Early pregnancy symptoms can vary between women, with some women experiencing fewer symptoms and others experiencing many symptoms.
One pregnancy symptom isn’t enough to predict pregnancy, but if you have more than one symptom and there is a chance that you could be pregnant, you should test to confirm.
1. Missed period- A missed period is the first sign of pregnancy for many women. When a pregnancy implants, it releases hormones to let your body know it needs support. These hormones signal the uterus to stop shedding its lining, causing you to miss your period.
Weight changes, stress, or other hormonal changes can also explain a missed period.
2. Nausea with or without vomiting- Shifting pregnancy hormones can also cause nausea, commonly called “morning sickness,” though it can happen anytime. Not all pregnant women will experience morning sickness.
Nausea can have many other causes besides pregnancy, like the flu or anxiety.
3. Fatigue- During the first trimester, women tend to experience fatigue as a side effect of the growing pregnancy. The progesterone (a hormone that is elevated during pregnancy) level increasing might cause fatigue.
Again, fatigue can be explained by other causes, like poor sleep.
4. Tender and swollen breasts- Also caused by hormones fluctuating within your body, experiencing sensitive breasts can be a symptom of early pregnancy.
However, this symptom cannot be used as a predictor of pregnancy because many women experience tender, swollen breasts before their regular period arrives.
5. Frequent urination- During pregnancy, your blood volume increases. The extra blood means extra work for the kidneys as they have more to filter, which leads to increased urination.
Since frequent urination can also result from other causes like urinary tract infections, it is not a reliable pregnancy indicator.
6. Mood Swings- Pregnancy hormones are well known for causing mood swings. It is common to shift between emotions rapidly or feel emotions more intensely than usual.
Mood swings can also arise with regular hormonal shifting during a woman’s cycle, so they are not always a side effect of pregnancy.
7. Bloating- Once again, hormones are responsible for this symptom. Bloating is a full feeling in your belly.
Like the rest of the pregnancy symptoms, bloating should not be used to determine pregnancy since other causes can also explain it. Bloating can be common before starting your period.
Pregnancy Testing
Because pregnancy symptoms can also be correlated with other causes, they shouldn’t be trusted to confirm a pregnancy. If you think there is a chance that you could be pregnant, you should take a pregnancy test.
To ensure accurate results, test a week after your missed period and follow all the directions included in the package with your home pregnancy test.
Where to Go from Here
To obtain a free pregnancy test and confirmation ultrasound, use our location search to find a pregnancy center near you. Your results will be accurate and confidential.