HCG is a hormone, which is secreted by the embryo and creates progesterone. The level of HCG and progesterone are generally parallel to the symptoms you experience. The worst symptoms seem to go away once the placenta takes over, at which point cholecystokinin increases, and digestion becomes more efficient as it makes better metabolic of your food. In turn, this can contribute to things such as low blood sugar, nausea, dizziness, and after-meal sleepiness.

To help alleviate morning sickness, avoid smells which are unsettling or uncomfortable to you, such as coffee or fish. Small things that didn’t affect you before can now force one hand to your mouth and the other to your stomach, things such as left over food, garbage, or perfumes.

Try to pinpoint these scents and do your best to avoid producing or encountering them. Figure out what times of the day you feel worse, and spend it at home, then figure out what things make you feel both worse and better.

Starting the day off feeling sick is likely to result in spending the day sick. For this reason, try to eat before bed, and right when you get out of bed. If you get up in the middle of the night, try to eat then too. Nibble on foods throughout the day and you should feel at least better than you would, if not good.

As you are eating throughout the day, eat foods which are packed with nutrients (such as cheese, tofu, or brown rice). Try to avoid rich, spicy, acidic, fatty, fried foods when you are feeling nauseas, and avoid eating too much at once. Try to consume as much protein and as many high-energy foods as possible, and force yourself to continuously eat. The result of not eating will get you an acid-filled stomach and low blood sugar.

Drink as many liquids as possible! Anywhere from water, to sports drinks, to juicy fruits. If you have to leave the house to buy, get, or go something try driving instead of getting a ride, as many women feel waves of nausea if they are along for the ride, rather than driving themselves.

Wear loose, comfortable outfits. Make sure they are not pressing into your skin. Take the time to relax. If you’re having troubles relaxing, try acupuncture. It is important to relax for yourself and your baby. And, when all else fails, sleep it off. If you use these suggestions as a general guide throughout your pregnancy, you will be certain to expend comfort as much as possible.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Maternity Clothes and More at http://www.maternityandbabystore.com

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Pregnancy has always been a time when I have been so thankful for my knowledge of essential oils and aromatherapy. I am not one of those women who carry pregnancy beautifully. I gain tons of weight, have heartburn and gas, swell up and sleep all of the time. Even though I am not the perfect pregnancy specimen, I still feel like one with aromatherapy.

When I lived with midwives as a teen, I first saw the results of aromatherapy on pregnancy. For my own pregnancy, I expanded upon this knowledge. I discovered that a wonderful thing about aromatherapy when pregnant and after the babies are born is that it gives you a reason to take the time to heal and pamper yourself. What could be better than pampering “medicine”?

I originally formulated the following blends for myself in 1996. Pregnant women,midwives and doulas in the United States have since used them.

Leg Cramp Oil
This oil is so soothing and relaxing on tired muscles. It is not only great for leg cramps, but also for varicose veins, varicosities and sore backs. Put the following ingredients into a container and shake well before using:

• 2 ounces St. John’s Wort oil
• 5 drops neroli essential oil
• 5 drops grapefruit essential oil

Belly Balm or Stretch Mark Prevention Oil
This oil feels wonderful going on. It is smooth and moisturizing and can help with the itching that so often happens when the skin starts stretching. In a double boiler, melt the carrier oils listed below. Carrier oils are nut or seed oils, like almond oil, shea butter, coconut butter and olive oil, for example. These are pressed and not distilled.

• 1 cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup cocoa butter
• 1/8 cup apricot, almond or grapeseed oil
• 1/8 cup Kukui nut oil, shea butter or mango butter (I love using mango butter.)

When these oils have melted completely, remove the mixture from the heat. Allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes, then add the essential oils listed below. Essential oils are distilled from leaves, seeds, roots and flowers that are very concentrated and fragrant. Transfer the blend to a container and allow it to cool completely before using.

• 10-20 drops sandalwood (try to purchase from an ethical source*)
• 15 drops patchouli
• 15 drops sweet orange essential oil

There are additional options for essential oils. Use what you like and/or can find locally. You can also try rosewood, rose, lavender, tangerine and neroli. If you blend your own mixture, be sure to keep the amount of essential oils used at less than 50 drops total.

Massage the balm all over thighs, breasts, stomach and anywhere else that needs nourishing and moisturizing. I have also used this on my face. Living in the Green Mountains, I often need a protector from the frigid winds for my fair skin.

Nausea Spray
Add the following to four ounces of distilled water and use in a spray bottle:

• 20 drops spearmint essential oil
• 15 drops lemon essential oil
• 5 drops sweet orange essential oil

Shake the mixture well and mist the air with it when a woman feels nauseous. You may find that different women prefer other types of scents, so you can also try ginger, neroli and rosewood. Experiment to find the mixture that works best. When making an alternative blend, keep the amount of essential oils used at less than 60 drops.

Labor Mists
The point of using mists during labor is to be as noninvasive as possible. Every person is different and has individual needs. Make sure that you understand and know the person you are making a blend for because the wrong blend can assault the senses. In our need to help, we do not want to create something not so beautiful for a mother.

Relax and Focus
This is a relaxing blend to promote clarity and focus. Fill a four-ounce spray bottle almost full with distilled water and add:

• 20 drops grapefruit essential oil
• 15 drops sweet orange essential oil
• 10 drops spearmint essential oil

Shake well and mist labor room. You can also make a compress by misting a wet cloth with the blend and applying it to the laboring mother’s forehead or back. This mist is great for fathers, too.

Uplift
Transition can be a trying and tiring time for the mother. We want to support her and use a mist blend that will ground and calm her and help lift her spirits. Add water to spray bottle as
above and add:

• 15 drops mandarin essential oil
• 10 drops bergamot essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops Clary sage essential oil

This is a strong blend and it should be used away from the mother. Never spray the mother directly. Always remember to use essential oils with education and care. Research each oil before use, especially in regard to pregnancy and labor.

* Companies that are ethical sources try to use plants that are sown and harvested for essential oil use specifically. When plants are taken from the wild, these companies insist that they be taken from a sustainable source only.

Author: Demetria Clark
About the author: Demetria Clark is a childbirth doula and runs Heart of Herbs Herbal School in Vermont (see her Web site at Heart of Herbs ). She lives with her husband and two sons, and is currently writing an herbal sourcebook for mothers. Originally printed in BirthKit www.midwiferytoday.com

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Source www.PRWeb.com
Morning sickness, which can be debilitating at times, is drawing more attention and greater concern from pregnant women looking for safe and effective remedies.

New York, NY (PRWEB) — From Angelina Jolie to Jane Doe, women around the world have suffered the debilitating effects of morning sickness during pregnancy, and many women are beginning to grow increasingly more concerned about the remedies available.

“I was so sick during the first few months of my pregnancy that I couldn’t eat, couldn’t go to work. I could hardly function,” Anita Rubio, 25, Island Heights, NJ explains. “I was afraid to take any of the over-the-counter or other medicines because all you read about is how dangerous they wind up being,” she continues.

With many over-the-counter and prescription medications for pain, weight loss and other common conditions being removed from the market, pregnant women are becoming more reluctant to take any medication for morning sickness.

“I thought about taking the herbal remedies but then I read that even ginger could be bad for you and the baby,” Lisa Custodio, 33, Brooklyn, NY states. “I really just felt like I didn’t want to put anything harmful into my body while I was pregnant,” Custodio added.

Custodio, like many pregnant women around the world are discovering that acupressure technology found in BioBands alleviates nausea without the risk of harmful effects for the mother or her unborn child.

“BioBands are great, they are easy to wear, completely stopped my feeling sick and I didn’t have to worry about hurting my baby,” Custodio explains.

The acupressure technology used by BioBands disrupts the transmission of nausea signals to the brain thereby eliminating the nausea associated with morning sickness without the need to take anything orally or topically that is absorbed into the bloodstream.

Pregnant women are becoming increasingly more aware of everything they take into their body, including topical treatments absorbed through the skin. The use of BioBands wristbands for nausea is proving to be safer and more effective than many of the medications and home remedies that have turned out ineffective or potentially harmful.

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She was suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum which afflicts approximately 5 out of 1000 pregnancies. Her doctor told her that she was “pregnant, not sick”.

This story is simply beyond tragic. This is just another example of medical doctors causing more harm than good. This poor woman must have gone through hell. I have a few friends who have endured Hyperemesis Gravidarum and from what they have told me, they would not wish it on their worst enemy. If your doctor tells you that you are “pregnant, not sick” then find yourself a new doctor or midwife. If you are really sufering from this debilitating condition then I do not recommend doing your own prenatal care because you may need intravenous hydration or nutrition.

If you are diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum some of the treatment options are: (and they do not include abortion)

• Hydration and anti-nausea medications
• Nutrition by vein
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin K
• Ginger
• Chamomile
• Anti-nausea bands

Click on the following links to learn more about hyperemesis gravidarum:
www.med.nyu.edu
www.pharmasave.com

Click here to see full CNN report

Acupuncture is the ancient Chinese method of using tiny needles to stimulate specific areas or “meridians” of the body and to rebalance the body’s energy, or chi. Because acupuncture is especially effective for chronic conditions, many pregnant women are turning to acupuncture to provide drug-free relief from many of the unpleasant symptoms of pregnancy.

An Australian study showed that women who received acupuncture treatments regularly before their 14th week of pregnancy had less nausea and shorter bouts of morning sickness than women who did not receive the treatment. Acupuncture has also been used to treat the more serious condition hyperemesis gravidarum, which causes serious vomiting that persists throughout pregnancy.

During the second trimester, acupuncture has been used to successfully treat heartburn and hemorrhoids. In the third trimester, acupuncture can provide relief from sciatica, joint pain and carpal tunnel syndrome, which many women develop late in pregnancy. Acupuncture has even been used to relieve pain during labor and delivery.

Pregnant women seeking to use acupuncture to treat conditions developed during pregnancy should be sure to visit a licensed and experienced acupuncturist. For example, although acupuncture can be used to treat edema, or swelling of the ankles, edema can be an indicator of a serious problem. An acupuncturist experienced in treating pregnant women would be more likely to recognize this problem and refer the patient back to her obstetrician.

The most serious risk of using acupuncture during pregnancy is that it may stimulate labor if it is improperly applied. Choosing an experienced practitioner reduces this risk to almost negligible levels. In fact, many women have turned to acupuncture to purposefully stimulate labor when their baby is overdue. Some women have found that labor induced by acupuncture is gentler than labor induced by drugs such as Pitocin.

In addition to benefits during pregnancy, labor and delivery, acupuncture has been used to promote fertility and to treat infertility . In a small German study, women who used acupuncture in conjunction with in vitro fertilization had a 42.5% success rate compared to 26.3% in women who used in vitro fertilization alone. Fertility specialists attribute this to the overall improvement of health that comes from receiving regular acupuncture treatments.

Finally, acupuncture may have some benefits in treating post-partum depression. Although no research has been done to support the efficacy of acupuncture treatments on post-partum depression, anecdotal evidence shows that some women do benefit from its use. Because acupuncture does not cause harmful drug interactions, it can be a useful complementary therapy.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for http://4alternativehealthinfo.com/ - In addition, Jonathon also writes articles for http://thenursingcenter.com/ and http://letsdropsomeweight.com/

Does the smell of coffee or eggs make you run to the bathroom? What about a nice Stilton? Does the act of getting out of bed make you sicker than you have ever felt? If you are pregnant and sights, smells and tastes that you used to enjoy send you face first into the toilet, then you’ve got morning sickness.

By: Juliet Cohen

Morning sickness is the nauseated feeling you get during pregnancy. Morning sickness, which can actually occur at any time of the day, can really dampen your excitement about being pregnant. Morning sickness, also called nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) or pregnancy sickness, affects between 50 and 95 percent of all pregnant women as well as some women who use hormonal contraception or hormone replacement therapy.

Morning sickness can occur at any time of the day, though it occurs most often upon waking, because blood sugar levels are typically the lowest after a night without food. Morning sickness usually starts in the first month of the pregnancy, peaks in the fifth to seventh weeks, and continuing until the 14th to 16th week. For half of the sufferers, it ends by the 16th week of pregnancy. Some unfortunate women suffer intermittent episodes throughout their pregnancy.

The most severe form of NVP is called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). HG is considered a rare complication of pregnancy. The percentage of pregnant women afflicted ranges from 0.3% to 2%. This form of morning sickness becomes a problem because women afflicted by HG are unable keep any foods or fluids down and begin to lose a lot of weight. It this happens to you, please seek medical attention. You may need to receive fluids and nutrition intravenously in addition to medication to prevent vomiting.

Women afflicted by morning sickness typically avoid “bitter, pungent, highly-flavored, and novel foods,” or foods which are likely to contain toxins. Women will naturally avoid foods and smells that seem to trigger nausea. Sometimes this will be nearly every food or every smell. Trying to eat a healthy diet can become very difficult when you’ve also got to deal with problems like food aversions, a sensitive sniffer, and a growling, churning stomach. Eat small, frequent meals and snacks throughout the day so that your stomach is never empty.

In addition to the standard American remedies for morning sickness, you might want to check out homeopathic remedies or herbal teas. Some herbal teas and herbs that have been used historically to ease morning sickness are: Anise, Fennel, Ginger root, Peppermint, Chamomile, Red Raspberry and Blessed Thistle.

Some women find that carbohydrates are most appealing when they feel nauseated, but one small study found that high-protein foods were more likely to ease symptoms. Wearing “acupressure” wrist bands, which are sometimes used by passengers on boats to prevent sea sickness, may help some women who have morning sickness. Try taking your prenatal vitamins with food or just before bed. Flat Sprite® is supposedly great at keeping the stomach from churning. Taking powdered ginger root in capsules provided some relief, but be sure to talk to your provider before taking ginger supplements. Ginger, teas, cookies, even the spice can be helpful in preventing nausea.

Morning Sickness Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Eat frequent small meals, every 2 or 3 hours, rather than 3 large meals daily.

2. Get up slowly and do not lie down immediately after eating.

3. Eat dry crackers 15 minutes before getting up in the morning.

4. Eat more fruits and complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, crackers and pasta. Sensitive stomachs find those foods easier to tolerate.

5. Eat high protein foods as they help fight nausea.

6. Do not skip meals, allowing your stomach to become “empty”.

7. Drink fluids ½ hour before a meal or ½ hour after a meal. Do not drink during your meal.

8. Try eating cold food instead of hot (cold food does not smell as much).

9. Try bland foods, as opposed to spicy foods.

10. Try to avoid fatty foods, which take longer to digest, particularly during pregnancy, when your stomach takes longer to empty.

11. Try taking your prenatal vitamins later in the day or discuss possible alternatives, such as children’s chewables.

12. Try not to get overheated as it seems to agitate morning sickness.

Sheryl’s comment:
Many experts believe that morning sickness is a natural safety mechanism designed by your body to avoid ingesting poisonous substances. This may have evolved from our gatherer ancestors who might have been likely to ingest poisonous plants. Today, the smell of coffee or cigarettes may make a pregnant woman nauseous, but clearly those are substances that are potentially dangerous to her fetus and should be avoided anyway. So as irritating as morning sickness is, it is your body’s way of trying to tell you something so make sure to pay attention!

Juliet Cohen writes articles on diseases and conditions and women health care. More information on health related topics visit our site at www.health-care-articles.info.

Buy the Book: Managing Morning Sickness

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

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Congratulations! You’re pregnant! One minute you’re overjoyed with your news, the next you’re brought back down to earth with a thud. Often with the pregnancy news comes the rude awakening that soon after conception, your body begins undergoing a series of major changes to help prepare it for your baby’s growth and development.

Mother Nature loves irony. How else to explain taking the happiest time in a woman’s life and causing her to become physically ill and miserable? And, what’s with using the term, “morning sickness“? Actually, the correct term is “nausea and vomiting of pregnancy“. Which is closer to the truth since the condition can and will occur anytime of the day.

Some quick facts about the morning sickness:
1. 50-95% of pregnant women suffer from it
2. Dehydration can happen in extreme cases
3. Occurs in first month of pregnancy
4. Continues until 14th-16th week
5. 50% of women will suffer for another month

Although nobody will say for sure what the definite causes of morning sickness are, the theories are:

• Estrogen level increase
• Low blood sugar
• Increased sensitivity to smells where many odors instantly trigger the gag-reflex
• Rise in progesterone level . This hormone helps relax the uterus in order to prevent early labor but it also relaxes the stomach and intestines which cause excess acids in the stomach and slower waste removal.
• Eating unhealthy foods. Seems the body has a sure-fire way to make sure you don’t ingest anything not good for you or baby.
• An increase in human chorionic gonadotropin. Now you know why they prefer to call it (hCG) This is a peptide hormone produced by the embryo soon after conception and later on by the placenta. It’s role is to maintain crucial levels of progesterone production vital in human pregnancies.
• Excess salivation which nauseates some women

It’s difficult to spend time on the causes morning sickness when all you really want is relief. As with anything to do with the human body, there’s no one-size-fits-all remedy. There will be a period of trial and error as you find what works for you. Of course it goes without saying, you will be consulting with your doctor/care-provider.

So here are some corrective measures used by many women:

1. Eating small, frequent meals. An empty stomach produces an acid which aggravates the stomach lining.

2. Foods should be high in proteins and complex carbohydrates such as yogurt, cheese and eggs or whole-grain breads and cereals. Don’t make the mistake of thinking of whole-wheat as being whole- grain. You want the product label to say ” 100% whole-grain”. There is a big difference for mother and baby.

3. Drink fluids. Dehydration makes everything worse. Extreme cases of morning sickness require hospitalization. If you can’t stomach fluids, try eating fruit which has high water content and low acid like grapes and watermelon

4. Ginger (zingiber officinale) This is an age-old remedy for upset stomachs. Try either capsules, ginger tea or ginger- snaps, candy. Try to get ginger ale made with real ginger and not the supermarket brands. You may have to try the health-food section in your grocery or an actual health-food store.

5. Brushing teeth after vomiting will decrease excess saliva and lessen stomach turmoil. It also prevents tooth decay and makes you feel somewhat better.

6. Get proper rest. Fatigue and stress will cause morning sickness to worsen. If able to, nap often.

7. Stay away from fatty, spicy, rich, acidic and fried foods

8. Eat crackers before getting out of bed. Get up slowly.

9. Take food based prenatal vitamins later on in the day

10. Try vitamin B6

11. Microwave cooking produces less odors. Better yet, have someone else do the cooking while you, lucky girl, stay away!

12. Go smell lemons. Believe it or not, relief may be found by sprinkling essential oil of lemon on a handkerchief and holding it to your nose.

13. Warm places can trigger nausea. Try to stay cool. If not in air conditioning, install fans around you. Even a battery-operated hand-held fan can bring relief.

14. If your stomach agrees, eat what you want when you want it. Your special cravings are trying to tell you something.

Although it can be downright annoying when well-meaning friends and family tell you, “This too shall pass” , especially when you feel miserable. Usually after the first trimester, you will again be concentrating on happy, future events.

Again, Congratulations!

(c) 2006 Karen Cook

Reference Sources: Wikipedia and Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine

Author: Karen Cook
About the author: Karen Cook works the main desk at her town’s Public Library. The most rewarding part of her job is researching self-help information for the patrons. Visit the weblog: http://happilypregnant.blogspot.com

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By having a healthy prenatal diet, you can give your baby the best start that you can, and you will also reap the health benefits. Women who have well-balanced diets during pregnancy are far more likely to return to their pre-pregnancy weight in a shorter period of time than those who eat foods that are high in fat and sugar. As well, the healthy eaters are less likely to develop hypertension or diabetes during pregnancy.

A wide variety of foods can be utilized to create a healthy diet for you and your baby. This should be the time to celebrate your body by eating a wide range of foods, and not the time to be dieting or obsessing about weight gain. Remember, however, that eating for two doesn’t mean eating twice as much. The average pregnant woman only requires about an extra 300 calories per day.

Here are the top pregnancy nutrition tips that will help you help you through these miraculous nine months.

1. Eat Your Grains
Complex carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice and cereal are a great source of energy, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Remember that it is always better to select whole-grain products, such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal.

2. Focus On Folic Acid and Iron
Both folic acid and iron are essential for your body to produce the extra blood that your body requires during pregnancy. Folic acid is also especially important in the early weeks of pregnancy to prevent the risk of neural tube and congenital heart defects. Iron and folic acid can be found in a wide range of different foods including: dried fruits, beans, whole grains, dark leafy greens, certain meats, and citrus fruits.

3. Fill Up on Fruits and Vegetables
When planning your meals, choose a wide array of fruits and vegetables. They will provide you with vitamins A and C and minerals such as iron and magnesium. Don’t forget to rinse fruits and vegetables carefully before consuming, to remove any traces of pesticides, or consider selecting organic produce.

4. Enjoy Dairy Products In Moderation
Milk, yogurt, cheese, and even ice cream are great sources of protein, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins. Calcium is vital during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Choose low or non-fat items as often as you can.

5. Drink Lots of Water
Don’t underestimate the importance of drinking water throughout your pregnancy. Water is important for building new tissue, carrying nutrients and waste products within your body, helping digestion, and forming amniotic fluid around your baby. Try to drink at least eight glasses of water each day. Keeping hydrated will also help prevent those painful leg and foot cramps that are extremely common during pregnancy.

5. Try a Mocktail Instead of a Cocktail
For those women who enjoy an occasional glass of wine or cocktail, abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy can be challenging. Instead of envying others alcoholic drinks, try concocting blended fruit juices with fresh fruit for a refreshing and healthy alternative.

6. Avoid These Foods
Some foods are better off avoided throughout pregnancy because of the possibility of health risks to your baby. These foods are sushi, cold lunchmeats, raw eggs, raw meats or shellfish, and unpasteurized milk or cheese.

7. Snack To Prevent Morning Sickness
For some women, nausea and vomiting is an unfortunate aspect of pregnancy. While it cannot
be completely avoided, there are ways to minimize these uncomfortable symptoms. Eating frequent meals that include both protein and carbohydrates is a way to keep that queasy feeling at bay. Morning sickness is most likely to strike when you have an empty stomach. Chewing gum or popping a mint in your mouth may also help. As ginger has been long known to prevent nausea, try sipping ginger tea.

8. Minimize Heartburn
Heartburn is another not so pleasant part of pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones are the main cause of this unpleasant condition. As your uterus grows, it will press against your stomach and add to this problem. To prevent and relieve heartburn, eat six small meals instead of three big ones, eat slowly, chew your food well, and don’t eat or drink within a few hours of bedtime. As well, prop a few pillows under your shoulders in bed, and if the symptoms are too uncomfortable, ask your midwife or doctor about using antacids.

9. Consider Food Based Prenatal Vitamins
While a well-rounded diet should supply almost all of the nutrients that you will need during a pregnancy, you may be prescribed prenatal vitamins or mineral supplements. Remember not to take anything without the advice of your midwife or doctor.

10. Splurge Occasionally
Finally, don’t forget to splurge occasionally on something that you love to eat. Pregnancy is a time for celebration. Its ok to have an occasional bowl of ice cream, slice of cake, or hamburger. Enjoy!

Author: Julian Hall
About the author: Julian Hall of Baby Gifts Company - The Most Unique, Innovative Gift Ideas for Babies, Christening Gifts, Newborn Gifts, Personalized Gifts, Organic Clothing, Nappies, Blankets, New Baby Gifts

Buy the Book: Eat Right for Your Baby

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So you think you might be pregnant? Find out if you are pregnant by checking out the 18 common pregnancy symptoms below.

1. Nausea or morning sickness:
Morning sickness is the nauseating feelings and possibly vomiting many women experience during pregnancy. This occurs in approximately 50% to 95% of all pregnant women as early as the first week of pregnancy. Although the name suggests that this is a condition experienced in the morning, it may strike at any time during the day whenever your blood sugar levels get too low.

2. Headaches:
If you have never experienced regular headaches before pregnancy, be prepared for some throbbing pain in your head and neck during pregnancy. Changes in your body’s hormonal patterns is the primary cause of headaches during pregnancy. Other conditions like lack of sleep, poor posture, stress, dehydration and low blood sugar levels may also worsen of cause headaches.

3. Dizziness and fainting spells:
Due to the lowered blood pressure in your body during pregnancy, blood flow to the brain may cause dizziness and fainting spells in serious cases.

4. Mood swings:
With your hormones raging, it is common for women to feel cranky during their pregnancy. It takes some time to settle into your new life by adjusting to all the changes in your body and lifestyle.

5. Fatigue
If you feel exhausted and experience some or all of the symptoms mentioned in this article, you have a good chance of being pregnant. Hormonal changes are usually the main cause of fatigue followed by the additional weight you have to carry around.

6. Food cravings:
Craving for food that you normally would not eat could be a sign that you are pregnant. Normally, women report cravings for salty and sweet food during pregnancy while others report a peculiar desire for spicy or fatty food.

7. Weight gain and bloating:
The combination of your baby’s growth and your increased food intake will cause you to put on weight and your clothes to fit tighter than usual. As most women put on weight mainly on their hips and thighs, an mysterious increase in the size of your waist could indicate that you are pregnant.

8. Heartburn:
Hormones created during pregnancy may relax the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which opens the valve to allow stomach acids to flow up into the esophagus causing a burning sensation.

9. Lower back pain:
Lower back pain occurs because your growing baby causes your spine to be thrown out of alignment as the additional weight constantly pulls on your back. This is why proper posture, regular visits to the chiropractor and prenatal yoga are especially important during pregnancy.

10. Constipation:
Hormonal changes during pregnancy slows down the movement of food through your digestive system which results in constipation. This could be a sign of pregnancy if you do not experience constipation frequently.

11. Constant urination:
Your growing baby in the uterus puts a lot of pressure on your bladder and you may find yourself visiting the ladies room more frequently than usual.

12. High Basal Body Temperature (BBT):
If your BTT stays in the high range for 18 days or more, it is very likely that you are pregnant.

13. Cramping:
Your growing uterus stretches to accommodate your new baby and this causes menstrual-like cramps to occur.

14. Spotting:
Slight bleeding occurs when the fertilized egg begins to implant itself into the uterus any time from 3 to 6 days after fertilization. A lot of women confuse this with their period but this happens usually before the period starts and the discharge is lighter than normal.

15. Darkening of the areolas:
Your areolas could darken and increase in diameter during pregnancy. This is a natural process by which your breasts are preparing themselves to produce milk for your baby.

16. Tender or swollen breasts:
It is common for women to have sore, tingly, tender or swollen breasts during pregnancy. This feels like a amplified version of how your breast feels before your period.

17. Missed periods:
If you have been sexually active and you missed a period, it is a good indication that are you are pregnant. A pregnancy test should be taken to confirm if the missed period is really caused by your pregnancy.

18. Positive pregnancy tests:
Pregnancy tests like urine and blood tests are a good way to find out if you are pregnant. However, these tests are not 100% accurate all of the time, therefore you might want to visit a doctor to conduct further tests.

It is possible that you may have some of the symptoms above and not be pregnant. Only a positive pregnancy test and a doctor’s examination (or childbirth) can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are pregnant.

About the author:
Visit Natalie’s Pregnancy101.net to find out what are the top eBooks on pregnancy to help you get pregnant, stay slim during pregnancy, lose weight after pregnancy and have an easier birth.

Buy the Book: I’m Pregnant, A Week By Week Guide

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Pregnancy symptoms vary from woman to woman and even from pregnancy to pregnancy. It is very easy to confuse symptoms of other illnesses with symptom of pregnancy. There are a few symptoms that appear during most if not all pregnancies. Listed below are some of the most common sign of pregnancy.

Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is a very common early pregnancy symptom. It is also a very annoying signal for many would-be mothers, who are yet unaware of their pregnant state. The common complaint of vomiting and feeling of nausea usually happens after a month of pregnancy, and slowly ebbs in the later stages of pregnancy. Morning sickness may appear earlier in some cases too.

Missed Period
Missing a period is another symptom of pregnancy, which appears soon after a month of pregnancy. In fact, this is the most important signal, which indicates that you are pregnant. Although, there may be other reasons for missing a period like polycystic ovary syndrome, stress, pills, losing or gaining too much weight, etc. In such cases, you have to search for other sign of pregnancy. Always try to maintain a pregnancy journal to overcome anxiety.

Breast Changes
Another symptom of pregnancy is the initial tenderness of the breasts. Later in the pregnancy you will notice that your breasts get heavy as they prepare to nourish your newborn. You get used to this feeling as you progress through your pregnancy and usually have to switch to a larger bra size. Side by side, you will also notice the darkening of the areola, which is another pregnancy symptom.

Need to Pee
Frequent urination may be another symptom of pregnancy. There are two reasons for this condition. The first reason is the reduction in the size of the urinary bladder, due to the growing uterus. The second is the rising level in the hormone progesterone in the body, which gives a feeling of fullness in the bladder.

Other symptoms of pregnancy
Constipation and a sour mouth can be two other annoying symptoms of pregnancy. Constipation gives you a bad taste in the mouth and everything you eat tastes insipid as well.

The joys and pains related to pregnancy are borne by the mother alone. Other persons related to the mother, including the father, can only play a supportive role. Therefore, never take this issue lightly. It is the duty of every mother to be assertive and informative. If you are strong-willed, you will do everything which will be the best for the baby.

Author: Alien Sheng
About the author: Alien writes for Early pregnancy signs He also writes for Makeup tips & Natural medicinal herbs.

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