What Does it Feel Like if You Get Pregnant?

When women become pregnant, some experience many symptoms, while others feel almost none at all. Pregnancy symptoms vary from woman to woman, but are somewhat similar and predictable.

The First Few Weeks

Some women develop sore breasts, bloating, exhaustion, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and the frequent need to urinate.

The End of the First Trimester

You may gain some weight, although some women lose weight. You may feel gaseous, have heartburn, or be constipated. The exhaustion lessens, and nausea and vomiting may disappear.

The Second Trimester

You may start to feel fetal movements. Drs. Adrienne Lieberman and Linda Holt explain that you may also develop backaches, varicose veins, itchy skin, hemorrhoids and some abdominal pain, all due to stretching ligaments.

The Third Trimester

Your baby is pushing other organs out of the way to make space, so it may be difficult to breathe deeply or get comfortable in bed. You may get leg cramps or experience "Braxton-Hicks" contractions, according to Drs. Lieberman and Holt.

The Days Before Delivery

The baby will drop, allowing your lungs to pull in more air. You may leak pre-milk from your breasts. Vicki Iovine, author of "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy," asserts that you may feel a sudden need to nest, feel very irritable, or experience diarrhea.

References

• "Nine Months and a Day;" Dr. Adrienne B. Lieberman and Dr. Linda Hughley Holt; 2000
• "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy;" Vicki Iovine; 1995

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• BabyCenter.com