Health & Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time of many changes. Your body will go through a lot on the way to creating a new person.

Normal physical changes and symptoms throughout pregnancy

Although they can range from mild to severe, the following conditions are common during pregnancy:

• Fatigue
• Morning sickness
• Sleep problems
• Breast changes
• Heartburn (a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD)
• Changes in vaginal discharge. A thin, milky-white discharge (leukorrhea) is normal throughout pregnancy. Also, the tissues lining the vagina become thicker and less sensitive during pregnancy.
• Nosebleeds and bleeding gums
• Hemorrhoids and constipation
• Varicose veins
• Hair changes
• Stretch marks, itchiness, and other skin changes
• Leg cramps
• Back pain and sciatica
• Pelvic ache and hip pain
• Hand pain, numbness, or weakness (carpal tunnel syndrome)

First trimester

The first trimester of pregnancy lasts from week 1 through week 12. Your first sign of pregnancy may be a missed menstrual period. Other early signs of pregnancy, caused by hormonal changes, include:

• Fatigue.
• Breast tenderness.
• Increased urination.
• Fullness or mild aching in your lower abdomen.
• Nausea with or without vomiting, also known as morning sickness. For more information, see:

  Pregnancy: Dealing With Morning Sickness.

Second trimester

The second trimester of pregnancy (from week 13 to week 27) is the time when most women start to look pregnant and may begin to wear maternity clothes. By 16 weeks, the top of your uterus, called the fundus, will be about halfway between your pubic bone and your navel. By 27 weeks, the fundus will be about 2 in. (5 cm) or more above your navel.

You may find that the second trimester is the easiest part of pregnancy. For some women, the breast tenderness, morning sickness, and fatigue of the first trimester ease up or disappear during the second trimester, while the physical discomforts of late pregnancy have yet to start. Pressure on your bladder may be less as the uterus grows up out of the pelvis.

Common symptoms you may experience during the second trimester of pregnancy include:

• Breast changes.
• Leg cramps.
• Back pain.
• Pelvic ache and hip pain.
• Stretch marks and other skin changes.
• Hemorrhoids and constipation.
• Heartburn (also a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD).
• Nosebleeds and bleeding gums.
• Hand pain, numbness, or weakness (carpal tunnel syndrome).
• Braxton Hicks contractions, which are "warm-up" contractions that do not thin and open the cervix (do not lead to labor).

Third trimester

The third trimester lasts from week 28 to the birth. Many women have some discomfort during this time as their belly gets bigger. You might have trouble getting comfortable so you can sleep. And you might have a few other aches and pains.

Common symptoms you may experience during the third trimester include:

• Braxton Hicks contractions, which are "warm-up" contractions that do not thin and open the cervix (do not lead to labor).
• Fatigue.
• Back pain.
• Pelvic ache and hip pain.
• Hemorrhoids and constipation.
• Heartburn (a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD).
• Hand pain, numbness, or weakness (carpal tunnel syndrome).
• Breathing difficulty, since your uterus is now just below your rib cage, and your lungs have less room to expand.
• Mild swelling of your feet and ankles (edema). Pregnancy causes more fluid to build up in your body. This, plus the extra pressure that your uterus places on your legs, can lead to swelling in your feet and ankles.
• Difficulty sleeping and finding a comfortable position. Lying on your back interferes with blood circulation, and lying on your stomach isn't possible. Sleep on your side, using pillows to support your belly and between your knees. Later in your pregnancy, it is best to lie on your left side. When you lie on your right side or on your back, the increasing weight of your uterus can partly block the large blood vessel in front of your backbone.
• Frequent urination, caused by your enlarged uterus and the pressure of the fetus's head on your bladder.