Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Have you been experiencing bodily changes and think you may be pregnant? This can be a confusing time, especially since many pregnancy symptoms can have other causes. Our free women's centers provide information on early pregnancy symptoms in Texas and offer free pregnancy testing to help you find the answers you need.

Early pregnancy signs vary from woman to woman. While the best way to confirm is to take a pregnancy test, paying attention to early symptoms is also important. Here are 11 early signs of pregnancy to consider.

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANCY

1. Missed Period. A missed period is often the very first sign (2) a woman has that she may be pregnant. Many women begin seeking answers because they know they’re late for their next period. If you’ve had a missed period of about one week (1), you might consider this a possible indicator of pregnancy. However, this symptom in itself may not be accurate if you’ve had irregular menstrual cycles. 
2. Nausea/Vomiting. Nausea is quite common in the first trimester and may or may not be accompanied by vomiting. This is known as morning sickness (1), though it can be experienced later in the day as well. The severity can differ from person to person. It isn’t totally clear what the cause is for morning sickness, but it may be due to hormonal changes. 
3. Tender/Swollen Breasts. Early in pregnancy hormonal changes might make your breasts sensitive and sore (1). The discomfort will likely decrease after a few weeks as your body adjusts to hormonal changes.
4. Light Spotting/Bleeding/Vaginal Discharge. Light spotting (1) might be one of the first signs of pregnancy (1). Known as implantation bleeding, it happens when the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus — about 10 to 14 days after conception. Implantation bleeding occurs around the time you would expect to have a menstrual period. However, not all women have it.
5. Cramping. Some women experience mild uterine cramping early in pregnancy (1).
6. Headaches are so common that this one can’t be relied upon alone. In this case, you may also be experiencing lightheadedness or dizziness. These symptoms would be due to hormonal changes (3) in your body. You should consider them in conjunction with other pregnancy symptoms you’re experiencing.
7. Sensitivity to Smell. Though there may be little scientific consensus on this one, it remains a commonly reported symptom (4). Sensitivity to smell is something that many women report particularly in the early stages of pregnancy. It may also be one of the causes of nausea during this time.
8. Change of Appetite. Does the Caesar salad you normally love seem a little off-putting? Or does your craving for potato chips and spicy salsa seem out of character? Change of appetite is common as an early sign of pregnancy. Often, the foods you normally desire won’t sound good to you at all. This may also be due to hormonal changes(1) and along with changes in your senses.
9. Frequent Urination. Having to hop up and run to the bathroom in the middle of the night? Unless you’re hydrating like crazy, that could also be one of the pregnancy signs and symptoms to watch for. Also due to hormonal changes, it’s possible to experience this even before missing your period (2).
10. Constipation and Bloating. Speaking of hydration, that’s not a bad idea considering this symptom can be very uncomfortable! If you’ve had fewer than three bowel movements(5) in a given week, you may be dealing with pregnancy constipation.
11. Mood Swings/Fatigue. Mood swings and fatigue are also attributable to hormonal changes. This is because your body is producing a hormone called progesterone. This hormone supports the pregnancy(3) and is responsible for milk production in the breasts as well. As soon as one week after conception(3), you could experience fatigue due to your body working harder to pump additional blood to support this new life
    

AM I PREGNANT? FIND OUT FOR SURE.

If you’ve experienced any of these pregnancy signs and symptoms and want further information, contact us. We provide free and confidential information about early pregnancy symptoms in Texas. You shouldn’t have to go through this alone. We’re here to help.

REFERENCES:

1. Morning Sickness
2. Missed period
3. Headaches
4. Sensitivity to smell
5. Constipation and Bloating