First Month Pregnancy Symptoms

Many women are not exactly sure what to consider "normal" during the first month of pregnancy and many women begin to get worried if they do not experience the "typical" first month pregnancy symptoms and signs. Women must keep in mind, however, that each woman's body will react differently to pregnancy and not all women will experience all pregnancy symptoms.

The main culprit behind first month pregnancy symptoms is the hormone human gonadotrophin hormone (HCG), released into the mother's bloodstream by the fetus once it fully implants within the uterine lining. The level of this hormone starts off low, but its concentration rapidly increases; this is why pregnancy symptoms do not become noticeable until roughly 12 to 14 days after conception. In any case, the woman will not notice symptoms until the HCG levels are sufficiently high to affect her body.

Progesterone and estrogen are hormones that also increase during pregnancy and contribute to first month pregnancy symptoms. Also, women who are pregnant with twins or more may have symptoms that are noticeable earlier or are more intense because higher levels of HCG are released. Women who are not carrying twins or more and feel first month pregnancy symptoms earlier are those women who have had babies before, so their bodies are more sensitive to the hormones.

Around the end of the first month, blood flow increases by roughly 50% in a woman's body; this has various effects. The extra blood flow in the skin can lead to nose bleeds and bleeding gums. The pregnant woman feels warmer, and sweats more, especially in her hands and feet. Metabolism also increases, increasing body heat even further; this is why pregnancy is often accompanied by an increased basal body temperature.

Many women experience ptyalism, or increased production of saliva. Often, ptyalism is associated with morning sickness and relief from ptyalism comes with the same methods used to deal with nausea and vomiting. More often than not, the ptyalism will disappear around 14 weeks into the pregnancy.

Among first month pregnancy symptoms are dizziness and fainting. Again, hormones are the culprits. Due to the action of progesterone, a woman's blood vessels relax and dilate, and this causes blood pressure to decrease.

Headaches are also first month pregnancy symptoms, again caused in part by hormonal changes. Headaches may also be due to an increase in blood volume in the pregnant woman's blood vessels. Furthermore, pregnancy can also obviously be a very stressful time for a woman, and so headaches caused by tension could occur.

Lastly, first month pregnancy symptoms also include food cravings and aversions; indeed, a woman may find that foods she previously enjoyed are now repulsive to her. This aversion may come and go during the entire pregnancy. A woman may also experience a heightened sense of smell; again, smells that a woman normally found pleasant may be completely unacceptable to her during pregnancy.

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