Symptoms of pregnancy - Some more common signs 

Avoiding certain foods

It is no secret that certain foods are able to trigger your gag reflex during pregnancy. The smell or taste of a particular food, even if it once was your favourite, may be able to send you running to the toilet to vomit. This may be due to the increasing amounts of oestrogen in your body during pregnancy.

You may also find that your sense of smell and taste is heightened, which is just another reaction to the hormones changing and increasing.

Mood swings

Mood swings are a common occurrence during pregnancy. The hormonal changes that your body is going through can result in the neurotransmitters (the chemical parts of the brain that are responsible for sending messages to parts of the body) being adversely affected. Hormonal changes bring about different reactions in different women, these may be heightened emotions, which can be good or bad, and some women may also experience depression or anxiety.

If your emotional health starts to become concerning or dangerous, it is best to consult with your doctor or psychologist to help you develop coping techniques for emotional changes during pregnancy. 

Heartburn

Heartburn is also commonly experienced during pregnancy. When you are pregnant, the hormone progesterone relaxes the uterine muscles so as to accommodate the developing foetus.

Progesterone can also relax the valve separating the stomach and the oesophagus, this allows for stomach acid and contents to come back up, creating the burning sensation of heartburn.

Positive home pregnancy test

Home pregnancy tests are often unable to detect if you are pregnant in the first week after conception. They tend to be more accurate and reliable from the second week onwards. It is important to know that the baby will start to develop before you know you are pregnant, so if you are trying to fall pregnant, it is advised that you take care of your health.

Once you see a positive result on the home pregnancy test, consult with your doctor.

The baby bump

The most sure-fire and obvious sign of pregnancy is the infamous baby bump. This starts to show anywhere between 12 and 16 weeks after conception. If you are pregnant for the second time, it may start to show sooner as your uterus (womb) has been previously stretched.

Am I really pregnant?

It is difficult to always detect pregnancy through the above symptoms alone. Many of these signs can also indicate that you are sick or are about to start your period. You can also be pregnant without showing any of these symptoms. That’s why it is best to always consult with your doctor should you notice any abnormalities in your period, specifically if your home pregnancy test is positive.