I love to ask women how they were tipped off to their first pregnancy. Some women had no idea until they missed a period and took a test “just to be safe”. Other women felt the impact of morning sickness like a semi truck and had no doubt that something was up. I woke up one day and couldn’t do push-ups anymore, which made me suspicious enough to buy a pregnancy test. Surprise! Two pink lines.
Pregnancy symptoms are as unique as the women who have them. According to the American Pregnancy Association, the most commonly reported first sign of pregnancy is a missed period, with runners up being nausea and breast changes. What you notice can depend on how in-tune you are with your body, how regular your cycle is, or what symptom decides to rear its progesterone-charged head first.
That being said, there are a specific set of pregnancy signs that women generally experience. Many of these can also indicate a health issue or other stressor. Are your symptoms a sign of pregnancy? Without taking a pregnancy test, you won’t know for sure, but here are some things to look for.
1. Missed Period
The most obvious sign of pregnancy is a missed period. While it’s possible to mistake pregnancy spotting as your period, it’s not possible to have your period and be pregnant at the same time.
Keep in mind that there are many reasons a woman might miss her period. Stress, poor diet, high levels of exercise, and illness can all cause this.
If your period is late and it’s possible that you may be pregnant, the best course of action is to take a home pregnancy test.
2. Food Aversions and Nausea
Before I realized I was pregnant, I literally threw away half the food in the fridge because I was convinced it was all going bad. My husband thought I was losing my mind.
If things start smelling nasty (like rot or stinky feet), that might be an indication of pregnancy. Rather than having scent aversions, you may simply notice that smells are stronger.
Morning sickness is also a common symptom of early pregnancy. Nausea and vomiting — in the morning as well as afternoon, evening, and night— plague many women through their first trimester.
3. Breast Tenderness
Does brushing up against something with your breasts make you wince? That soreness may not be caused by your new push-up bra.
Hormone changes in early pregnancy can cause breast tenderness, and your boobs will also likely grow in size over the course of your pregnancy
Comfortable bras are key to getting through pregnancy. If you need to go shopping, think about buying bras in the next cup size up. Breast changes continue through pregnancy as well as postpartum.
4. Cramping and Spotting
While your period likely brings on plenty of cramps, light spotting and/ or cramping can also be a sign of pregnancy. Both of these symptoms are caused by the implantation of the embryo into the uterus.
If you’re experiencing a “period” that is lighter than usual or appears to be a different color than what is normal for you, you may be pregnant.
What’s the difference between “bleeding” and “spotting?” A good rule of thumb is that, in general, period bleeding deposits a flow of blood in your pad or tampon, while you’ll only notice spotting when wiping.
5. Weakness and Exhaustion
Creating a new human is a lot of work! Is it any wonder that pregnancy causes women to feel tired? Higher levels of progesterone throughout pregnancy can cause you to feel sleepy, even if you’ve had plenty of rest. Before pregnancy, I was never a nap taker, but I needed one almost every day during my first trimester.
6. Mood swings
If you’ve been having your period for a while, you’re likely no stranger to hormone-induced mood swings. During pregnancy, the hormones estrogen and progesterone are at their high, so you may notice that you react more explosively or see-saw between positive and negative emotions.
7. Having to pee all the time
Now, this was one early pregnancy symptom that surprised me. It makes sense to frequent urination during late pregnancy— after all, someone’s literally sitting on your bladder. However, the surge of hormones and increased blood volume during the beginning stages of pregnancy may constantly send you running to the restroom.
8. Heartburn
Early-pregnancy heartburn is caused by hormones (surprise, surprise). Hormones cause the valve between your esophagus and stomach to relax and leaking stomach acid creates heartburn.
9. Stomach issues
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, a lot of the early signs of pregnancy are linked to your hormone levels. Unfortunately, your stomach will also suffer the effects of hormones on the loose. Slowed digestion as a result of these changes can cause bloating and constipation.
10. Dizziness
You may associate high blood pressure with pregnancy, but usually this occurs after the first trimester. Actually, blood pressure often drops during the early stages of pregnancy. This can cause you to feel dizzy and faint.
11. Acne
If you tend to have clear skin, you may notice that your skin glows. You’ll look a little glossy, and if you have lighter skin, may notice that you look flushed due to increased blood volume and higher oil production. Or if you are prone to acne, you may have to break out the zit cream instead!
Of course, many women experience acne as a symptom of PMS, so a few breakouts aren’t necessarily a sign of pregnancy.
12. Weight gain
Everyone’s favorite part of pregnancy. Not. The good news is that early pregnancy weight gain is minimal, with 1-4 pounds being typical. And some of that weight is in your boobs, so it’s not all going to your waistline!
Are you pregnant?
If you find yourself relating to several of the pregnancy signs above, you may be pregnant. However, you can’t know for sure until you take a pregnancy test. Home pregnancy tests are available to purchase at any grocery stores or drug stores, and they are almost always accurate.
If you’d like to read up on how to take a home pregnancy test, you can read our article on the topic here: Foolproof Pregnancy Test Instructions for Newbies
If your test comes back positive, take a deep breath. Pregnancy is a big deal, but you don’t have to be afraid of it. Remember that billions of women have gone before you, and you’ve got this.
If you have questions about your pregnancy decision, prenatal care, or next steps, stick around! We have content for every stage of pregnancy and beyond. A good place to start is our Pregnancy Clarity Quiz, which you can take to discover your Clarity Type and get tools you need to move forward with confidence.