Monique Rainford
Pregnancy can be a very happy, exciting time in a woman's life. However, especially during their first pregnancy some women may feel anxious and confused because it is in fact an experience like none other.
Early signs and symptoms
A missed period is often the first sign of pregnancy, but a woman may experience a number of other signs and symptoms. These include:
• Feeling nausea with or without vomiting.
• Frequent urination.
• Swollen or tender breast (especially around the nipple for some women).
• Fatigue or feeling tired very easily.
• Mild, low pelvic cramping (as if a period is about to occur).
She may also notice increased irritability; her abdomen feeling swollen or bloated and some women may experience spotting or what appears to be a light period.
Although these signs and symptoms can occur in a normal pregnancy, some of them are also associated with abnormal pregnancies like early miscarriage or a pregnancy outside of the uterus (womb). So, it is important that a woman should contact her doctor and plan a visit. A visit is especially important if she is experiencing severe pain in her abdomen, bleeding or dizziness as she may require immediate attention.
She can confirm her pregnancy by a home urine pregnancy test or at the doctor's office. At the office, the doctor will examine her and, in certain cases, order or do an ultrasound to confirm that the baby is in the right location. She should keep all her scheduled visits to help the pregnancy progress as smoothly as possible, and to receive all her appropriate tests.
Pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks and timing begins from the first day of the last menstrual period. I will continue the discussion on pregnancy in a future article.
Dr. Monique Rainford is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist; email: yourhealth@ gleanerjm.com.
