Week 7 - Early Symptoms

Two round pastries, side by side, with a cherry in the centre of each. A visual simile for breasts.
 

I’ve been feeling pretty good ever since transfer day. I’ve been paying close attention to how my body is feeling… hoping to feel some of the telltale signs of pregnancy. Week 7 is when I started experiencing some early symptoms:

  • Tender, swollen breasts. Early in pregnancy hormonal changes can make your breasts sensitive and sore. Mine are definitely feeling both tender and swollen. Being a plus-size woman, I’m already naturally endowed with a large chest, and I’m having a hard time imagining my breasts growing much larger. For now, I’ve given up my pretty bras and am finding comfort in my loungy sports bras with no wire.

  • Nausea with or without vomiting. Morning sickness can occur at any time of the day or night, and often begins one to two months after you become pregnant. We can thank surging hormones for this gift. I’m grateful to not have experienced any morning sickness yet… just some general nausea. Living in a constant wave of nausea isn’t fun, but yay for no puking!

  • Fatigue. Fatigue also ranks high among early symptoms of pregnancy, and this one has doubled down on me. I am completely exhausted most of the day, which makes focusing on work difficult. Luckily I’m working from home and have been able to lay down for a nap at lunchtime. After work I lay on the couch for a couple hours of TV, and then I’m off to bed. And then repeat the next day… it’s kinda like Groundhog Day over here.

  • Food Cravings. I haven’t had any really weird food cravings yet, but my body is definitely demanding ALL THE CARBS. Give me all the white food, the brown food, the crunchy, starchy food! Apparently this is pretty normal since your overtired body can more easily metabolize carbs, which helps keep your energy levels up.

  • Increased urination. I’m peeing a lot. Like A LOT! This could be a result of several things. First, I’m intentionally drinking a lot of water – hydration is important! Also, the amount of blood in your body increases during pregnancy, causing your kidneys to process extra fluid that ends up in your bladder. That makes sense. But it might also be because the carbs I’ve been gorging on are often laden with salt. Ahhhhh crunchy, salty snacks. They make me thirsty. And so I drink. And so I pee.

  • Nasal congestion. This is a weird one that I’d never heard of! But indeed I seem to be plagued by a constant mildly stuffy nose. Apparently the increasing hormone levels and blood production can cause the mucous membranes in your nose to swell, dry out and bleed easily. Yep, it’s true.

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Week 6 - Riding The High

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Week 7 - Ultrasound