Pregnancy Diary

Starting in the first trimester, many pregnant women find that they have an increasing amount of aches and pains throughout their bodies. Two of the most common are backaches and headaches.

Lower backaches in the first trimester often happen when the egg attaches itself to the uterine wall. The extra pressure can cause the muscles in your lower back to ache. Throughout the second trimester this pain may increase as your belly, while low, starts to get bigger. By the third trimester, the backache may include your upper back, or may only be in your upper back. For your upper back muscles are working twice as hard to support the extra weight of your breast. If you are in the last days of your pregnancy and suddenly begin experiencing lower back pain, it could be a sign of early labor.

Headaches can happen throughout pregnancy. When a woman gets pregnant, her blood volume increases in order to help sustain the pregnancy. This extra blood can increase pressure in the head and cause headaches. By the end of pregnancy, a woman might find that her headaches are becoming more frequent. Some women will begin to get them every day, which can complicate other late pregnancy complaints like not being able to sleep.