When you are pregnant, your body starts to change in order to make room to support the growing feotus. It is often important to recognise the signs and symptoms associated with pregnancy, to get a better undertanding of our body’s needs as the baby develops.

Here are the lists of signs and symptoms pregnant women often report:

- Missed Period: Missing your period is one of the most obvious signs of prenancy. It is important to note that there are many other factors other than pregnancy that can cause a women to miss her period. These include stress, illness, surgery and poor nutrician.

- Nausea/Morning sickness: This if more common in the early stages of pregnancy, however in some women it can go on throughout the term of the pregnancy. Morning sickness does not necessarily occur in the morning. In fact, women can feel nauseous at any time during the day. Certain smells can often trigger nausea as well.

- Spotting: Light pink in colour, this spotting can occur for a few months in the early stages of pregnancy and in some cases throughout the pregnancy.

- Changes to the breast: These changes can range from increase in the breast size, tenderness, darkening of the nipples.

- Gastrointestinal upsets: Many women report feeling constipated, bloating and extreme reflux and indegestion during the third trimester of the pregnancy. This is due to the baby pushing and expanding. If you ask your  doctor or pharmacist, there are many different over the counter products to help ease these symptoms.

- Cravings: Pregnant women tend to crave foods they dont normally eat or like before they were pregnant. It is normal for women to crave certain foods as long as they still maintain a healthy diet to support the growing baby.