Pregnancy Symptoms: 15 Early Signs

While pregnancy tests and ultrasounds are the only ways to know if you’re pregnant, you can look out for other signs and symptoms. The earliest signs of pregnancy are more than a missed period. They may also include:

• morning sickness
• smell sensitivity
• fatigue

Though it may sound odd, your first week of pregnancy is based on the date of your last menstrual period. Your last menstrual period is considered week 1 of pregnancy, even if you weren’t actually pregnant yet.

The expected delivery date is calculated using the first day of your last period. For that reason, you may not have symptoms during the first few weeks of your 40-week pregnancy.

If you’re pregnant, you may notice early signs such as:

• mild cramping and spotting
• missed period
• fatigue
• nausea
• tingling or aching breasts
• frequent urination
• bloating
• motion sickness
• mood swings
• temperature changes

Other signs may include:

• high blood pressure
• extreme fatigue and heartburn
• faster heartbeat
• breast and nipple changes
• acne
• noticeable weight gain
• pregnancy glow

From weeks 1 to 4, everything is still happening on a cellular level. The fertilized egg creates a blastocyst (a fluid-filled group of cells) that will develop into the fetus’s organs and body parts.

About 10 to 14 days (week 4) after conception, the blastocyst will implant in the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus. This can cause implantation bleeding, which may be mistaken for a light period. It does not occur for everyone. If it does occur, it will usually happen around the time you expect your period.

Here are some signs of implantation bleeding:

• Color. The color of each episode may be pink, red, or brown.
• Bleeding. Implantation bleeding is usually much less than your usual period. It’s often described as light bleeding that never turns into a flow or enough to need a tampon.
• Pain. Pain is usually milder than your usual menstrual pain. It may involve some cramping. It can be moderate or severe, but it’s most often mild.
• Episodes. Implantation bleeding is likely to last less than 3 days and does not require treatment. It can sometimes last only a few hours.

Tips

If you think you may be experiencing implantation bleeding:

• Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, or using illegal drugs, all of which can be associated with heavy bleeding.
• Do not use a tampon if you think you may be having implantation bleeding and not your usual period. Using a tampon could lead to a greater risk of infection.

Once implantation is complete, your body will begin making human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone helps the body maintain the pregnancy. It also tells the ovaries to stop releasing mature eggs each month.

You will likely miss your next period 4 weeks after conception. If you typically have an irregular period, you’ll want to take a pregnancy test to confirm.

Most home tests can detect hCG as soon as 8 days after a missed period. A pregnancy test will be able to detect hCG levels in your urine and show if you are pregnant.

Tips

• Take a pregnancy test to see if you’re pregnant.
• If it’s positive, call a doctor or midwife to schedule your first prenatal appointment.
• If you’re on any medications, ask your doctor whether they pose any risks to the pregnancy.

A higher basal body temperature may be a sign of pregnancy. Your body’s core temperature may also increase more easily with exercise or in hot weather. During this time, make sure to drink more water and exercise cautiously.

Fatigue can develop anytime during pregnancy. This symptom is common in early pregnancy. Your progesterone levels will soar, which can make you feel sleepy.

Tips

• The early weeks of pregnancy can make you feel exhausted. Try to get enough sleep if you can.
• Keeping your bedroom cool can also help. Your body temperature may be higher during the early stages of pregnancy.

Around weeks 8 to 10, your heart may begin pumping faster and harder. Palpitations and arrhythmias are common in pregnancy. This is normally due to hormones.

According to a 2016 review of studies, your blood flow will increase between 30 and 50 percent during your pregnancy. This adds to your heart’s workload.

You may have discussed any underlying heart issues with your medical team before conception. If not, now is the time to discuss any conditions or needed medications.

Breast changes can occur between weeks 4 and 6. You’re likely to develop tender and swollen breasts due to hormone changes. This will likely go away after a few weeks when your body has adjusted to the hormones.

Nipple and breast changes can also occur around week 11. Hormones continue to cause your breasts to grow. The areola — the area around the nipple — may change to a darker color and grow larger.

If you’ve had bouts with acne before your pregnancy, you may experience breakouts again.

Tips

• Relieve breast tenderness by purchasing a comfortable, supportive maternity bra. A cotton, underwire-free bra is often the most comfortable.
• Choose a bra with varying clasps that gives you more room to “grow” in the coming months.
• Purchase breast pads that fit into your bra to reduce friction on your nipples and nipple pain.

Your estrogen and progesterone levels will be high during pregnancy. This increase can affect your mood and make you more emotional or reactive than usual. Mood swings are common during pregnancy and may cause feelings of:

• depression
• irritability
• anxiety
• euphoria

During pregnancy, your body increases the amount of blood it pumps. This causes the kidneys to process more fluid than usual, which leads to more fluid in your bladder.

Hormones also play a large role in bladder health. During pregnancy, you may find yourself running to the bathroom more frequently or accidentally leaking.

Tips

• Drink about 300 milliliters (a little more than a cup) of extra fluids each day.
• Plan out your bathroom trips ahead of time to avoid incontinence, or leaking urine.

Similar to symptoms of a menstrual period, bloating may occur during early pregnancy. This may be due to hormone changes, which can also slow down your digestive system. You could feel constipated and blocked as a result.

Constipation can also increase feelings of abdominal bloating.

Nausea and morning sickness usually develop around weeks 4 to 6 and peak around week 9.

Although it’s called morning sickness, it can occur anytime during the day or night. It’s unclear exactly what causes nausea and morning sickness, but hormones may play a role.

During the first trimester of pregnancy, many women experience mild to severe morning sickness. It may become more intense toward the end of the first trimester, but often becomes less severe as you enter the second trimester.

Tips

• Keep a package of saltine crackers by your bed and eat a few before you get up in the morning to help settle morning sickness.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
• Call your doctor if you cannot keep fluids or food down.

In most cases, high or normal blood pressure will drop in the early stages of pregnancy. This may also cause feelings of dizziness since your blood vessels are dilated.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, as a result of pregnancy is more difficult to determine. Almost all cases of hypertension within the first 20 weeks indicate underlying problems. It may develop during early pregnancy, but it may also be present beforehand.

A medical professional will take your blood pressure during your first doctor’s visit to help establish a baseline for a normal blood pressure reading.

Tips

• Consider switching to pregnancy-friendly exercises, if you haven’t already.
• Learn how to track your blood pressure regularly.
• Ask your doctor about personal dietary guidelines to help reduce high blood pressure.
• Drink enough water and snack regularly to help prevent dizziness. Standing up slowly when getting up from a chair may also help.

Smell sensitivity is a symptom of early pregnancy that’s mostly self-reported. There’s little scientific evidence about smell sensitivity during the first trimester. However, it might be important, since smell sensitivity may trigger nausea and vomiting. It may also cause strong distaste for certain foods.

You may experience either a heightened or lessened sense of smell during pregnancy, according to 2017 research. This is especially common during the first and third trimesters. Heightened smell is more common than lessened smell. Some smells that never bothered you before may become less pleasing or even trigger nausea.

The good news is that your sense of smell usually returns to normal after delivery, or within 6 to 12 weeks postpartum.

Weight gain becomes more common toward the end of your first trimester. You may find yourself gaining about 1 to 4 pounds in the first few months.

Calorie recommendations for early pregnancy won’t change much from your usual diet, but they will increase as pregnancy progresses.

In the later stages, pregnancy weight often shows up in the:

• breasts (about 1 to 3 pounds)
• uterus (about 2 pounds)
• placenta (1 1/2 pounds)
• amniotic fluid (about 2 pounds)
• increased blood and fluid volume (about 5 to 7 pounds)
• fat (6 to 8 pounds)

Hormones can cause the valve between your stomach and esophagus to relax. This allows stomach acid to leak, causing heartburn.

Tips

• Prevent pregnancy-related heartburn by eating several small meals a day instead of larger ones.
• Try to stay sitting upright for at least an hour after eating to help your food digest.
• If you need antacids, talk with a doctor about what may be safe during your pregnancy.

Many people may begin saying you have the “pregnancy glow.” The combination of increased blood volume and higher hormone levels pushes more blood through your vessels. This causes the body’s oil glands to work overtime.

The increased activity of your body’s oil glands gives your skin a flushed, glossy appearance. On the other hand, you may also develop acne.

You can generally know if you’re pregnant 1 week after you’ve missed a period. The Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that taking a home pregnancy test at this point will give a more accurate result.

Home pregnancy tests are inexpensive and widely available without a prescription in pharmacies and other stores.

You can take a test earlier than this if you want, but you run the risk of getting a false negative result. This means the test may say you’re not pregnant, but in fact you are.

If you take a home pregnancy test too early, there may not be enough hCG in your urine yet for the test to detect it. Home pregnancy tests work by testing the amount of hCG in your urine. This is a hormone that’s only present in the blood and urine of pregnant people.

Also, every person’s body chemistry is a bit different. One person may get a positive result as early as a day after their period, while another person’s positive results may not show up for another week. So, early test results may not be the most accurate.

Blood tests can often detect hCG earlier in a pregnancy than urine tests. Blood tests can sometimes give a positive result as early as 6 to 8 days after you ovulate, while urine tests do so about 3 weeks after ovulation.

Unlike at-home urine tests, blood tests are usually done in a clinical setting. Contact your doctor if you want this type of test.

Symptoms of pregnancy like nausea, fatigue, and breast tenderness sometimes occur even before you miss a period. These symptoms may give you an idea that you’re pregnant, but they are not sure proof. Only a test will tell for sure.

Tips:

• The Office on Women’s Health advises that if you get a negative result on a home pregnancy test, take another test a week later to recheck.
• Some home pregnancy tests are more accurate than others. Here is a list of the best home pregnancy tests. Be sure to pick one that is known to be accurate.

If you think you might be pregnant, the best time to take a home pregnancy test is 1 week after you first miss a period. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in 2017, home pregnancy tests are 97 percent accurate when used properly at the right time.

A blood test can often reveal a pregnancy much earlier, but it must be done at a doctor’s office or in a clinical setting.

If you get a positive result on a home pregnancy test, you should call your doctor right away, according to the Office on Women’s Health. The doctor can prescribe a more sensitive test and perform a pelvic exam to tell for certain if you’re pregnant.

To keep you and the fetus healthy, the Office on Women’s Health recommends you see a medical professional as early as possible in your pregnancy. You can then schedule regular prenatal visits throughout your pregnancy.

If you don’t already have a obgyn, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool.

Many of the body changes and symptoms of pregnancy you experience in the first trimester will start to fade once you reach the second trimester. Talk with your doctor about any symptoms that interfere with your daily life. Together, you can try to find relief and comfort for your pregnancy.

To receive week-by-week guidance about early pregnancy symptoms and more, sign up for our I’m Expecting newsletter.

Read the article in Spanish.

Your body will go through significant changes in early pregnancy. You may see signs such as nausea, breast tenderness, and, of course, the hallmark symptom of a missed period.

If you think you might be pregnant, a good first step is to take a home pregnancy test. These tests are widely available without a prescription in pharmacies and other stores.

If you receive a positive result, call a doctor for an appointment. They will perform an examination and a further test to confirm your pregnancy. You can then get started on a prenatal program to safeguard the health of you and the fetus.

Read this article in Spanish.

Real or Myth? Why It Happens and When It Starts

During pregnancy, you may get compliments that you’re “glowing. ” This refers to a phenomenon that’s often visible on the face during pregnancy.

This can be a very real part of pregnancy and it may occur for a variety of reasons. While the term itself sounds like a myth, “pregnancy glow” actually has several medical explanations. Let’s demystify exactly what pregnancy glow means and whether there’s anything more to it.

According to stories going back centuries, pregnancy glow is caused by happiness. Some believe it may even be caused by the sex of your baby.

While you might be happy and excited during your own pregnancy, the glow actually has numerous possible medical causes. These are primarily related to fluctuations in hormones and blood flow, but the glow can also be attributed to other changes you’re going through.

Hormone fluctuations

The increased amounts of hormones released during pregnancy can make your skin look flushed, giving you the tell-tale glowing look. Such hormones include estrogen, progesterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin.

Increased blood flow

During pregnancy, your body produces more blood. This is because your uterus and vital organs need more blood to support your growing baby. Such an increase in blood volume also dilates your blood vessels, making your skin look flushed.

Increased oil in your skin

Some women experience more oil production from their sebum glands, thanks to hormone fluctuations. Also, more blood volume can increase the secretion of oil. You may be especially prone if you already have oily or combination skin.

This can have some unwanted side effects, such as acne. But along with acne, increased oils can also make your face look like it’s glowing.

Skin stretching

Combined with increased blood flow and hormonal changes, skin stretching can also make your skin glow during pregnancy.

Heat rashes

It’s not uncommon to feel hotter than normal during pregnancy. Not only are you dealing with hormones but the extra weight you’re carrying to support your baby can also increase your body temperature. This can cause heat rashes or hot flashes, both of which can create a “glowing” effect on your skin.

Worsening of preexisting skin conditions

If you have certain preexisting skin conditions, your symptoms may be worse during pregnancy. Such conditions include eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis. Due to increased blood flow and hormones, affected skin may redden further and look more noticeable. Sometimes this is mistaken for signs of pregnancy glow.

There’s no set timeframe for experiencing pregnancy glow. However, you may be more likely to experience this glow during the height of changes in your body, especially during the second trimester.

The glow of pregnancy — as well as its underlying causes — go away soon after you give birth. This isn’t a permanent change to your skin.

While every woman experiences hormone fluctuations naturally from pregnancy, this doesn’t mean everyone will experience pregnancy glow. If you don’t, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong. Instead, this could indicate that your skin reacts differently to what’s going on with the rest of your body.

Other skin effects you might experience instead

As already mentioned, pregnancy acne occurs when your oil glands produce more sebum than normal. Not only can it make your skin look shiny, but it can lead to blemishes, too.

You should continue washing your face twice a day per usual, but you may need to switch to oily skin products for the duration of your pregnancy. Talk with your doctor about safe products for use during pregnancy.

“Pregnancy mask” is another pregnancy-related skin condition that may affect some women and not others. This condition refers to brown spots on your skin caused by hyperpigmentation from increased melanin production in your skin. These blotches go away after pregnancy when your hormone levels drop, but sun exposure can make them worse. Wear a sunscreen every day to help prevent this.

While you’re waiting to learn your baby’s sex, it can be fun to guess. You’ve likely heard that certain food cravings or aversions can reveal whether you’re having a boy or a girl, as well as the way you “carry” your baby throughout pregnancy.

Some people also say that pregnancy glow can indicate whether you’re having a boy or a girl. However, there’s no scientific evidence that backs up these claims. Anecdotal evidence online reveals a combination of people who state correlations of pregnancy glow between both girls and boys.

If you really want to know your baby’s gender before birth, it’s best to wait until the 16-week mark when your doctor may be able to tell on an ultrasound. You may happen to have a pregnancy glow at this point too, but it’s unlikely there’s any connection.

Pregnancy glow is just one of the many changes you might experience during pregnancy. Other changes can include stronger nails, thicker hair, and reduced dry skin. There are many reasons these things happen, so it’s safe to say pregnancy glow isn’t a myth — though you shouldn’t be concerned if you don’t have it.

Always talk to your doctor if you have concerns about any changes going on in your body during pregnancy.

9 very first signs of pregnancy

It draws on salty and all the time I want to cry – you can find out about the onset of pregnancy before the appearance of the cherished strips on the test and the delay in menstruation. We analyze the early signs that indicate that a woman will soon become a mother.

What causes symptoms of pregnancy

The first signs of pregnancy are due to the body’s reaction to the embryo and can vary significantly from woman to woman. But there are some of the most common symptoms that can be used to suspect conception even before a delay. These are nausea, which occurs more often in the morning, mood swings and increased sensitivity of the breast.

Signs of pregnancy before a delay generally resemble the manifestations of premenstrual syndrome, so girls often take them as a signal of the upcoming menstruation. Moreover, one of the typical precursors is spotting. But they are not caused by the rejection of the endometrium, as during menstruation, but by the implantation of the fetal egg into the uterus.

How to understand that you are pregnant before the delay

Pregnancy in the first days after the embryo is attached to the uterine wall is rarely clinically manifested. Changes in well-being are usually noticed only by especially sensitive women who may complain of an unstable mood or toxicosis, although the latter often appears no earlier than the second week after fertilization.

A number of experts associate the feeling of pregnancy symptoms in the first days, first of all, with a psychological factor, without excluding the role of the hCG hormone synthesized by a fertilized egg.

The vast majority of pregnant women in the first week do not observe any new sensations and feel good. Some see increased pigmentation, “freckling” of the nipples and note an increase in the sensitivity of the breast.

Possible signs of pregnancy in the early days:

• spotting from the vagina, which may be accompanied by mild pain in the lower abdomen;
• engorgement, soreness of the chest;
• fatigue, drowsiness;
• mood lability;
• delay of menstruation;
• bouts of nausea, which can provoke even smells, and not just food;
• frequent urination;
• heartburn, craving for certain foods or, conversely, aversion to any food;
• stool retention.

Pregnancy can be indicated not only by analyzes and tests, but also by some external manifestations. However, many of them are easily confused with other conditions – premenstrual syndrome, hormonal disruptions, infectious diseases. Our doctors can remotely help you interpret your symptoms and answer any questions about the normal course of your pregnancy.

Bleeding

Approximately 3 out of 10 women can find out that they are pregnant by unusual discharge and discomfort in the lower abdomen. This is nothing more than implantation bleeding that develops in the process of attaching the embryo to the uterus.

The release of blood occurs due to damage to the vessels of the endometrium, the cells of which are dissolved by the enzymes of the embryo for its successful implantation. Normally, the volume of outgoing blood does not exceed 5 ml, so the discharge is smearing in nature and has a pinkish or brownish tint.

If bleeding occurs in the first 2 weeks of gestation, a woman may mistake them for menstruation and not even realize that she had a miscarriage.

Many people think that menstruation is coming, considering hormonal failure to be the culprit, and they are very surprised to find the gasket clean the next day. Implantation lasts about 40 hours and starts 5-7 days before the start of a new cycle.

Therefore, it seems to a woman that menstruation begins ahead of time. In fact, this fertilized egg is introduced into the uterine layer on the 3rd day after ovulation. The process may be accompanied by a pulling pain in the lower abdomen of low intensity.

If you believe the reviews, at this time there is often a metallic taste in the mouth and weakness in the body.

However, no more than a third of women can determine pregnancy before a delay by implantation bleeding. But it is from this moment that physiological changes begin in the body.

Important! Bleeding as a harbinger of pregnancy cannot be profuse, and the stomach should not be very painful. With severe spasms and heavy bleeding, you should consult a doctor to rule out spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) and ectopic pregnancy.

Breast engorgement and tenderness

You can understand that a girl is pregnant by the characteristic thickening and soreness of the mammary glands. Similar sensations are characteristic of PMS, but in pregnant women they are somewhat more pronounced. This is due to the sensitivity of the glandular breast tissue to any fluctuations in hormones due to its preparation for lactation.

The pain soon passes, as the body gets used to the new hormonal status. However, for many women, the breasts gradually increase, so it is better to purchase a bra one size larger than usual in advance. It is also recommended to abandon lace underwear.

Sometimes the first sign of pregnancy after conception is, on the contrary, the absence of chest pain, whereas before they always appeared before menstruation. Thus, the endocrine system can also respond to hormonal changes.

If you look closely, then at an early stage of pregnancy you can see the darkening of the nipples. Note that the signs of conception from the chest are not always primary. Sometimes the increase and soreness of the mammary glands become noticeable only in the later stages.

Easy fatigue and drowsiness

It is impossible to determine pregnancy solely by this indicator, but it is included in the list of its typical symptoms. Especially suspicious will be constant fatigue in women who have not experienced fatigue during periods of PMS before.

An annoying feeling of weakness should draw attention to itself. Girls often write about him on various forums, who early guessed about their “position” only thanks to their unusual fatigue.

Increased fatigue is due to the rapid growth of the fetus, which requires nutrition and energy. And all this is provided by the maternal organism, forced to restructure its work at a pace. Hence the lack of strength, drowsiness. If against their background there was also a delay, then you can go to the pharmacy for a test.

Case study:

A 22-year-old girl turned to a therapist with a complaint of constant fatigue that had been haunting her for the past week. Analyzes revealed an increased level of hCG, pregnancy 5.5 weeks.

Read also
Why do you always want to sleep

Mood lability

You can find out about pregnancy before a delay by mood swings, which suddenly begin to change from euphoria to tears. And this can happen several times a day. However, mood swings are also characteristic of the last days of the cycle and are not always a sign of pregnancy.

The hormonal background during the luteal – the second – phase of the cycle changes twice, and the hormone progesterone has a significant effect on the female psyche: it partly suppresses emotions, but gives instability to the perception of events that quickly succeed each other.

Suppressing the depth of the mother’s emotions is necessary, and nature provides for this in order to keep the child in the womb. But it takes time to adapt the psyche, so the primary signs of pregnancy often include nervousness, tearfulness, absent-mindedness. Mood swings from excellent to very bad are typical.

But if PMS is more characterized by a tendency to depression, then pregnancy is manifested precisely by mood swings without aggravating any of the two polar states.

Important! Mood swings are associated with hormonal changes in the body of a pregnant woman. This symptom usually appears 10-12-1 days after fertilization.

Delay

It is the delay in menstruation that is perhaps the most accurate symptom that a woman has become pregnant. But even here the guarantee is not one hundred percent, unless, of course, we are talking about a super regular cycle, when menstruation comes day after day.

However, even 1-2 days of delay may well be the first signs of pregnancy, so you should immediately take a test. But it is important to understand that a delay is still “officially” considered to be a delay of menstruation by 5 days or more. And here you should not completely trust home tests, since they do not always give accurate results in the early stages.

Delayed menstruation is one of the main signs of pregnancy, but it can also indicate other disorders in a woman’s body. Our doctors will remotely help you deal with the symptoms and tell you what other tests you need to undergo if the pregnancy test is negative.

Attacks of nausea

Nausea haunts almost all women, 85% of pregnant women feel sick at different intervals, but most often in the morning. Nausea often turns into vomiting, especially after eating. It can haunt the entire first trimester or appear from time to time.

The cause of nausea is the reaction of the body to the embryo as to a foreign body. Moreover, in some women it occurs with enviable regularity, often at the same time, while others only slightly and occasionally feel sick.

Early signs of conception may include increased salivation due to the influence of the hormone progesterone. Most often it disturbs at night, and in the morning a woman finds a wet pillow. Salivation is often combined with vomiting.

Attention! If you experience nausea, drink enough fluids to make up for the loss. You can minimize these pregnancy symptoms by eating small meals, not lying down after eating, and not gorging yourself at night.

Frequent urination

Frequent urination in a small way also often appear along with the first signs of pregnancy due to fluid retention in the body. Despite its small size, the uterus is already beginning to put pressure on the bladder.

The most important thing is not to reduce the amount of fluid you drink in order to run to the toilet less, otherwise there is a risk of dehydration!

Heartburn and new tastes

Strange desires for unusual food, eating a certain product in large quantities, aversion to any food – these are also typical symptoms of early pregnancy (and not only).

By the way, the desire to eat chalk or whitewash, lime often indicates a lack of calcium and other problems that are best addressed with a doctor.

As for heartburn, this is also the effect of progesterone, which relaxes the sphincter muscles between the stomach and esophagus. As a result, the contents of the stomach enter the esophagus, causing an unpleasant burning sensation behind the sternum.

Concomitant symptoms of pregnancy may occur in women in varying degrees. This may be a variant of the norm, but it may be a signal that the pregnancy is not proceeding quite normally. Our doctors remotely help to understand the feelings of a woman and answer any questions about the course of pregnancy.

Delay chair

And again, progesterone, which has the ability to slow down intestinal motility. It is possible to distinguish constipation during pregnancy from the “usual” one by the time of its occurrence. With PMS, intestinal problems end 3-4 days before menstruation, as the corpus luteum ceases to exist, and progesterone synthesis is completed.

If these are the first symptoms of pregnancy, then stool retention lasts longer, along with heartburn.

Attention! The risk of constipation and flatulence is increased if a woman takes iron supplements.

All symptoms in early pregnancy in one table

Women experience these sensations during pregnancy to one degree or another, but in some they are mild and may even be absent.

FAQ

Are there dizziness in early pregnancy?

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It happens because of a decrease in blood pressure, which in pregnant women especially often decreases in the first months. The head may feel dizzy with a sudden movement or change of position.

When is the best time to take a pregnancy test?

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Manufacturers advise using tests from the first day of a delay, but some ultra-sensitive systems are able to recognize signs of pregnancy before a missed period, 3-4 days in advance.

When can I go for an ultrasound?

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The earliest period at which the embryo is visible is 5 obstetric weeks. That is, these 5 weeks must pass from the beginning of the last menstruation, counting from the first day. Simply put, you should go for an ultrasound no earlier than a week after the delay.

Why do pregnant women often get headaches?

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Headaches are more often noted in the early stages, and they are mainly associated with hormonal changes. The cause can also be stress, overwork, dehydration due to frequent vomiting, and even a sharp rejection of coffee.

Expert opinion

If you notice the first signs of pregnancy, schedule a visit to the gynecologist in the near future, but not earlier than 2-3 weeks after the delay. He will put you on record, give you directions for the necessary tests, studies and visits to narrow specialists, and also write out a detailed action plan for the next 9 months.

The first signs of pregnancy in the early stages, before the delay and after, how to recognize

Some women claim that they felt that they were pregnant even before the delay, in the first weeks, while others did not suspect that the pregnancy had come until the middle of the term. There are cases when a woman found out about her pregnancy only in childbirth. Why does this happen and what are the signs of early pregnancy?

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Pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks. During this time, the female body undergoes serious changes, which are quite difficult not to notice for both the woman herself and those around her. In order to verify the onset of pregnancy, you can resort to different methods.

Contents of the article

Do not self-medicate! In our articles, we collect the latest scientific data and the opinions of authoritative health experts. But remember: only a doctor can diagnose and prescribe treatment.

Regardless of whether you are planning a pregnancy or not, you want to find out about it as early as possible. The most obvious sign of pregnancy in the early stages is a delay in menstruation. Although it can be caused by various reasons, it is most often the first and main symptom of pregnancy.

Is it possible to find out that conception has occurred even before the cherished date of menstruation? Yes, some signs of pregnancy are possible in the early stages before the delay. We have collected them for you, but we warn you right away: the signs are not indisputable, and each of them individually is not yet enough to diagnose pregnancy. Rather, these are just guidelines, signs that you should pay special attention to your health just in case.

Caitlin Buhrow, MD in Iowa, recommends taking a pregnancy test 12 days after ovulation, but not before the first day of delay. Of course, if there are other early signs of pregnancy, you can do the test earlier, but in this case the result may be inaccurate.

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How can I know for sure that I am pregnant?

For example, take a pregnancy test, it will respond to an increase in the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) – a hormone whose level rises in the first weeks after conception. A pregnancy test is recommended to be done after a delay in menstruation – before this period, the concentration of the hormone may be insufficient to detect, it will not work to focus on this sign of pregnancy.

Another option for confirming pregnancy is donating blood for hCG. An increase in the concentration of the hormone is one of the first signs of pregnancy. A blood test is more accurate, since the concentration of the hormone in the blood is greater than in the urine. In the first weeks of pregnancy, the concentration of hCG increases in proportion to the period, determining the amount of the hormone will help to more accurately identify which week of pregnancy a woman is in.

Ultrasound is also used to confirm pregnancy. The study itself is carried out transvaginally – in the early stages of pregnancy, you can already notice the first signs of pregnancy, examine the fetal egg and fix the heartbeat.

What causes pregnancy symptoms?

From the moment of the reunification of the spermatozoon and the egg, various processes begin to take place in your body, associated with the birth of a new life. Sometimes they are accompanied by some unusual sensations that can be considered the first signs of pregnancy after conception.

Thus, pulling pains in the abdomen may accompany the attachment of a fertilized egg to the endometrium of the uterus. This sign of pregnancy usually appears even before the delay, and sometimes it can coincide with it in time.

During implantation, scanty spotting sometimes occurs – often mistaken for the onset of menstruation. This, by the way, is one of the reasons why many women remain in the dark for quite a long time about the fact that their body is preparing for motherhood: they are sure that they are menstruating. So don’t fool yourself when you expect your period after unprotected sex: more meager than usual discharge may well be a sign of early pregnancy.

Hormonal changes after conception are responsible for breast tenderness, fatigue and mood swings. These are not the most reliable signs of pregnancy before a missed period, but they should not be ignored.

Signs of pregnancy before your period: what you need to know

Most tests detect the first signs of pregnancy after a missed period, the same applies to blood tests for hCG and ultrasound. All these diagnostic methods are recommended to be carried out after the first day of delayed menstruation – it is from this day that the obstetric gestational age is counted. However, the cycle in women may be unstable, and menstruation may be absent for various reasons. This is what prevents some pregnant women from noticing changes in their condition.

It is especially difficult to recognize the first signs of a first pregnancy when a woman has never encountered this condition and does not know what to expect from her body. Below we list what signs can indicate pregnancy.

These are early signs of pregnancy that appear even before the delay, and which a woman can ignore, mistaking them for signs that precede the onset of menstruation. In fact, in the first stages of pregnancy, the signs may not be alarming, but resemble those that a woman experiences every month before menstruation.

An early sign of pregnancy: pulling pains in the abdomen

Unpleasant sensations in the lower abdomen can occur, as we have already written, when a fertilized egg attaches to the endometrium. As a rule, we are talking about mild discomfort. If the pain is intense, it is better not to hesitate to contact a doctor: for example, acute and cramping pain, discomfort in the perineum may be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.

Implantation occurs on average one week after conception. Drawing pains at this time can be considered the first sign of early pregnancy. If the pregnancy is ectopic, then the pain usually appears later.

Soreness of the mammary glands

Many women notice an increase in the sensitivity of the breast already in the first days after conception, when there are still no other signs of pregnancy. The fact is that breast tissue is very sensitive to hormonal changes, so breast engorgement may be the first sign of pregnancy as early as its first week.

As the body gets used to the change in hormonal levels, the pain disappears, although sensitivity may persist throughout pregnancy. By the way, the breasts can not only hurt, but also increase in size a little, so the sudden appearance of a luxurious bust in place of a modest first size may be a sign that you are pregnant.

Fatigue

Of course, you could just be tired, not get enough sleep, get nervous. But if fatigue appeared literally out of the blue, you want to sleep all the time and don’t want to do anything, this may be an early sign of pregnancy, which will appear even before the delay in menstruation.

Once again, hormones are to blame: changes in their levels become a serious stress for the body. In addition, the fetus grows and requires nutrition, and your body has not yet had time to rebuild to provide the fetus with everything it needs. Although this sign of pregnancy is not specific, on the forums you can often find stories of girls who guessed that they were pregnant, precisely because of unexpected drowsiness and constant fatigue, which was unusual for them before.

Mood swings

Mood lability is also a non-specific sign of pregnancy, which may appear one of the first, before the first delay. Many girls do not behave quite adequately during PMS, when they are ready either to kill everyone around, or to sob in a corner. But if premenstrual syndrome is characterized by irritability and depressive mood, then expectant mothers usually not only feel sad, but also rejoice. At the same time, the mood can change dramatically in just a couple of minutes.

Hormonal changes are to blame again. This symptom of pregnancy most often appears on the 10th – 14th day after conception.

Nausea

How else does early pregnancy manifest itself? Nausea is one of the common symptoms that up to 90% of women experience. True, this sign of pregnancy usually appears at least a month later, not earlier. Most people feel sick in the morning.

Nausea is usually associated with increased salivation and sometimes with vomiting. All these 1st signs of pregnancy are a consequence of changes in progesterone levels. Some women feel sick before giving birth, but most of the discomfort disappears by the second trimester.

Vaginal discharge

Vaginal discharge may be an early sign of a first (or not first) pregnancy. When an egg is implanted, up to 5 ml of blood can be released. Sometimes there may be unusual mucous discharge. Their appearance is associated with changes in the composition of the cervical mucus, which becomes less viscous, facilitating the access of sperm to the egg.

If you are looking for a reliable sign of how to understand that a woman is pregnant, then you should hardly be guided by the discharge. However, if they are combined with other symptoms, and there is an unprotected sexual intercourse in the anamnesis, then this is a reason to think.

Change in eating habits

The classic sign of pregnancy usually appears after a delay, but some even notice a sudden desire to chew something inedible or simply unusual before it. You may traditionally be drawn to salty or sour, you may awaken a passion for some products that you were previously indifferent to.

This symptom of pregnancy is typical for the first trimester. The child needs vitamins and minerals, if your body does not have excess, it will strive to get them from food. It is believed that it is necessary to satisfy the whims of pregnant women, and if they seem completely wild and unhealthy to you, then special vitamin complexes that the doctor will recommend can help.

Increased sensitivity to smells

Another classic sign of pregnancy. which can appear both before the delay and after it. Hyperosmia in pregnant women is associated with an increase in the concentration of estrogen in the body. Nature has provided this mechanism to protect the body of a pregnant woman from the use of low-quality products and being in potentially dangerous places.

Frequent urination

Usually this is not the first sign of pregnancy before menstruation, but many women experience it even before the uterus begins to grow rapidly and put pressure on the bladder. Due to fluid retention due to hormonal changes, you often run to the toilet “in a small way” more often than usual. Alas, this will only progress throughout your pregnancy, so get used to planning your day so that there are toilets in your way.

At what week do the first signs of pregnancy appear and how do they change?

Even at a very early date, one or another of the signs that many women associate with the onset of pregnancy and its development can be felt. Let’s analyze which week the signs of pregnancy appear most clearly.

• 1st – 4th weeks

Drawing pains in the lower abdomen, scanty spotting usually appear within two weeks after conception. Increased sensitivity of the mammary glands, soreness when touched are also among the first signs of pregnancy, which can persist for several more months.

• 1st – 6th weeks

Increased emotionality, mood swings, tearfulness. From the sixth week, the mood becomes a little more even, but don’t count on it too much: often pregnant women themselves are surprised by their unexpected emotional reactions.

• 4th week

Delayed menses. The most obvious and unambiguous sign of the onset of pregnancy.

• 4th – 6th weeks

Nausea, change in appetite (decrease or increase), change in taste preferences. Increased fatigue, drowsiness, constant fatigue. These signs usually disappear by the second trimester, but may persist until the very birth.

• Weeks 5-6

Frequent painless urination. As a rule, this symptom persists until the end of pregnancy. Weakness, dizziness also usually occur in the fifth or sixth week, but as the body gets used to the new status, they disappear.

• 6th week

Temperature fluctuations from normal to subfebrile (37 degrees). Usually this sign of pregnancy disappears by the second trimester.

What signs of pregnancy can be detected before a missed period?

A single first sign of pregnancy, which is exactly present in every woman, is difficult to single out. Some do not experience exactly any changes before the delay (and often after it), others literally the next day after intercourse feel changes in themselves, and the symptoms that appear, which we described above, are associated with pregnancy. Most of these sensations are subjective – more often they appear in those who are looking forward to the onset of pregnancy, such women tend to take any body signals for a desired event.

When does pregnancy occur?

It is worth remembering that pregnancy does not always occur immediately after intercourse. The process of fertilization of an egg by a sperm does not occur instantly and can happen even a week after unprotected sex. In general, the signs of pregnancy in the first weeks may be different, and the degree of their manifestation may differ.

When can you accurately detect pregnancy?

Doctors are confident that the most reliable data on the onset of pregnancy can only be obtained after a delay – in the case when the obstetric gestational age exceeds 4-5 weeks. However, in this case, the test will not always give an accurate answer: in the case of late ovulation that occurred closer to the end of the cycle, as well as a protracted fertilization process, the tests will show a positive result not on the first day of the delay, but later.