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PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS

Pregnancy symptoms are different for every woman, and may even differ from pregnancy to pregnancy. That can make it a bit tricky to read your body’s potential pregnancy signals, especially when some pregnancy symptoms resemble symptoms of an oncoming menstrual cycle. 

And some women even have no pregnancy symptoms at all, other than a missed period (which is harder to detect with an irregular cycle) and a positive pregnancy test.

However, there are quite a few pregnancy symptoms that stand out as the most common. Keep in mind that these symptoms don’t definitively mean you ARE pregnant, but you may want to take a pregnancy test to know for sure.

Spotting and Cramping

This is a pretty early sign of pregnancy when the fertilized egg attaches itself to the wall of the uterus after conception. Sometimes implantation bleeding occurs (spotting), and there may be some menstrual-like cramping.

Breast Changes

A pregnant woman’s body is hit with a flood of hormones pretty quickly after conception, and that can result in breasts feeling heavier, sore and tender. Additionally, the areolas may darken.

Fatigue

This is another symptom that can show up early, as pregnancy boosts the hormone progesterone, which contributes to that feeling of being tired.

Morning Sickness (Nausea, Vomiting)

This may be the most infamous of pregnancy symptoms in which morning sickness can really be all-day sickness and nausea/vomiting steals any joy from eating. There may be food aversions, food cravings, or the inability to even consume much of anything. 

Morning sickness typically only lasts through the first trimester, but, unfortunately, for some it may last through the entire pregnancy.

Missed Period

This is one of the biggest indicators of a potential pregnancy, though, to be fair, there are quite a few who have irregular cycles and are less likely to know if they’ve missed their period or not. It does help to track your menstrual cycle so you are familiar with your body’s rhythm and to have a better idea if you have, in fact, missed your period.

Increased Urination
Throughout pregnancy, the body’s blood volume increases by nearly 45%, which puts more pressure on the kidneys to process extra fluid.
Headaches
It might be a combination of the hormonal changes and the increased blood volume that can cause an influx of headaches. 
Bloating
Likewise, that hormonal boost might make you feel a bit bloated—which may be mistaken for a menstrual cycle symptom, as well!

But truly, the only way to know if you are pregnant or not is to take a pregnancy test. If you are likely early in your pregnancy, the best time to take a pregnancy test is early in the morning when that hCG hormone is most concentrated after a night of not much drinking or urinating. If you’re getting mixed results (positive, then negative, then back to positive) and you have any questions, we’d love to have you come into our office for a free pregnancy test appointment and speak with a nurse during a medical consultation.