9 Signs of Conception

If you’ve been trying for a baby, or had a slip-up and are wondering “Can you get pregnant while on birth control?”, every little bodily shift you notice—be it a weird taste in your mouth or a twinge in your abdomen—could seem like it points to motherhood.

Unfortunately, if you’re wondering, “What is a sign of conception?” you’ll want to tap into your patience: As it turns out, there aren’t really early signs of conception per se. However, there are some early signs that may indicate when implantation has occurred—sometimes even before an at-home pregnancy test is ready to deliver that accurate, sought-after YES!

Signs of very early pregnancy tend to be unique to each pregnant woman and, often, every individual pregnancy. Before you’re ready to fine-tune your early pregnancy symptom radar for any and all signs you might be pregnant, let’s take a look at what the distinct biological process of “conception” refers to, as well as 9 signs to look for when you’re preparing to take that next step in your reproductive journey.

What is conception?

A slew of actions and factors must be in place for a pregnancy to occur. Whether it’s the fitness of sperm cells, internal conditions of the uterus, or ovulation occurring in its usual window, getting pregnant involves a cascade of biological processes beyond simply the encounter of an egg and a sperm cell.

That said, there are two pivotal moments in the earliest phases of getting pregnant that are often conflated despite being distinct processes:

• Conception – Conception refers to that short timeframe wherein a sperm fertilizes an egg, turning it into a zygote. This can take anywhere from a matter of minutes after having sex to several days.
• Implantation – Implantation is when a blastocyst—the cluster of cells resulting from a zygote—embeds itself in the wall of the uterus. This typically happens between 5 and 15 days after intercourse.

Whether we’re talking about conception or implantation, both activities occur on a cellular scale—far too minuscule for you to feel them physically. Moreover, not only do they both tend to occur when PMS or menstruation would usually set in, but they’re often accompanied by symptoms that closely resemble those of PMS.

The good news? While you probably won’t be able to tell if you’ve conceived, many women report feeling signs that something’s shifted after implantation, when their baby-to-be is first getting settled into their cozy new home.

Top 9 Signs You May Be Pregnant

Crying at Best Buy commercials, morning sickness, scampering off to the bathroom every 15 minutes…stereotypes about pregnancy abound. But how many of them apply to those first few weeks before your at-home test can give you the final verdict? What is a sign of conception, actually?

Below, we run down the top 9 signs you might be pregnant. The more signs you tick off the list, the better you could give your pregnancy test a run for its money!

#1 You Notice Changes in Your Breasts

One of the first pregnancy symptoms many women notice is fuller, heavier-feeling breasts. This early pregnancy symptom is largely due to the elevated levels of progesterone, which help to enlarge the breast milk ducts. These hormonal changes prepare a pregnant woman’s body for breastfeeding down the line.

In addition to visibly larger breasts, you may also notice:

• Soreness and tenderness
• A tingling sensation
• A feeling of swelling or heaviness
• Visibly darker nipples (specifically the areolas)

Some women notice changes in their breasts as early as one to two weeks after conception has occurred.

#2 You’re Low On Energy

Having a tough time wrenching yourself out of bed in the morning or making it through the 4 to 6 pm segment of your workday? Fatigue is often one of the earliest signs women notice of pregnancy.

Reproductive health experts don’t have a clear understanding of why this happens, though it’s suspected to be another casualty of elevated progesterone levels. Not to mention, pregnancy is one of the biggest transformations a body can experience—so it’s no wonder if you’re feeling too tuckered out to make your evening Yogalates class!

#3 You See Spotting In Your Underwear

Implantation bleeding is precisely what it sounds like: The (very light and usually painless!) bloodshed that can occur when a fertilized egg implants in the wall of the uterus.

Some women mistake implantation cramping or bleeding for their period cramps since implantation tends to fall around the same interval when menstruation begins. That said, there are some ways you may be able to spot (pun intended) the difference:

• Implantation bleeding shouldn’t last more than a few days, and some women may only notice it for several hours.
• Implantation bleeding usually comes with a “barely-there” flow, so you may only notice it show up on toilet paper tissue after you’ve gone to the bathroom.
• Implantation bleeding tends to be extremely light in color, typically a fair, peony pink in comparison to the dark or red-brown many women see in those first days of their cycle.
• Implantation bleeding can come with cramping, but it’s much milder (and sometimes barely noticeable) compared to menstrual or premenstrual cramps.

If you experience implantation bleeding, you might be wondering: “how soon after implantation can I test?” Even though it might be hard to wait, most doctors recommend holding off for at least 5 days before taking a pregnancy test after implantation bleeding. This gives your hCG levels time to rise, leading to a more accurate result.
It’s important to note that not everyone experiences implantation bleeding. For many women, healthy implantation and pregnancies can occur without seeing a spot of blood at all.

#4 You Have to Pee More Than Usual

It’s no urban legend: pregnant women have to pee, and frequently—sometimes even 5 to 6 weeks along, in those first early stages after conception. Pregnant ladies’ heightened need to “go” is largely due to the marked increase in their blood volume.

In the course of a pregnancy, a woman’s body will produce 50% more blood than usual to support the uterus and growing baby, and this process can start very early on. With more blood in circulation, the kidneys have to work extra hard to filter those fluids, which ultimately results in higher production of urine.

#5 Your Basal Body Temperature Is Higher Than Normal

There’s another early pregnancy sign that usually occurs along with increased blood volume: changes in temperature. These can crop up in two ways:

• An uptick in basal body temperature (BBT), which refers to the temperature of the body while it’s at rest.
• An uptick in core body temperature during workouts or in warmer climates.

Some people run hotter in early pregnancy because the metabolism has to work harder with more blood in circulation. However, this change tends to be extremely subtle—you may only notice it if you consistently track BBT as part of your routine approach to family planning.

#6 You’ve Been Having Digestive Disturbances

Sluggish digestion can also be a very early sign of pregnancy. Two symptoms in particular plague many women in those first weeks:

• Constipation
• Abdominal bloating

It’s suspected both bloating and constipation are caused by the surge in progesterone, which can have the effect of slowing down digestive processes.

#7 You’re Moodier Than Usual

Getting the weepies, the sleepies, and the don’t-even-look-at-me’s is often a tell-tale sign of being pregnant far along into a pregnancy—but can onset occur quickly after conception?

As it turns out, yes: Feeling more emotionally sensitive than usual is a sign of early pregnancy for many women, as it can be an indication that their hormones are working overtime.

That said, hormonal changes and mood swings are also hallmark signs of PMS, so you’ll want to keep an eye out for other early pregnancy symptoms before you chalk up your recent emotionality to being pregnant.

#8 You’ve Been Feeling Queasy Frequently

Pregnancy nausea, often referred to as “morning sickness,” can visit pregnant women at any time of day. It can also visit extremely early in the first trimester, including fairly soon after conception and implantation.

In a similar vein, food aversions—i.e., suddenly “yucking” those “yums”—are another early pregnancy sign for many women. So, if the mere thought of your go-to scrambled eggs and avocado breakfast has been sending your gag reflex into overdrive, you just may be pregnant!

#9 You Missed Your Period

Far and away, the #1 most reliable sign you’ve conceived? You’ve missed your period.

If you can wait until you’ve officially “skipped” or encountered a missed period, you’ll get the most accurate results from an at-home pregnancy test. Yes, some at-home tests may be able to detect pregnancies a few days earlier, but blowing past menstruation or a missed period is your body’s favorite way of telling you: Congratulations, honey—we’re pregnant.

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