16 Early Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy

Chest pain

Sore breasts are common during early pregnancy. Hormonal changes cause your breasts to swell and become painful. Your breasts may become sensitive within 1-2 weeks of conception.

“During early pregnancy, your body produces large amounts of estrogen and progesterone, which causes the breast glands to begin to develop,” explains Jasbir Singh, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Baylor Medical Center in Waxahachie, Austin, Texas.

The increase in pregnancy hormones causes your breasts to retain fluid, making them feel heavier and more sensitive than regular PMS pain.

Cramps, back pain, pelvic pain

Many women mistake the cramping, pelvic discomfort, and back pain experienced during early pregnancy for PMS symptoms, but if you’re pregnant, these discomforts may be caused by hormonal changes and a growing uterus.

In fact, research suggests that cramping after conception may be caused by implantation, where the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus. Your uterus may also be stretching a bit (hence the cramping) in preparation for the massive expansion that’ll be coming your way over the next nine months.

Implantation bleeding

When the fertilized egg implants in the lining of the uterus, about 6 to 12 days after fertilization, you may experience light vaginal bleeding. You may mistake this “implantation bleeding” for the start of your period, but it’s usually much lighter than your period and is brown or pink in color rather than red.

Although this early sign of pregnancy is not harmful (and not everyone experiences it), if you experience vaginal bleeding when you think you may be pregnant, be sure to let your doctor know to rule out other causes.

“Bleeding in early pregnancy should be evaluated specifically for three things: miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or certain types of infection,” says Dr. Singh. “Implantation bleeding is a diagnosis of exclusion.”

tired

During the first few weeks of pregnancy, your body is working hard 24/7 to support the growing fetus, and fatigue is a normal reaction.

The extra progesterone produced after conception can raise your core body temperature, which can lead to a lack of energy, explains Karen Perkins, M.D., an obstetrician-gynecologist at LifeBridget Health in Randallstown, Md. Your heart also starts beating faster because it has to deliver extra oxygen to the uterus, which can make you feel fatigued.

So, what should you do? “Take prenatal vitamins from early on in your pregnancy, eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water to keep your blood pressure up, and get as much rest as possible,” says Dr. Singh.

Darkening the areola

Have your nipples or areolae darkened recently? Pregnancy hormones also affect the activity of melanocytes, which determine the color of your nipples.

“Women with darker skin may not realize this until later in pregnancy, around the 10th week,” says Melissa M. Goist, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.

nausea

While severe morning sickness, which 70% of pregnant women experience, may not show up until a few weeks later, some people may experience mild nausea or motion sickness as early pregnancy symptoms.

“Patients report sudden nausea while reading in the car, or feeling nauseous while on an airplane,” says Dr. Goist, which can start as early as two weeks into pregnancy, but typically begins in the middle of the first trimester.

“Progesterone slows down a lot of things,” adds Dr. Singh. That includes digestion, which can lead to constipation and indigestion. Because your stomach doesn’t empty as quickly as it normally would, it thinks there’s too much food in it and tries to expel it somehow, either through your intestines or your mouth. The result is nausea.

Nausea is also linked to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that can be detected in your blood and urine even before your period is late. The higher your hCG levels, the more discomfort you’ll experience.

Dysfunction

Can’t zip up your tights? Elevated progesterone levels slow down your digestive tract, which can make your belly feel more bloated than usual. This can also happen during premenstrual syndrome (PMS), says Dr Goist, but the bloating usually stops once your period starts and progesterone levels plummet.

If your abdominal bloating doesn’t subside and you miss your period, take a pregnancy test to see if it comes out positive.

Frequent urination

With your growing baby putting pressure on your bladder, you might think that frequent urination will come later, but more frequent trips to the bathroom can start very early on in pregnancy.

Not only does the growing uterus put pressure on the bladder, it also increases blood flow to the kidneys (starting immediately), causing them to make more urine.

There’s not much you can do to treat this early pregnancy symptom unless the frequent urination is accompanied by a burning sensation, urgency, or other signs of infection (in which case, see your doctor). The increased blood volume needed to maintain a pregnancy requires extra fluids, so don’t reduce your fluid intake.

Food cravings or aversions

Food cravings and aversions are common during pregnancy, but in the early stages of pregnancy, you might crave a big bagel more than pickles and Rocky Road.

“If your body is overly fatigued, it may need extra carbohydrates that are easy to metabolize and help maintain your energy levels,” says Dr. Goist.

You may also find that foods that normally taste good suddenly start to taste bad. These rewards are thanks to hormones.

headache

Increased blood volume can cause frequent but mild tension headaches. This very early sign of pregnancy can also occur if you’re not drinking enough fluids or if you’re anemic, so be sure to get blood tests done to rule out the latter cause.

The good news: Migraines become less frequent as your pregnancy progresses. “Hormonal fluctuations tend to make headaches worse, and estrogen levels become more stable during the third trimester,” explains Richard Gersh, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.

constipate

Is constipation an early pregnancy symptom? Of course! The pregnancy hormones that cause abdominal bloating can also be the cause of this unusual symptom. Your digestive tract may slow down, so food doesn’t pass through as quickly, says Dr. Goist. This early pregnancy symptom may get even stronger as your pregnancy progresses.

Being active, drinking plenty of fluids, and eating foods high in fiber can help prevent and treat constipation during pregnancy. If the problem persists, talk to your doctor about other treatments.

Mood swings

Have you ever cried at an ad or gotten angry because the Verizon rep couldn’t make it on Tuesday? “As your hCG levels increase, you may feel very tired and be more susceptible to mood swings,” says Dr. Goist.

And let’s not forget the amazing combination of headaches, bloating, constipation, chest pains, etc. Need I say more?

Basal body temperature

Taking your basal body temperature (BBT) (your early morning temperature) can tell you if you’ve ovulated. Once the egg is released, your body temperature rises by about half a degree and stays elevated until your period starts.

So, if you’re tracking your basal body temperature and notice that it hasn’t gone down for more than two weeks, it could be that labor is nearing. FYI: You’ll need a special digital basal thermometer to do this. It’s more accurate than a regular thermometer.

Nosebleeds, stuffy nose, postnasal drip

Nosebleeds, stuffy nose, and postnasal drip are also common during early pregnancy, and all have similar causes, says Nathaniel DeNicola, M.D., an obstetrician-gynecologist and medical director at Caduceus Medical Group in Irvine, California.

Increased blood volume puts more pressure on delicate blood vessels, such as those in the nose, but hormones also play a role.

Estrogen in particular can dilate blood vessels and cause swelling of the nasal mucosa. Luckily, much of the discomfort can be alleviated with a simple saline spray, and the symptoms should subside soon after giving birth.

Acne

Increased acne and other skin changes can also be a sign of early pregnancy, though you should be careful as not all medications used to treat it are safe during pregnancy.

Vaginal discharge

During early pregnancy, your cervix produces a mucus plug to seal the cervical opening and protect your baby from infection. You may notice a slight increase in vaginal discharge, which may appear white or milky.

Note that the vaginal discharge should not have an odor, burning, or itching, which are signs of an infection that requires medical attention.