Normal Signs of Pregnancy

I was once pregnant with my first.   I wasn’t a L&D Nurse and I would constantly worry that something was going wrong.  What are the normal signs of pregnancy?

As it turns out, growing a human inside you own body can be problematic while you’re trying to live in that body too.  Some things are just normal:

First off, hello! I’m Hilary — many people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse 👩‍⚕️. I have been a nurse since 1997 and I have 20 years of OB nursing experience, I am also the curly head behind this website Pulling Curls and The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. 🩺​ After seeing THOUSANDS (and thousands) of pregnant women, I really understand what’s NORMAL… and after both having my own and a LOT of empathy for pregnant people — I know what’s annoying.

Before we get going, grab my hospital packing list:

Ok, let’s chat weird {and annoying}  stuff that are….

Normal signs of pregnancy:

Side pain during pregnancy – Ligament Pain

Side pain during pregnancy is usually related to your ligaments stretching (they’re called the round ligaments).

Think of your uterus as a rectangular pillow, and that pillow is held onto your body at the corners by being sewn to you.  Those are the ligaments.  As the pillow (your uterus) grows those ligament stretch.  Painfully.  The reality is there’s nothing we can do about it.

Try a warm shower or a warm (read warm, NOT HOT – no need to boil your baby — you can even get a bath temp thermometer before your baby comes) bath to help relax them a bit.

They (your ligaments) will also get VERY angry when you go from a seated position to standing (often also making you have a contraction).  Side pain during pregnancy is totally normal.  Highly annoying.

If your ligaments bother you a lot, maybe check out a belly straps for pregnancy on my sister site {lots of good info on that page).

Headaches

It is not unusual to get more headaches when you’re pregnant.  The big reason is likely dehydration so drink two GIANT glasses of water (I recommend that over Gatorade), try to get some rest and cut down on the salt in your diet if you can.

If you have a headache where water and a Tylenol  (I am always sure to stock up on that when I’m pregnant — this is a great price!) doesn’t make it go away — that can be worrisome, and I’d talk to your doctor.  It can be a sign of Preeclampsia.

And yes, in my class I review what’s a normal headache, and one that should make you call your doctor. Stuff like that can be super important to know!

Some Spotting

As the placenta attaches to the uterus you can have some spotting (so, that’s early on).  You also have a TON of blood flow to that area so things like sex or wiping can sometimes break the blood vessels and make you bleed a little.

Note:  I said a little, ask your doctor what amount of bleeding you should be concerned about.  I’m always sure to wear one of these in my last trimester!

Having to Urinate Frequently

Yup, that baby is living on top of your bladder.  Sweet of him.  You are going to have to pee frequently. BUT if you feel like you have to pee within minutes of just peeing and/or it burns when you pee, you might have a UTI (or bladder infection) and you’ll want to get seen.

Aching Hips

Your body releases a hormone that starts to open up the glue (or cartilage if you want to get all terminology with it) that holds your 2 halves of your pelvis together.  That can lead our hips to feel kind of out of their regular routine (and is also why you shouldn’t do certain yoga positions when you’re pregnant).

I have a whole post on my sister site about is hip pain an early sign of pregnancy that you might enjoy. And another one just on general hip pain during pregnancy. I feel for you with your aching hips!

Hip belts can help – I had a patient who had this set for after, I used a similar hip belt to get my hips back in line.  My pelvis actually split during my last pregnancy, but that isn’t hip pain (and rare).

Don’t miss my post all about chiropractic care in pregnancy if your pelvis could use some help (it turned me in a believer):

I also have a whole post over at The Pregnancy Nurse about relieving pregnancy pelvic pain.

Back Pain

You are carrying a giant watermelon from your belly all day.  It shifts your center of gravity, and because of that, you adjust your back and then it’s out of its alignment and gets angry at you.  Totally normal.

Back pain, associated with needing to pee ALL the time plus burning can be a sign of a urinary tract infection though. Contact your provider if you’re having these symptoms.

Also, early contractions can be a backache, so be aware of that — but most often it’s just your baby ruining your body (nothing new there).

Check out this belly band to help your stomach post-baby.

Leg Cramps

Your body’s electrolytes are out of wack and that can cause you to get CRAZY leg cramps, often at night.

You might even jump out of bed screaming, leaving your partner to wonder WTH?  Yup, it’s fun!

Try getting some more calcium and potassium in your diet.  If I was getting them, I’d pop a calcium supplement and a banana  — that would usually help.  Check this post out about all the vitamins and minerals you need during pregnancy.

Being Out of Breath

Your baby is actually taking up your lung space.  Your diaphragm moves up and your ribs move out when you’re pregnant but you don’t have quite as much total room in your lungs when you’re pregnant.  Hence, you feel out of breath.  Good times…

Intermittent Contractions

Your uterus is going to angry every now and then and contract.  A few (less than 4 or 5) contractions aren’t much to be concerned about unless your doctor has told you otherwise.

Be sure to ask him/her how many contractions you could have before you should call.

I go ALL over contractions, what to watch for, what should make you worry or start to think you’re in labor in The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. If you’re looking to feel confident for your hospital birth — it’s for you. Remember, it can be done in just 3 hours and will even get your partner involved! Check it out here.

Not sure we’re a good fit check out my free class — It’s your first step towards being your own birth boss.

I hope going over these totally normal and often really annoying pregnancy signs has given you some comfort that things are a-ok. Feel free to share your least favorite “normal” pregnancy sign in the comments!