75 symptom guides
Pregnancy symptoms
What is normal in pregnancy and what needs a call to your midwife, symptom by symptom — every claim sourced to NHS, RCOG or ACOG.
SymptomAcne in PregnancyPregnancy acne is common and it can arrive in people who have never had it. The ingredients ACOG…SymptomAlways Hungry in PregnancyThe NHS says you will probably be hungrier than usual but do not need to eat for two, even with…SymptomAlways Thirsty in PregnancyBeing thirstier is expected, but constant thirst with frequent peeing and tiredness is on the NHS…SymptomAnxiety in PregnancyWorry that will not switch off, palpitations and broken sleep are listed by the NHS as symptoms of…SymptomBack Pain in PregnancyTwo-thirds of pregnant women get back pain. What causes it, which treatments have trial evidence,…SymptomBelly Button Pain in PregnancyWhy your navel aches, stings or turns inside out as the bump grows, when a bulge is an umbilical…SymptomBleeding in the Second or Third TrimesterAny bleeding after the first trimester means contacting your maternity unit, whatever the amount or…SymptomBlurred Vision in PregnancyBlurring or flashing lights that start in pregnancy is on the NHS list of symptoms needing…SymptomBraxton Hicks vs Real ContractionsBraxton Hicks come and go and never build. Real contractions get longer, stronger and closer…SymptomBreathlessness When Lying Down in PregnancyBeing out of breath lying flat is on the list of pregnancy symptoms that need checking straight…SymptomBrown Discharge in PregnancyBrown discharge is old blood, and light spotting is common early on. What it means at each stage of…SymptomCarpal Tunnel Syndrome in PregnancyNumb, tingling hands that wake you at night are usually carpal tunnel. Why pregnancy causes it,…SymptomConstipation and Piles in PregnancyWhy pregnancy hormones and iron tablets block you up, which remedies have real trial evidence…SymptomCramping in Early Pregnancy: When It Is Normal and When It Is NotMild period-like cramping in early pregnancy is usually normal. The specific features that make…SymptomDepression in PregnancyAntenatal depression is treatable and common. The signs the NHS lists, what happens when you tell…SymptomDiarrhoea in PregnancyMost stomach bugs in pregnancy pass in a couple of days. The list of things that turn diarrhoea…SymptomDizziness and Fainting During PregnancyWhy pregnancy makes you feel lightheaded, what to do in the moment, and the combinations of…SymptomEarly Pregnancy Symptoms Before a Missed PeriodCan you really feel pregnant before your period is late? What tends to show up first, why it…SymptomExcess Saliva and Drooling in PregnancyProducing more saliva than you can swallow is a real pregnancy symptom with a name. Why it clusters…SymptomExtreme Tiredness in the First TrimesterFirst trimester exhaustion is real, not weakness. Why it happens, when it lifts, and the signs that…SymptomFeeling Cold and Shivery in PregnancyShivering is listed by the NHS as a sign of a high temperature even when a thermometer reads…SymptomFeeling Faint and Low Blood Pressure in PregnancyBlood pressure falls in pregnancy, which is why standing up makes you feel faint. What a low…SymptomFeeling Hot in Pregnancy and Night SweatsWhy pregnancy makes you run hot and sweat through the sheets, what the NHS suggests, and the…SymptomFlu When PregnantPregnancy puts you in the at-risk group for flu. Why the call needs making on day one, how the…SymptomHair and Nail Changes in PregnancyWhy pregnancy hair feels thicker, why nails split, and what the shedding at three months after…SymptomHeadaches in Pregnancy — and When They Signal Something SeriousMost pregnancy headaches are harmless. A severe one with visual changes or rib pain can be…SymptomHeart Palpitations in PregnancyPalpitations are common in pregnancy and usually harmless. The three symptoms the NHS says mean…SymptomHeartburn and Indigestion in PregnancyWhy heartburn arrives late in pregnancy, which remedies have real evidence behind them, and the one…SymptomHigh Temperature in PregnancyA temperature in pregnancy is a symptom, not an illness. The two thresholds the NHS and Tommy's…SymptomHip and Groin Pain in PregnancyThree different problems get called hip pain in pregnancy. Where it hurts and what triggers it…SymptomHyperemesis Gravidarum: When Sickness Is Not NormalHyperemesis is not just bad morning sickness. How to tell the two apart, when to get help today,…SymptomImplantation Bleeding vs Period: How to Tell the DifferenceSpotting when your period was due? The differences in volume, duration and timing, why they are not…SymptomInsomnia and Sleep Problems in PregnancyPregnancy insomnia usually has several stacked physical causes, each with a different fix. What…SymptomItching in Pregnancy — and When to Worry About CholestasisItching without a rash in pregnancy needs a bile acid blood test, not reassurance. What cholestasis…SymptomLeaking Colostrum in PregnancyYour breasts are ready to make milk from about week 16, and leaking before birth is normal. What…SymptomLeaking Urine in PregnancyLeaking when you cough, laugh or sneeze is common in pregnancy and treatable. How to tell urine…SymptomLeg Cramps in PregnancyWhy calf cramp wakes you at 3am in pregnancy, the two moves that stop one mid-spasm, and the leg…SymptomNo Appetite in PregnancyLosing your appetite is common in the first trimester and again at the end of pregnancy. When it is…SymptomMetallic Taste and Food Aversions in PregnancyWhy a mouthful of coins and a sudden hatred of coffee arrive together in early pregnancy, how long…SymptomMood Swings in PregnancyCrying at adverts, snapping at nothing and swinging from elated to flat is ordinary in pregnancy.…SymptomMorning Sickness: What Actually HelpsWhat has real trial evidence behind it, what has only weak evidence, and what does not work at all.…SymptomFeeling Sick Again in the Third TrimesterNausea returning late in pregnancy is common and usually mechanical. But sickness with a headache,…SymptomPeeing a Lot in PregnancyNeeding to pee constantly starts early and often lasts all pregnancy. The NHS trick for emptying…SymptomNosebleeds and Bleeding Gums in PregnancyWhy your nose and gums bleed more easily when you are pregnant, the first aid that actually works,…SymptomNumbness and Tingling in PregnancyWhere the numbness is tells you what it is. Hands, one leg, both legs and everywhere else each…SymptomPain on One Side in PregnancyOne-sided tummy pain is usually ligaments or wind. The NHS list that turns it into an urgent call,…SymptomBaby's Kicks Hurt in Late PregnancyKicks that genuinely hurt are common late on and are not a warning. The change in movements that is…SymptomPelvic Girdle Pain (SPD) in PregnancyPelvic girdle pain affects around 1 in 5 pregnancies. What causes it, what physiotherapy actually…SymptomPelvic Pressure and Heaviness in PregnancyA heavy, bearing-down feeling low in the pelvis usually means your baby has dropped. What it means…SymptomPeriod-Like Cramps in Late PregnancyPeriod-type pains before 37 weeks are on the NHS list of premature labour signs and need an…SymptomPregnancy Symptoms That Come and Go in Early PregnancySymptoms strong one day and gone the next? Day-to-day fluctuation in early pregnancy is normal and…SymptomPregnancy Symptoms Disappeared at 6 Weeks — Is That Normal?Losing pregnancy symptoms at 6 weeks is frightening. What symptom loss does and does not predict,…SymptomPregnancy Symptoms but a Negative TestFeeling pregnant but the test says no? The most common reasons for a false negative, when you…SymptomProtein in Your Urine in PregnancyProtein found on a routine urine dip is why that test is done at every appointment. What it can…SymptomRash in PregnancyMost rashes in pregnancy are harmless. The one that does not fade under a glass is a 999 call, and…SymptomRestless Legs in PregnancyAround 1 in 5 pregnancies involve restless legs, usually from the third trimester. Why it happens,…SymptomRib Pain in PregnancyPain under the ribs is ordinary in late pregnancy, and occasionally is not. The difference is side,…SymptomRound Ligament Pain in PregnancySharp, stabbing pain low in the tummy when you move, cough or sneeze. Why it happens, how to tell…SymptomSciatica in PregnancySciatica is pain down one leg, not just backache. How to tell it from pelvic girdle pain, what the…SymptomShortness of Breath in PregnancyBreathlessness that builds slowly is usually normal in pregnancy. The pattern that is not, the…SymptomSkin Changes in Pregnancy: Melasma, Linea Nigra and Stretch MarksMelasma, linea nigra, stretch marks and pregnancy acne explained, with what the trials really say…SymptomSmelly Discharge in PregnancyHealthy pregnancy discharge should not smell unpleasant. What a strong fishy smell usually means,…SymptomSore Breasts in Early PregnancyWhy breasts hurt so much in early pregnancy, how it differs from premenstrual soreness, what helps,…SymptomStretch Marks in PregnancyAround 8 in 10 pregnant women get stretch marks, says the NHS, and no cream is proven to prevent…SymptomSudden Swelling in PregnancyA sudden increase in swelling can mean pre-eclampsia or a blood clot. Three questions sort out…SymptomSwelling in Feet, Ankles and Hands — and When It Isn't NormalGradual ankle swelling is ordinary. Sudden swelling of the face and hands is not. How to tell them…SymptomPregnancy Symptoms Not to IgnoreThe symptoms the NHS says need checking immediately, who to phone at each stage of pregnancy, and…SymptomThird Trimester ExhaustionLate pregnancy tiredness has different causes from the first trimester version. What helps, and the…SymptomThrush and Other Infections in PregnancyThrush is more common in pregnancy and the treatment is different. Why the oral tablet is out, why…SymptomTrapped Wind and Bloating in PregnancyWhy pregnancy makes you bloated and windy from the first weeks, what genuinely eases it, and the…SymptomUrinary Tract Infections in PregnancyA UTI in pregnancy is not one to wait out. Why it is screened for even without symptoms, what…SymptomVaginal Discharge in Pregnancy: What Is NormalMore discharge is normal in pregnancy. The colours, smells and textures that are not, what a show…SymptomVaricose Veins in PregnancyVaricose veins in pregnancy are uncomfortable but not harmful, and can appear on the vulva too.…SymptomLosing Weight in Early PregnancyLosing a little weight in the first trimester is common when sickness is bad. What the NHS says…SymptomWhat Contractions Feel LikeWhat a contraction physically feels like, where in the body you feel it, how it changes as labour…