Can Early Pregnancy Affect Urine Color?

Published on May 12th, 2022 and Updated on June 8th, 2023

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Table of Contents/In this article

What causes urine color changes during pregnancy?

Abnormal Urine Color: When To Seek Treatment

Urine Color Cheat Sheet

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If you’ve been eager to conceive, you may be watching for physical signs that indicate pregnancy — including urine color. 

Can pregnancy affect the color of your pee? 

Before you Google urine color early signs of pregnancy, we’ll give it to you straight—the shade of your urine can’t tell you if you’re pregnant. 

However, it can be a useful indicator of the state of your health and, if you are pregnant, your baby’s health. Below, we’ll break down the causes behind any urine color change so you can make a confident foray into your pregnancy.

What causes urine color changes during pregnancy? 

Urine color is primarily related to your kidney activity. Your kidneys are the organs that filter blood, waste, and excess water to dispose of unnecessary substances and maintain your body’s internal balance of fluids.

Healthy urine leans pale yellow. When it doesn’t, there are usually three causes to blame: low hydration levels, prenatal supplements, and diet.

Dehydration 

Dehydration occurs when your body doesn’t have sufficient fluids to maintain its normal level of functioning.

Water is the elemental substance of life, and bodies—particularly pregnant ones—are highly sensitive to changes in their moisture levels. For some people, dipping below even 1.5% of normal water levels can result in dehydration symptoms, including changes in urine color. ¹

If you’re dehydrated, you may notice a deeper yellow hue, as well as:²

• Thirst
• Dry mouth
• Restlessness or fatigue
• Headache
• Constipation
• Lightheadedness

Pregnant women are especially susceptible to underestimating how much water they need to stay hydrated, since they also have to account for the hydration needs of their babies. 

The American Pregnancy Association recommends pregnant women drink at least 8–12 glasses of water per day to meet their daily needs.³ If you’re a pregnant woman and experience morning sickness, drink caffeine, or enjoy following exercise programs for pregnancy, you’ll want to up your water intake even further to make up for those losses and keep your baby safe. 

Supplements

Prenatal vitamins are enormously beneficial for your growing baby, but no one mentioned that they can turn your urine neon green.

This is because prenatal vitamins are usually loaded with a slew of B vitamins, including folate (vitamin B9) to aid healthy neurological development. So, it’s common for urine to turn highlighter yellow or even bright green if you’ve been on a prenatal vitamin regimen. This is a sign that your body has absorbed the B vitamins both you and your baby need to stay healthy, and flushed the rest out with your urine.

Food

When your urine migrates to different precincts of the color wheel, like pink, it’s usually the result of something you ate—not a personal gender reveal!

Three foods usually lead to changes in urine color:

• Beets (pink or reddish urine)
• Rhubarb (pink or reddish urine)
• Carrots (light orange)

Foods rich in vitamin C may also affect urine color. If you’re a fan of kiwis, strawberries, or bell peppers, you may notice you have bright yellow urine (similar to vitamin B-tinted urine) or orange.

Finally, some foods contain artificial food dyes that can make their way into your urine. If you’re a fan of sweet breakfast cereals, it’s not uncommon to see some of those green or blue colors after you pee.

Abnormal Urine Color: When To Seek Treatment 

While some changes to urine shade are normal, others may be your cue to consult your OBGYN or physician to rule out an underlying issue.

In pregnant women, there are two main underlying conditions that can cause your urine to look different: UTIs and kidney conditions.

UTIs

Developing a bladder or urinary tract infection is highly common in pregnant women, who have a higher risk of UTIs because of two simultaneous changes in their bodies:

• Urinary tract changes – Because of changes in your uterus, the tubes connecting your kidneys to your bladder enlarge. This can slow down the procession of urine through this channel (urinary stasis), or even cause urine to retreat back towards the kidneys. This is problematic because your urinary system is supposed to remove toxins and waste from your body. When the process is slowed, your body can’t rid itself of this waste. Also, the longer urine sits in your body, the more susceptible it is to bacterial growth, heightening your risk of a UTI. 
• Urine composition changes – During pregnancy, hormonal changes cause your urine to become more concentrated and contain more proteins and sugars. These features make your urine more susceptible to bacterial growth, meaning you’re more likely to develop a UTI.

UTIs can cause urine to look cloudy white, or murky. You may even see a trace of blood turn up in your toilet bowl. 

If your need to go to the bathroom is constant, but not accompanied by a significant passage of urine, it’s best to check in with your OBGYN or healthcare provider, especially if you’re also experiencing other UTI symptoms, such as burning or painful urination, pelvic or lower back pain, or fever.  

With a doctor’s help, you can resolve your UTI as quickly as possible.

Kidney Conditions 

In some cases, changes in your urine color can indicate a problem with your kidneys. There are two urine colors you may observe with a kidney condition:

• Dark orange or brown urine
• Bloody urine

It’s rare to notice your urine reach these shades when you’re pregnant, as they usually turn up when you’re an older adult or if your family has a history of kidney disease. That said, if you do see this color of dark urine, it’s important to call your healthcare provider immediately to protect you and your baby.

Urine Color Cheat Sheet: 7 Tips For Keeping Your Baby Happy And Hydrated 

Changes in urination—either in the timing or the color —are common for pregnant women. Your body is going through a world of change, and you’re likely to see shifts as you carry your baby from trimester to trimester.

With that, it may be helpful to have this little cheat sheet to guide you along the way.

#1. Clear Urine: Go Easy On The Water 

It’s a common belief that clear urine is the optimal color, but this isn’t always true. While clear urine isn’t necessarily unhealthy, it can indicate that you’re a little too hydrated, which can imbalance your body’s electrolytes and salt levels. 

If your urine is consistently clear and never yellow, consider scaling back your water intake until a pale yellow color becomes your new norm—your baby will still get the hydration needed.

#2. Pale Yellow Urine: You’re Doing Great 

Pale yellow is one of the optimal shades of normal urine. It means your urine is in good shape, as are your baby’s hydration levels.

#3. Honey Yellow: Step Up Your Water Intake 

Yellow urine is within the normal range, but you could begin drinking slightly more fluids and still be in the safe zone.

To make drinking water more appetizing, try jazzing up your daily quota with fruity add-ins like lemon, limes, citrus fruits, and a pinch of pink Himalayan salt. Aside from the tasty bonus, you’ll also absorb some extra C vitamins to boost your and your baby’s immune systems.

#4. Pale Orange: Keep An Eye On It 

If urine color crosses from yellow to orange, watch for if this phase shows up consistently. Pale orange urine could have to do with your water levels or be the result of a medication exiting your body. Drop a line to your provider if you spot orange urine to double check.

#5 Dark Urine: Drink More

Your urine color during pregnancy can become darker at any time, but it is more common to notice dark urine in the third trimester. This is because as your baby grows and puts pressure on your bladder, you may experience more frequent urination. With frequent trips to the bathroom, you’ll want to make sure you stay hydrated to avoid dark urine.

#6. White Or Opaque: Head In For A UTI Checkup 

Milky or cloudy urine may indicate a UTI. It can also mean you’re overtaxing your kidneys by consuming too much protein, or that excessive levels of calcium or phosphate are making their way into your urine, which may indicate kidney malfunction. 

Whatever the reason, whitish urine is a cue to pay a visit to your healthcare provider.

#7. Rose, Green, Or Blue: Switch Up Your Diet 

If your urine color ranges far beyond the yellow sector of the color wheel, it may be time to revise your diet.

Beets and asparagus may tint your urine rose and green (respectively), but if their shade shifts from Easter egg hues towards more solid colors, it means you’re consuming too much of a good thing. Blue urine resulting from sugary, dyed snacks may be your cue to scale back your sugar intake. 

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Being pregnant causes a host of changes to the woman’s body, and it’s normal to be hyper-sensitive to these attunements (pee color included!). This information should also be part of your checklists for what to expect when you’re expecting for dads.

With that, the more you can find out about your baby before and after she’s born, the more at ease you’ll be as you weather this first chapter of motherhood. To learn who exactly is growing in utero, try the SneakPeek At-Home Early Gender Blood Test to discover your baby’s gender as early as 6 weeks into your pregnancy—that’s months before your 20-week anatomy ultrasound! 

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Sources: 

1. Cleveland Clinic. Dehydration. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/9013-dehydration
2. Healthline. Symptoms of Severe Dehydration During Pregnancy. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/dehydration#What-are-signs-of-dehydration-during-pregnancy?
3. American Pregnancy. Dehydration During Pregnancy. https://americanpregnancy.org/womens-health/dehydration-pregnancy/
4. Parents. All About Frequent Urination in Pregnancy. https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-body/aches-pains/pregnancy-and-urination/
5. National Institute of Health. Measurement of urinary concentration: a critical appraisal of methodologies. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11354785/
6. Everyday Health. How Does Your Urine Change When You’re Pregnant? https://www.everydayhealth.com/urine/how-does-your-urine-change-when-youre-pregnant/
7. Livestrong. What Are the Side Effects of Prenatal Vitamins? https://www.livestrong.com/article/120637-side-effects-prenatal-vitamins/
8. University of Michigan Health. Urinary Problems During Pregnancy. https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/tm6619
9. National Library of Medicine. Urinary Tract Infection In Pregnancy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537047/
10. Medical News Today. What happens to the immune system during pregnancy? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319257
11. Mayo Clinic. Urine color. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urine-color/symptoms-causes/syc-20367333
12. UC San Diego Health. 10 Colors That Suggest Urine Trouble. https://health.ucsd.edu/news/features/Pages/2014-04-21-colors-that-suggest-urine-trouble.aspx
13. Medical News Today. 12 benefits of lime water. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322556#12-benefits-of-lime-water
14. Harvard Health Publishing – Harvard Medical School. When it comes to protein, how much is too much? https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/when-it-comes-to-protein-how-much-is-too-much
15. National Library of Medicine. Calcium in Urine Test. https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/calcium-in-urine-test/
16. National Library of Medicine. Phosphate in Urine. https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/phosphate-in-urine/
17. Healthline. How to Treat a UTI During Pregnancy. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/treat-a-uti#Why-are-UTIs-common-during-pregnancy? 

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SneakPeek aims to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information to help our readers make informed decisions regarding their health before, during, and after pregnancy. This article was written based upon trusted scientific research studies and/or articles. Credible information sources for this article are cited and hyperlinked.

Why is there a change in urine colour in pregnancy?

Change in urine color is a common thing noticed by pregnant women. If you take a look in the toilet after urinating, you will notice that it is darker as compared to the usual light-yellow. This change in urine color can be normal, but in some cases, it might be a sign of problems caused during pregnancy. This change in color goes from light yellow to dark yellow or a brighter shade of yellow. There are numerous reasons attributed to these changes.  

Table of Contents

Is there any change in urine color during pregnancy?

Normally, the color of urine can be light yellow or yellow to transparent. But for a pregnant woman, this change is more prominent and noticeable. The urine color can change from light yellow to dark yellow. It can go to an orange-yellow shade too. 

Urochrome, also called urobilin, is the component that renders urine its color. When the hemoglobin in our body breaks down from dead erythrocytes, urobilin is produced. 

When our body is hydrated, and the urine is in a dilute form, the concentration of urobilin decreases, and the urine is lighter in shade.  On the contrary, if there is a lack of water in your body and you are dehydrated, the concentration of urobilin increases, and the color of urine becomes dark yellow. There many more reasons for the change in urine color during pregnancy. 

Pregnancy has a significant effect on the working of kidneys.  Also, the intake of vitamins and routine medication that is taken during pregnancy along with the changes in diet affect the color of urine. 

Why is there a Change in Urine Color in Pregnancy?

The following is a list of reasons that might be a potential reason for the change in urine color when you’re pregnant.  

• Lack of water in the body, i.e, dehydration.
• Infections in the urinary bladder. 
• UTIs or Urinary Tract Infections. 
• Changes in diet during pregnancy.
• Medication and Vitamins that are taken during pregnancy.
• Presence of blood in urine, i.e, hematuria.
• Kidney stones and diseases.

How to notice changes in urine color during pregnancy?

A lot of women confirm their pregnancy with a urine-based home pregnancy test kit. After about two weeks of conceiving, a pregnancy test kit can easily detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin. This hormone is released in the body during pregnancy. It is produced in the placenta, which gives nourishment to the fertilized egg implanted to the uterus walls. 

The levels of human chorionic gonadotropin increase abruptly and the most during the first three months. It gradually decreases in the remaining six months.

Urine Tests that can be taken during Pregnancy

It is important to take urine tests at regular intervals during pregnancy. Regular urine tests are capable of giving a clear status of your health, and urinalysis helps the doctor to detect issues related to the pregnancy if any in time. The tests help to diagnose infections in the kidney and diabetes.

Kidney disorders or a UTI are indicated by a high level of protein in the urine. The presence of red blood cells or erythrocytes could also be indicative of a urinary tract infection. High sugar levels are indicative of gestational diabetes, which is a possibility in the second trimester. 

Never skip or delay urine tests in pregnancy as they can help your doctor to diagnose any unusual disorder in the body.  

What is an indication that you need to visit your doctor?

Change in urine color is normal during pregnancy, just like the other changes that the body goes through. As said before, the change in the color of urine is not always an indicator of an underlying problem. It could simply be a result of dehydration, and drinking more water will solve the issue.

Therefore, if you notice a change in color of urine, there is no need to panic or feel scared. Hydrate yourself and drink enough water. However, if the urine color does not change back to normal, visit your doctor.

How the color of urine changes during pregnancy

Pregnancy and childbirth

Photo

Pixel-Shot — stock.adobe.com

And whether the color of urine changes during pregnancy, a woman can personally verify this when collecting urine. As a rule, a pregnant woman’s immunity decreases, which can lead to the development of various ailments, which are indicated by a changed color of urine.

What is the normal color of urine during pregnancy?

During normal pregnancy, the color of urine is yellow. It can vary from light yellow to amber. The intensity of its color is affected by:

• degree of concentration;
• peculiarities of the pregnant woman’s diet;
• the amount of liquid you drink;
• the presence of physical activity.

The drinking regime strongly affects the shade of urine. If the expectant mother consumes a lot of liquid, then the urine is usually light yellow, and sometimes almost colorless. You should also be aware that the morning portion of urine always has a more intense color than the daytime. This is due to the fact that at night, a pregnant woman, as a rule, does not drink water, and therefore the urine is concentrated and becomes dark yellow.

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What does change in urine color mean during pregnancy?

In the first trimester, urine may become dark in color due to toxicosis, as a result of which the body of the expectant mother is dehydrated. During this period, you need to drink as much liquid as possible.

Photo

Alexander Raths — stock.adobe.com

Urine color may change due to nutrition. For example, when eating beets and carrots, their color turns pink. The greenish-yellow color comes from eating rhubarb. The medications you take can also significantly change the color of your urine.

When taking activated charcoal, it turns brown, aspirin – pink, vitamins and medicines for the treatment of kidney ailments – bright yellow.

Urine changes color in some diseases. It becomes:

• pinkish or reddish with an inflammatory process in the kidneys or bladder;
• brownish or brown-green in pathologies of the liver and gallbladder;
• nearly colorless in diabetes mellitus;
• deep dark yellow for heart failure;
• black for hemolytic anemia.

In addition to changing the color of the urine with the development of various ailments, a pregnant woman also has other symptoms. Based on the analysis of urine and the signs found, the doctor will establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment ( read also : Why the stomach and lower back hurt during pregnancy are non-obvious reasons).

Don’t panic if the color of your urine changes a lot during pregnancy. This may be due to diet or certain medications. But you should definitely share your doubts with your doctor ( see also : 10 pregnancy myths you should stop believing). Pregnancy and childbirth

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The first signs of pregnancy: symptoms of pregnancy

The first sign of pregnancy and the main reason that makes women visit an obstetrician-gynecologist – This is a delay in menstruation. For healthy women of reproductive age and with a regular monthly cycle, a delay in menstruation for more than 1 week is a presumptive sign of pregnancy. A normal pregnancy lasts 266 days if counted from the time of conception, or 280 days if counted from the day the last menstruation began with a 28-day regular cycle. A deviation from the estimated due date of 2 weeks up or down is considered normal.

Signs of pregnancy can be divided into subjective, laboratory and objective. Under the subjective signs of pregnancy understand the changes that a woman can feel and appreciate herself. Laboratory signs include various biochemical pregnancy tests, both in urine and blood. Objective signs of pregnancy include confirmation of the presence of an embryo and fetus in the uterus.

Subjective signs of pregnancy

• During pregnancy, the breasts may increase in size and thicken. This is due to the increased levels of estrogen and progesterone, which are produced in large quantities during pregnancy.
• Nausea (toxemia of pregnancy) may occur from the 10th week of pregnancy due to an increased amount of beta-chorionic gonadotropin, which is produced by the placenta.
• Fatigue may occur. This is because the yellow body of pregnancy and the ovaries, stimulated by beta-chorionic gonadotropin, produce large amounts of estrogens and progesterone. Elevated levels of these hormones cause fatigue.
• Some women feel enlargement, bloating quite early.
• Pregnant women begin to feel fetal movement between 16 weeks and 20 weeks of pregnancy.
• A softened cervix and an enlarged, heterogeneous uterus may be felt during a chair examination during an OB/GYN visit.
• The cervix becomes bluish when viewed in the mirrors. This is due to increased blood flow during pregnancy.
• The uterus increases in size reaching the exit from the pelvis by 12 weeks, rises to the navel at 20 weeks, and reaches the xiphoid process at 36 weeks.

Laboratory signs of pregnancy include urine and blood pregnancy tests. Modern pregnancy tests are based on the detection of the hormone beta-chorionic gonadotropin. It begins to be produced by the chorion (one of the membranes of the fetus that nourishes the embryo) within a few days after conception. Pregnancy tests are good because a woman can do them herself, but in order to find out if the pregnancy is developing correctly, another test is used. The essence of this test is to determine the level of beta hCG in the blood twice – with an interval of 48-72 hours. With a normally developing pregnancy, the level of beta hCG increases by 2 times in 1.4-2.1 days. This increase in beta-hCG continues during the first 60 days of pregnancy.

Objective signs of pregnancy include

• The presence of a fetal egg in the uterus. In a normal pregnancy, it can be seen as early as 4-5 weeks on ultrasound during pregnancy.
• Fetal heartbeat visible on ultrasound – at 5-6 weeks of pregnancy
• Doppler heart sounds can be heard at 8-10 weeks
• Fetal movements that can be felt by the doctor usually become apparent by 20 weeks.

The presence of subjective and laboratory signs of pregnancy requires a mandatory visit to the doctor, since only the presence of objective signs of pregnancy can exclude the development of an ectopic pregnancy. In ectopic pregnancy, subjective and laboratory signs may be similar.

Pregnancy causes numerous physiological changes in the mother’s body, which are reversed after childbirth.

Cardiovascular signs of pregnancy

A growing fetus requires a lot of nutrients on the one hand and removal of waste products on the other. In a pregnant woman, there is a redistribution of blood flow. To fully provide the growing fetus with nutrients, the blood in the vessels of the placenta must circulate at a rate of 1 liter per minute. This is approximately 1/5 of the total cardiac output per minute. Cardiac output is the volume of blood pumped by the heart in 1 minute. Thus, 20% of all pumped blood by the mother’s heart goes to the needs of the fetus. Also in the body of a pregnant woman, the load on the kidneys increases, which requires more than normal blood flow through the renal arteries. The blood supply to the skin, an important excretory organ, is also enhanced. With the onset of pregnancy, the heart rate gradually increases and the contractile activity of the heart muscle increases. The heart itself becomes larger in volume, which can lead to relative insufficiency of the valves. Therefore, one of the symptoms of pregnancy may be the occurrence of systolic murmurs during auscultation of the heart. These phenomena reach a peak by the 24th week of pregnancy. These changes can be traced in the behavior of echocardiography. There is also a slight drop in blood pressure. The fall is caused by a decrease in vascular resistance in the body of a pregnant woman. By the third trimester, blood pressure usually returns to normal. The occurrence of atrial and ventricular extrasystoles is considered normal. If attacks of paroxysmal tachycardia begin, this requires the appointment of antiarrhythmic drugs.

A very common symptom of pregnancy on the part of the cardiovascular system is a feeling of lack of air and fainting when standing or lying on your back for a long time. This is because the enlarged uterus compresses the inferior vena cava, which provides the bulk of the venous return to the heart. The heart receives less blood and thus decreases cardiac output. The fall in cardiac output leads to a deterioration in the blood supply to the brain and fainting.

Let us emphasize one more aspect of changes during pregnancy. Under the influence of a large amount of progesterone and an increased volume of circulating fluid and due to compression of the inferior vena cava by the uterus, pregnant women very often develop varicose veins. At the same time, the veins of the legs expand, the blood flow in them slows down, swelling of the legs begins, and bulging veins can be seen. Sometimes deep vein thrombosis occurs against the background of varicose veins. With such symptoms, it is urgent to do a duplex vein scan. Also, as a variant of varicose veins, hemorrhoids (venous nodes under the rectal mucosa) often occur in pregnant women.

Blood signs of pregnancy

During pregnancy, the volume of circulating blood increases. In this case, most of the newly added volume refers to the blood plasma, and the smaller part – to the erythrocytes. Due to this breeding in pregnant women, the level of hemoglobin decreases, blood viscosity decreases and ESR increases. The number of leukocytes also increases.

Signs of pregnancy in the urinary system

An increased level of circulating blood in a pregnant woman leads to an increased load on the kidneys. In addition, the kidneys are stressed by the fetus, the excretory products of which enter the mother’s body and require more stress from the woman’s excretory system. The frequency of urination increases. When standing and lying on your back, the growing uterus can cause compression of the renal vessels and complicate the work of the kidneys. When lying on your side, kidney function increases, as there is a weakening of pressure on the renal vessels. Accordingly, in pregnant women, when they go to bed on their side, the need to urinate increases. Elevated levels of progesterone and compression of the ureters by the growing uterus can cause weakening of the muscle tone of the ureters and expansion of the renal pelvis. These changes can be seen with ultrasound of the kidneys. This feature of the functioning of the kidneys during pregnancy creates prerequisites for the development of pyelonephritis.

Signs of pregnancy in the respiratory system

During pregnancy, the need for oxygen increases on the one hand, on the other hand, the growing uterus reduces the movement of the diaphragm. This leads to increased respiratory rate, sometimes shortness of breath on exertion. During pregnancy, blood flow in the pulmonary circulation increases. An increased load on the respiratory system and an increase in the volume of circulating fluid in the body of a pregnant woman can lead to significant swelling of the respiratory mucosa. This is manifested by nasal congestion, Eustachian tube congestion and a change in the timbre of the voice.

Signs of pregnancy caused by changes in the gastrointestinal tract

The growing uterus increases the pressure on the rectum and the descending colon. This condition leads to constipation. Also, due to the high level of progesterone, intestinal motility slows down and this leads to bloating, reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus and heartburn.

Signs of pregnancy from the endocrine system

During pregnancy, the activity of many endocrine glands changes partly due to the increased demand of the growing fetus, partly due to the action of hormones produced by the placenta. The placenta produces a hormone similar in function to TSH – thyroid-stimulating hormone. This hormone leads to an increase in the thyroid gland and its hypervascularization (increased vascular pattern), which is clearly seen in duplex scanning of the thyroid vessels. With ultrasound of the thyroid gland, an increase in the thickness of the isthmus is also noted. In response to the influence of TSH in the liver, under the influence of estradiol, the production of thyroxine-binding globulin increases. This is a protein that binds to thyroxin. Thanks to this protein, the level of free thyroxin is normalized and thyrotoxicosis rarely develops in pregnant women. Increased thyroxin levels are essential for proper fetal development. At the same time, during pregnancy, due to hyperfunction of the thyroid gland, emotional instability and irritability are possible.

The placenta also produces an analogue of corticotropin releasing hormone. Coricotropin releasing hormone leads to an increase in the production of ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) by the pituitary gland and the production of aldosterone and cortisol in the adrenal glands. This leads to fluid retention in the body and edema. Due to the increased level of cortisol, insulin resistance (resistance) increases. Therefore, pregnant women may develop gestational diabetes.

The placenta produces melanocyte, a stimulating hormone. This can lead to skin pigmentation. Skin pigmentation is one of the early signs of pregnancy.

During pregnancy, prolactin production by the pituitary gland increases 10 times.

Signs of pregnancy on the skin

Increased levels of progesterone, estradiol and melanocyte-stimulating hormone contribute to the change in skin color, although the exact mechanism for the development of these changes is unclear.