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The first trimester: Sore Breasts and Headaches

Breast tenderness and swelling, headaches, and fatigue are more first trimester symptoms. Migraines can appear during the early stages of pregnancy and continue through the third trimester, then disappear after the birth of the baby.

Breast tenderness may subside, but your breasts will continue to swell as they prepare for providing milk for your baby. Fatigue, and the need to nap a lot is especially present during the first trimester and seems to abate somewhat during the second trimester when energy levels rise again.

Nearing the Finish Line

By the third trimester of your pregnancy, as you near your due date, fatigue comes back again. Your body is bigger - you're carrying a lot more weight around with a growing baby and increased weight to accommodate baby's needs.

Your back may be hurting from the weight and need to balance yourself. Cramping in the hips and groin area can return as well as your bones and muscles begin to spread even more to allow for the birth of the baby.

Since finding a place to lie comfortably in order to sleep may be a challenge, the fatigue can increase, adding some stress to the last weeks before delivery.

As your due date comes into focus and Braxton-Hicks contractions begin, you may be able to hasten the process by encouraging the cervix to open and allow for birth. One way to do that is by pregnancy sex. The semen has a quality to it that softens the cervix so it will dilate.

Everything inside is moving to allow the baby to be born. The body is an amazing thing, particularly the female body. It's a masterful design that can change and grow to allow for the growth of another human life.