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Pregnancy is an experience. Your body, mind, and soul go through a ton of changes — some temporary, some not so much — which make it one of the most unforgettable times of your life.
While you can easily find out if you’re pregnant with the help of a pregnancy test or an ultrasound, there are other telltale signs of pregnancy your body begins to show within the first month.
Call them ‘side effects’ of pregnancy if you will, but your body will continue experiencing several changes through the full term of your pregnancy, which is about 40 weeks or roughly 9 months.
Let’s take a look at the ‘side effects’ your body experiences during pregnancy every month!
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First Month
A missed period is probably the most common sign of pregnancy at this time. Other early signs can range from bloating and nausea to cramping and exhaustion. Not to mention sore breasts, increased urination, mood swings, constipation, food aversions, and spotting (1). You might not experience all of them, but it’s common to have at least one of them.
Second Month
At this time, you’ll see noticeable changes in your body. While discomforts such as fatigue, increased urination, and breast tenderness will make appearances often, it’s at this time that the dreaded morning sickness begins (2). And morning sickness brings its own set of symptoms — nausea, vomiting, and heartburn.
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Third Month
Fast forward to the third month, and you’ll start to see either one of these two things — the beautiful ‘pregnancy glow’ or acne caused by hormonal changes (3), (4). That’s not all. You might experience heightened nausea, and your breast and belly will increase in size every week, leading to a small baby bump. There might be some weight gain at this time, so talk to your doctor about how you can maintain a healthy weight.
Fourth Month
In the fourth month, your baby bump will become more well-defined. You’ll steadily gain weight too until delivery, and you might notice stretch marks appearing on your belly, breasts, and other areas (5). The good news, though, is that the early signs of pregnancy start to wear off at this point. Nausea will likely reduce, though you may continue to experience constipation. You might even experience backache due to the increased pressure on your midsection.
Fifth Month
This is a good month as it brings with it certain positive changes! You might notice shinier, thicker hair and stronger nails, though it’s debatable and variable. One noticeable symptom at this time is leg cramps (6). Other pregnancy symptoms such as dizziness, constipation, heartburn, shortness of breath, breast changes, and bleeding gums might continue (7).
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Sixth Month
Good news! The morning sickness will all but end at this point. However, other symptoms such as constipation and backache will stay with you. The skin on your tummy will feel a little dry and itchy due to its expansion to accommodate your growing baby, as well as hormonal changes (8). Plus, at this stage, you might start experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions (9). These are normal and not a sign of early labor. So don’t worry about them!
Seventh Month
When you’re seven months in, back pain and leg cramps are very common. You might even get hemorrhoids at this point, which can be eased with the help of a sitz bath or an over the counter witch hazel cream (10). Your breasts at this point will feel heavy with milk, your nipples might darken, and you may notice the occasional leaking of milk (11).
Eighth Month
Exhaustion will likely be at its peak in your eighth month. Breathing might feel more difficult as your baby grows, and your uterus expands (12). It’ll become common for you to urinate when laughing or sneezing because of the pressure your uterus puts on your bladder (13). Hang in there, though. You’re almost ready to deliver your baby!
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Ninth Month
Breast leakages, constipation, shortness of breath, headaches, fatigue, etc., will continue at this point, but they’re almost at an end as your body gets ready to deliver the baby. Your little one will change position and get into the lower part of your uterus. You’ll experience more contractions, your cervix will dilate, and your water may break, preparing you for labor (14).
So there you have it! A month by month breakdown of the pregnancy’ side effects’! We wish you a smooth and happy pregnancy!
