During pregnancy, it’s perfectly normal to experience some swelling in your lower legs and possibly fingers. It gets worse as the day goes on, and usually the further along in pregnancy you are. Gradual swelling as you approach your due date is not associated with any harm to your or your baby, but it can feel quite uncomfortable. If you have sudden swelling, this may be a sign of something more serious, so it’s best to get this checked out by one of your maternity team.

Some women have an idea that they're pregnant from early on, as they’re attuned to the biological, mental and physical changes it can bring. This is especially true if you’ve been pregnant before. A test is, of course, the easiest and most reliable way to confirm you’re pregnant. But here are some of the tell-tale signs to look out for as your body adjusts.

Morning sickness is very common in the early stages of pregnancy. It is estimated that 3 in 4 mothers experience nausea or vomiting, typically within the first 3-5 months of their pregnancy. Nausea is when you feel sick and vomiting is when you are sick. Contrary to popular belief, morning sickness does not only happen in the morning but any time of the day. It is quite unpleasant and depending on the severity can really affect your daily activities but thankfully does not tend to negatively affect your baby.  The cause is largely unknown, but it is suggested that it is related to the increased levels of pregnancy hormones like oestrogen, progesterone, and hCG.

Having hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid gland, requires changes to medication and close monitoring throughout pregnancy and afterwards. With the right treatment, you should be able to expect a healthy baby and a healthy you right up to term, and whichever mode of delivery is right for you.

For most, the abundance of oestrogen causes a slowing down of hair shedding, and many women report increased volume and lustrous locks during pregnancy. But this isn’t so for all – the relative stress to the body in the first trimester may cause hair loss, but this is only evident later in the pregnancy. This will come back – you’ll notice regrowth two to four months after baby is delivered.

Pregnancy brings exciting new beginnings, but it can bring new problems, too, as your body changes under the influence of hormones and the physical size of a growing baby. Constipation is one of these – it's common in the general population, but even more common in pregnancy. Constipation describes either finding you are going less frequently, or straining to poo and producing hard pellets. Everyone is different – some go three times a day, others go twice a week. But the aim is to produce soft, easily passed stool every time.

Breast pain is very common and there can be many causes, but most cases are not a cause for concern. Cyclical breast pain can be a normal part of many women’s cycles, especially in the weeks before a period starts. Other causes of breast pain are the contraceptive pill, pregnancy, menopause, an infection in the breast such as mastitis, a muscle strain in the chest wall and injury to the area. Pain is not a common presentation of breast cancer; other signs that are more indicative of breast cancer such as changes in your breast shape, nipple or skin changes, or a breast lump that doesn't go away with your next period.

Bleeding during pregnancy is very common, and although understandably worrying, there are many causes for the bleeding. Between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 women have bleeding during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy (first trimester). Bleeding any time during pregnancy needs looking at to check you and the baby are safe, so you should be assessed by your midwife or doctor urgently or attend the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) at your local hospital. Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy are two common causes of bleeding in the first trimester. There are other causes that are less worrying, but first, the medical team would want to exclude these.