From tiredness to sore boobs, running to the loo or feeling like having a good cry. Here’s Samuel Johnston’s round-up of top10 ‘changes’ that you may experience when you are pregnant.

1. You are Late

For women who have a regular monthly menstrual cycle, the earliest and most obvious sign of pregnancy is a missed period. A period is usually considered late if it has not started within seven days of when you expect it (most pregnancy tests will also be able to give you accurate results by this time). You should wait to take a pregnancy test until the week after your missed period for the most accurate result. If you do not want to wait until you have missed your period, you should wait at least one to two weeks after you had sex. If you are pregnant, your body needs time to develop detectable levels of HCG. You can book an early scan with providers such as Ultrasound, from as early as 6 weeks.

2. You are Sick

You may feel sick (nauseous) or be sick (vomit). This is commonly known as Morning Sickness, but it can happen at any time of the day or night. It can happen right from the very start of your pregnancy and last the whole way through it. For most people it goes away at around the 10-weeks stage. Rarely, morning sickness is so severe that it progresses to a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum. This is when someone has sickness symptoms that may cause severe dehydration or result in the loss of more than 5 percent of pre-pregnancy body weight. Hyperemesis gravidarum might require hospitalisation and treatment with intravenous (IV) fluids, medications and rarely a feeding tube.

3. You are Exhausted

It is common to feel tired, or even exhausted, during pregnancy, especially in the first 12 weeks. Hormonal changes at this time can make you feel tired, nauseous (see point 2) and emotional. The only answer is to rest as much as possible. Make time to sit with your feet up during the day and accept any offers of help.

Being tired and run-down can make you feel low. Try to look after your physical health – make sure you eat a healthy diet and get plenty of rest and sleep. Later in pregnancy, you may feel tired because of the extra weight you are carrying. Again, make sure you get plenty of rest. As your bump gets bigger, it can be difficult to get a good night's sleep. You might find that lying down is uncomfortable. Feeling tired will not harm you or your baby, but it can make life feel more difficult, especially in the early days before you have told people about your pregnancy. You may also have strange dreams or nightmares about the baby, and about the birth. This is normal.

4. You are feeling Tender

Your breasts may become larger and feel tender, just as they might do before your period. They may also tingle. The sensitivity will decrease and be much less noticeable during the second and third trimesters. Your breasts will continue growing throughout your pregnancy. The increase is noticeable depending on how big your breasts were before, how much weight you gain, and factors such as heredity.

5. You are running to the loo

You may feel the need to pee more often than usual, including during the night. Frequent urination is a common early pregnancy symptom, but it can also reappear later during pregnancy as your uterus and baby grow, and your baby's head puts pressure on your bladder. Although it can be annoying, in most cases, it is nothing to worry about.

6. Your temperature is up

COVID-19 means that many of us are taking our temperature every day. Especially key workers who are regularity in their place of work. However, your body temperature can also increase in early pregnancy. This extra blood flow boosts body metabolism by about 20 percent, creating more body heat and making pregnant women less likely to feel the cold. A pregnant woman's core body temperature will often rise to about 37.8°C, when it is normally 36-37°C.

7. Your heart rate has increased

Around weeks 8 to 10, your heart may begin pumping faster and harder.  Palpitations and arrhythmias are common in pregnancy. This is normally due to hormones. Because your body has extra blood, the heart must pump faster to move this blood through. Your heart rate may increase by 10 to 20 extra beats per minute. In the second trimester, blood vessels in your body start to dilate or get bigger. This causes your blood pressure to lower slightly.

8. You are in a mood

High hormone levels can affect your mood and make you more emotional or more ‘reactive’ than usual. Estrogen and progesterone are the chief pregnancy hormones. A woman will produce more estrogen during one pregnancy than throughout her entire life when not pregnant. The increase in estrogen during pregnancy enables the uterus and placenta to improve vascularization.

Apart from the morning sickness and tiredness, you might have mood swings and feel tearful or easily irritated. Once your body has adapted to the higher levels of these hormones, the symptoms usually wear off. But some women will experience them throughout their pregnancy.

9. You are gaining weight

Weight gain becomes more common toward the end of your first trimester. You may find yourself gaining about 1 to 4 pounds in the first few months. Most pregnant women gain between 10kg and 12.5kg (22lb to 26lb), putting on most of the weight after week 20. Much of the extra weight is due to your baby growing, but your body will also be storing fat, ready to make breast milk after your baby is born.

And you may experience breakouts of acne. It is most common during the first and second trimesters. An increase in hormones called androgens can cause the glands in your skin to grow and produce more sebum — an oily, waxy substance. This oil can clog pores and lead to bacteria, inflammation, and breakouts.

10. You are experiencing heartburn

Hormones can cause the valve between your stomach and esophagus to relax. This allows stomach acid to leak, causing heartburn.

Indigestion common in pregnancy. It can be caused by hormonal changes and the growing baby pressing against your stomach. You can help ease indigestion and heartburn by making changes to your diet and lifestyle, and there are medicines that are safe to take in pregnancy. You can try drinks such as tonic water, teas and foods such as:

• Whole grains such as oatmeal, couscous and brown rice.
• Root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and beets.
• Green vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli and green beans.