cac0fae8c8f092b7d7e32f10d5d4e9c220d2969b My Health Is My Life: What Expectant Mothers Need To Know About First Trimester Symptoms

What Expectant Mothers Need To Know About First Trimester Symptoms

By Laura Hill


Pregnancy is an overwhelming experience for man women around the world. During these seven to nine months, women's bodies go through a number of changes which start almost as early as conception. First trimester symptoms can be worrying, and this is why so many pregnant women find themselves searching for answers to questions that these symptoms trigger in their minds.

Medical professionals divide each pregnancy into three trimesters. The first of these begins at conception and ends with the activation of the baby's reflexes. It is during this period that the baby's major organ development occurs. For many women, this trimester is particularly difficult as it is during this period that most pregnancy losses occur. Getting to the end of the first trimester successfully is definitely a pregnancy milestone for expecting mothers.

Pregnancy is accompanied by an increase in hormones. The two most prominent pregnancy hormones are progesterone and Estrogen. Estrogen is what triggers the physical development of the baby. HCG which is short for Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin, is the hormone that is detected by pregnancy test. It can be detected in both the blood and urine.

Sometimes these early pregnancy symptoms are caused by an increase in the hormone progesterone. Progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum cyst for the initial ten weeks of a pregnancy. This corpus luteum cyst forms on the ovary after ovulation and remains functional for roughly ten weeks after conception has occurred. By the end of this first segment of the pregnancy the corpus luteum cyst goes away as it is no longer necessary.

Among the experiences triggered by this hormone are nausea, vomiting and headache. Some women are fortunate enough to not experience these symptoms or to have mild versions. Even though this hormone is accompanied by these discomfort producing symptoms, it is quite essential for a healthy pregnancy. If progesterone levels fall, then the pregnancy may come to a premature end. So essential is this hormone that, in an effort to maintain a healthy pregnancy, some doctors prescribe synthetic versions of the hormone for women who have a history of low progesterone or early pregnancy loss.

In addition to an increase in hormone levels, pregnant women go through physical changes. These physical changes are inevitable as the body must make room for a growing baby who, at the end of the third trimester may weigh as much as ten pounds and in rare cases even more. These changes sometimes cause other symptoms as well.

As the uterus expands, other organs are displaced temporarily. Additionally pain is felt as the ligaments stretch to accommodate the growing baby. The ligaments are connectors that attach the uterus to remainder of the body. The round ligaments sit between the uterus and groin and these are prone to stretching during the first trimester resulting in a pain referred to as round ligament pain

By the end of the first trimester women may start to feel heartburn. This is a burning sensation that occurs in the area between the chest and throat. It is caused by a physical change that accompanies pregnancy. This physical change is the stretching of the uterus. The stretching forces the stomach up towards the chest leaving little room for digested food to settle.




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