Common Pregnancy Symptoms

The most common early symptoms of pregnancy often include:

  • Missed period (amenorrhea). For women who have regular menstrual cycles, if your period is one week late or more, you might be pregnant. This pregnancy symptom is not a reliable sign of pregnancy if you have irregular cycles.
  • Tender or swollen breasts. In early pregnancy, the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin are elevated and often make the breasts/nipples sore due to tissue swelling.
  • Nausea with or without vomiting. Morning sickness or all day sickness usually begins 1-2 months after conception. Some women never feel nauseated, while some women struggle with it their entire pregnancy. The cause of this nausea isn’t clear, but it may be caused by pregnancy hormones.
  • Increased urination. Due to the increased amount of blood in your body during pregnancy, your kidneys will have to process extra fluid that ends up as urine in your bladder, leading to more frequent urination.
  • Fatigue is a very common early symptom of pregnancy. A rapid rise in progesterone may contribute to this fatigue. Your body is now supporting two lives, taking more energy.

Other Symptoms of Pregnancy

Some other pregnancy symptoms that you might experience are:

Moodiness. Mood swings including being emotional and weepy are common due to the rush of hormones in early pregnancy.

Bloating. These hormonal changes can also make you feel bloated like you may feel at the start of a menstrual period.

Light spotting. Light spotting can be caused by implantation bleeding and happens when the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus, about 2 weeks after conception. Not all women experience this spotting. 

Mild cramping.  Mild, period-like cramps can be normal in early pregnancy.

Constipation. Your digestive system can slow down due to hormonal changes, leading to constipation. The iron in your prenatal vitamin can also contribute to this.

Food aversions. During pregnancy, your sense of smell and taste may be heightened. Foods you usually enjoy might not be appealing, and you may be more sensitive to certain odors. Hormonal changes are the cause of these changes and most other symptoms of pregnancy.

Nasal congestion.  A stuffy or runny nose is not uncommon due to increased blood production during pregnancy. The mucous membranes in your nose may swell and be congested or dry out and bleed easily.

Find out for sure if you’re really pregnant and how far along you are. Contact First Care Women’s Health today!