Common signs of pregnancy in the first trimester

The first trimester of your pregnancy will bring many changes—both expected and unexpected. From midnight bacon-wrapped donut cravings to wildly vivid dreams, understanding what your body may go through during this time can bring peace of mind as you navigate your pregnancy journey. In fact, many of the changes experienced in the first trimester are your body’s way of saying that your pregnancy is going exactly as it should.

What are signs that your pregnancy is going well in the first trimester? Let’s get into the details.

What can you expect during your first trimester?

Once the fertilized egg implants into the wall of your uterus, your pregnancy officially begins, and your body will start to produce two key pregnancy hormones: estrogen and progesterone.

Estrogen and progesterone are both essential to ensuring a healthy pregnancy. Estrogen is responsible for things like:

• Allowing your placenta to transfer nutrients to your baby
• Enabling the formation of blood vessels in the uterus and placenta
• Helping your fetus develop

While estrogen is busy tending to your growing babe, progesterone is putting energy into:

• Growing certain internal structures (like, for instance, your uterus)
• Loosening your ligaments and joints before delivery (thank you, progesterone!)

While estrogen and progesterone are beneficial in these ways, they can also bring less-than-helpful baggage (i.e., your pregnancy symptoms). Despite how uncomfortable, annoying, and downright gross some of these symptoms can be, they’re all signs that estrogen and progesterone are doing their jobs and ensuring your pregnancy is going well.

Let’s take a look at what to expect.

Breast and Nipple Soreness

Breast and nipple soreness is often one of the first signs of pregnancy, starting around 4 to 6 weeks—way before your baby will begin breastfeeding. However, estrogen and progesterone like to start preparing early, so it’s around this time that they increase blood flow to the breasts and stimulate the growth of your milk ducts.

The result is breasts that may feel:

• Achy
• Swollen
• Heavy
• Tingly
• Sensitive

Some women even experience extremely sensitive nipples. Fortunately, these early pregnancy symptoms tend to subside after a few weeks as your body adjusts to its new hormone levels. Afterward, you’re left with killer cleavage and boobs with a brand-new superpower—breastfeeding.

In the meantime, you can try the following tips to alleviate the tenderness of your breasts:

• Purchase a supportive bra in a new, larger size if needed
• Place a cold compress on your chest
• Take a warm shower to relax the surrounding muscles
• Wear loose-fitting tops (if you’re experiencing nipple sensitivity)

If you’re looking for more information about breast and nipple changes during pregnancy, you can read about nipple and areola breast changes during pregnancy for a deeper understanding of these early pregnancy symptoms.

Nausea and Vomiting

Yes, nausea and vomiting (see also: morning sickness) is a completely normal part of pregnancy and a sign your pregnancy is going well (lucky you!). In fact, 70 to 80% of pregnant women experience morning sickness, so you’re in good company.

Despite being termed “morning sickness,” first-trimester nausea and vomiting can happen at any time, day or night. It may start randomly or be triggered by certain smells or food.

While experts aren’t sure exactly what causes morning sickness in the first trimester, many believe it’s due to the body’s sudden surge of hormones. This time, you don’t just have estrogen and progesterone to thank. You can also send a little thank you card to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)—a hormone formed by cells in the placenta that ensures the body continues to produce progesterone during the first trimester.

This is also the hormone that pregnancy tests detect to determine whether you’ve conceived. As your placenta develops and you move along in pregnancy, the levels of hCG increase, peaking between weeks 8 and 11 of pregnancy. If you’re experiencing first trimester morning sickness, it simply means essential pregnancy hormones are pumping through your body to make sure your baby can develop in a healthy environment.

However, if nausea and vomiting become more severe, it could signify hyperemesis gravidarum—an extreme form of morning sickness. Though this doesn’t mean your pregnancy isn’t going well, it can lead to other symptoms, including:

• Loss of appetite
• Dehydration
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• A loss of 5% of your body weight (due to vomiting)

If you believe you’re suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), be sure to drink plenty of fluids, and talk to your doctor about ways to manage your symptoms.

Fortunately, morning sickness most often occurs during the first trimester and typically subsides by the middle or end of the second trimester.

In the meantime, you can find some relief by:

• Drinking ginger tea – For years, ginger has been used to help treat stomach upset, quell nausea, and improve digestion. Try steeping yourself a cup of ginger tea, sucking on a ginger candy, or sipping a glass of ginger ale.
• Eating smaller meals – Eating smaller meals can keep you from feeling overly full and may even help determine which foods are getting a big thumbs down from your body (and your baby).
• Keeping essential oils nearby – If strong odors are triggering your morning sickness, try keeping a bottle of essential oil on you so you can take a whiff of a more pleasant smell when needed.
• Staying hydrated – Dehydration can make you feel more nauseous, so make sure you’re taking sips of water throughout the day.

Vaginal Discharge

You may be pregnant, but you shouldn’t toss your box of pads just yet. While you won’t be having your period for a while, the elevated estrogen levels during your first trimester can cause a significant increase in vaginal discharge.

As your pregnancy progresses, you’ll continue to have vaginal discharge. It’s the body’s way of protecting your cervix (and your baby) from infections. Bet you didn’t think you’d ever be so grateful to have discharge, huh?

While thick, white, odorless discharge is normal, it’s important to contact your doctor if you notice:

• A change in color (particularly green or yellow)
• A bad odor
• Itchiness
• Burning

Fatigue

The 2 am feedings and nights of sleep training are still months away, yet you’re feeling more tired than ever (and it’s not because you stayed up late on a Netflix binge). So what’s the deal?

Hormonal changes, particularly the increase in progesterone, can cause extra sleepiness during your first trimester. Plus, when your body produces more blood during the first trimester to nourish your baby, your blood vessels actually widen, lowering your blood pressure. This makes curling up on the couch with a blueberry muffin sound even more appealing than normal.

For most women, energy levels increase during the second trimester. Until then, don’t be afraid to ask family and friends for help with work, errands, or baby prep, so that you can sneak in a few extra hours of shut-eye.

Increased Urination

You may not anticipate increased and frequent urination until later in your pregnancy (you know—when there’s a tiny human constantly resting on your bladder), but those frequent bathroom trips can start as early as the first trimester. And surprisingly, this symptom isn’t due to your increasing hormones.

During the first trimester, your blood volume increases. This is because your uterus needs more blood than normal to grow. Plus, as your tiny human develops, he’ll need oxygen to breathe. Because your blood carries oxygen to your organs (and now to your baby), more blood is needed during pregnancy.

What does any of this have to do with pee?

When your blood is filtered through your kidneys, it creates urine. The more blood you have, the more urine you produce. And the more urine you produce, the more frequently you need to release that urine from your body. So, expect more frequent bathroom breaks during your first trimester (even if you’re not drinking any more liquid than normal). But don’t worry—it’s all a part of the process.

Other Symptoms You May Have in Your First Trimester

Because every woman is different, every pregnancy is different. That means, in addition to some combination of breast soreness, morning sickness, vaginal discharge, fatigue, and increased urination, you may experience other pregnancy symptoms during your first trimester.

These include:

• Food cravings and aversions
• Heartburn
• Constipation
• Excess gas
• Mood swings
• Mild cramping and spotting
• Implantation bleeding
• Weight gain
• Breast tenderness

But don’t worry, Momma—these are all normal too. To learn more about pregnancy symptoms by week, read our linked guide!

Learn What—And Who—to Expect, with SneakPeek

The first trimester of your pregnancy is an exciting and nerve-wracking time, filled with awe-inspiring bodily changes and wild new experiences. By understanding what first trimester symptoms you can expect, you can feel better acquainted with your changing body and all the amazing things it’s doing for you and your growing baby.

And once you reach 6 weeks, you can also become better acquainted with your growing baby. Trusted by over 1 million moms, the SneakPeek At-Home Early Gender Prediction DNA Test can tell you the gender of your little boy or girl with clinically-proven over 99% accuracy¹ as early as 6 weeks into your pregnancy—that’s weeks before an ultrasound can detect gender! It’s no wonder SneakPeek is the #1 OBGYN-recommended at-home gender DNA test.

So don’t just learn what to expect during your first trimester—learn who to expect, with the help of SneakPeek.

This post has been reviewed for accuracy by the following medical professional:

Dr. Heather Soper, Certified Nurse Midwife

Dr. Heather Soper brings over 15 years of experience in women's health and obstetrics to her role as the owner of The Genesis Resort for Birth. Complementing her clinical practice, she serves as an Assistant Professor of Nursing at James Madison University, where she educates nursing students with a focus on compassionate, patient-centered care. Her advanced training and dedication to midwifery are evident in her contribution to both academia and the wellness of expectant mothers.

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