetite in pregnancy

Many women do not feel like eating much at some point during their pregnancy. This can be caused by morning sickness and food aversions. Do try to eat well, despite not feeling like it – your growing embryo really needs the nutrients.

Implantation bleeding or spotting – the first indication of pregnancy

Around a third of newly pregnant women experience an implantation bleeding. This bleeding is the first definite sign of pregnancy for those who get one. This bleeding, or rather light spotting, can be seen after a fertilized egg nestles into the uterine lining – thereby releasing blood and perhaps some tissue. Implantation bleeding happens between a week and twelve days after ovulation and lasts up to two days.

Missed or late menstrual period

Not getting your period, or being “late” is the most clear pregnancy sign of them all! For those women with regular menstrual cycles, a missed period is like receiving a message: Take a pregnancy test NOW! Pregnancy is the most common cause of a missed period, but there are a few other possible reasons to miss a period too.

An unusually short “period”  AKA early pregnancy spotting

Sometimes, bleeding is not a period – even if it shows up when you were expecting the onset of your monthly flow. Belated implantation bleedings or early pregnancy spotting can be hard to distinguish from regular menstruation, until it stops much sooner than a period normally would.

Instinctively “knowing” that you are pregnant

Are you suddenly overcome by a feeling you can’t ignore? Do you just “feel” pregnant, or “know” that you conceived this month? You are not alone. Instinctively knowing that you are pregnant is a totally valid early pregnancy symptom. It’s time to take a pregnancy test!

A positive pregnancy test

A positive pregnancy test is probably the most indisputable sign that you are pregnant. Some sensitive pregnancy tests allow women to test even before their period is due. But you can expect a definite accurate result on the day of your missed period. The levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG, which pregnancy tests use to determine pregnancy, are highest in the morning. Still, the pregnancy tests on the market today are so reliable that you can test at any time of the day.

Are you dealing with a pregnancy symptom that didn’t appear in the list? Look for it in First Trimester Pregnancy Signs – part 2.

1) Feeling so tired that you can hardly get up. Fatigue is one of the hardest early pregnancy symptoms to cope with, but it is no wonder that you are so tired – your body is working over hours trying to sustain the new life inside you! There is no point trying to fight being tired. For once in your life, use the opportunity to allow yourself to be pampered. You need it!

2) “Morning sickness”, pregnancy sickness, or just plain nausea and vomiting. Some women really do experience this only in the morning, but pregnancy sickness can turn up at any time of the day and night. Some women only feel sick but do not throw up. Some throw up very rarely, and others have to vomit ten times a day. If you are among them, make sure that you drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.

3) Having to pee all the time. This may be one of the first signs of pregnancy. Because your uterus has expanded, you’ll have to go to the rest room much more frequently than before.

4) Mood swings, and being overly emotional. If you find yourself crying because your usual parking space has been taken, or because your co-worker has been so kind to bring you a cup of tea, it’s time to take a pregnancy test!

5) Changes in cervical mucus. An increase, to be more precise. After you conceived, cervical mucus tends to be thick and white.

6) A more sensitive sense of smell and taste. Especially when it comes to foods you have developed an aversion to.

7) Skin blemishes, or a suddenly glowing skin. Hormonal changes often impact the skin, as seen when you get your period. Pregnancy is no different. Have you notice a sudden break out? It could be your period, but it could just as easily be a pregnancy symptom.

8 ) Headaches. These crop up often in early pregnancy, and once again, the huge hormonal changes your body is going through are responsible for for them.

9) Dizziness, and feeling like you might faint. These are normal pregnancy symptoms, but if you actually do faint, let your doctor know as soon as possible.

10) Tender breasts. Most women have experienced tender breasts before or during their menstrual flow, so this might not be a clear-cut pregnancy symptom for you. Tender breasts tend to stay with you during the whole pregnancy to a lesser or larger degree, and if your tender breasts don’t go away, and you don’t get a period, then the chances are you are pregnant! Congratulations!

Yale University researchers surveyed 2,500 women about their eating habits during pregnancy. Those who ate chocolate three times a week or more were shown to have fewer occurrences of pre-eclampsia. The researchers claim that eating large quantities of chocolate during the first trimester is especially beneficial.

This seems like a bit of a strange study to me. I wonder what the goal of the researchers was at its onset. Did they already suspect that chocolate could prevent pre-eclampsia, or did they start the study with hopes of collecting different information?

Some people also claim that eating dark chocolate could lower the blood pressure. I wonder if these two factors are linked? Did the study that concluded eating chocolate could prevent pre-eclampsia do any research into the type of chocolate pregnant women were eating? Or does any old chocolate reduce the risks? I’d love to hear more about this.

If the findings of the Yale University study are true, that would sure be a piece of good news. Pre-eclampsia is one of the most dangerous conditions that can strike a woman in pregnancy, and one of the few truly justified reasons to induce a woman (if she is already near term) or even perform an emergency c-section.

Pre-eclampsia is a disruption of the transportation of nutrients to the unborn baby, due to a halt in the development of blood vessels in the placenta. It can be notoriously difficult to diagnose, and often the mother’s suddenly spiking blood pressure is the only indication of pre-eclampsia.

When Jiongqui told her employer that she was pregnant and had to take sick leave due to health complications, they ignored workplace laws and sacked her. Jiongqui lost her baby, and after attempting to assume work, she found that her position had already been filled by someone else.

The Fair Work Obudsman rightfully described this case as “heinous conduct you wouldn’t expect in this day and age”. Unfortunately, I am sure that cases like this happen more often, and that the majority of women who loses their job due to pregnancy do not end up suing their employers.

The case has now been lodged with the federal court, and if successful, both directors of the printing company this woman worked for will face fines of nearly $7,000. I hope this case will make other employers tempted to sack their employees for being pregnant twice about their conduct.

The case is not over yet though, and Jiongqui’s employer is now denying that they sacked her, claiming that she resigned of her own free will.

The Fair Work Ombudsman is using this opportunity to launch a nation-wide campaign about the rights of pregnant women in the workplace. I hope it has some impact.

What do you think about this? Have you ever been sacked for being pregnant, and how did you react? Did you feel scared and uneasy telling your employer about your pregnancy for fear of being dismissed? Or do you stand on the other side of the fence, and think that this employer was justified in sacking a woman who needed to take sick leave due to her pregnancy?

Whatever your opinions, we’d love to hear from you!