First Signs of Pregnancy

You’re tired. Your breasts are sore. And your go-to lunchtime burrito bowl? The thought of it alone is enough to turn your stomach.

Could it be? Could you be . . . pregnant? 

You’ll likely want to confirm your pregnancy with a pregnancy test or ultrasound. How do you know if it’s time to swing by the drugstore or call the doctor? Changes in your menstrual cycle—late, missed, or extremely light periods—are the most common early signs of pregnancy.

But you don’t have to wait. There are several early pregnancy signs that can pop up even before you miss your period, cluing you into exciting changes that might be underway. To understand what you can expect in those first moments of expecting, take a look at this short guide. We’ll explore the earliest signs of pregnancy and what they mean.

Fatigue 

You scored a solid 9 hours of sleep last night, and yet somehow, it wasn’t enough. Your eyelids feel heavy, and that sunny spot on the sofa beckons. 

Just five minutes. Okay, maybe ten.

The last time you felt this tired, tired in your bones, you were coming down with mono in your freshman dorm room. But it’s been a long time since late-night ragers and repeated all-nighters. So this? Probably not that. 

Fatigue is an early pregnancy symptom that can strike just one week after conception. 

It’s extremely common and relates to many of the changes going on behind the scenes in your body, including:

• Shifting hormone levels – When you become pregnant, your body goes through a slew of hormonal changes. One of the main changes is boosting the production of the hormone progesterone to help your body prepare for your baby. Progesterone supports the growth of your milk glands and produces a neurotransmitter in your brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid (aka GABA), which eases anxiety, stimulates calmness, and induces sleep.  
• Increased blood supply – To support your little one’s growth throughout your pregnancy, your body will ramp up its blood supply, increasing it by 30 to 50 percent. This extra blood carries oxygen and nutrients to your baby, and its production and pumping can drain your energy levels. 
• Growing a placenta – During your first trimester, your body is tasked with building a placenta—the organ that will supply your baby with nutrients and oxygen so she can thrive in your womb. It’s hard work to build this entirely new organ, and it requires tons of energy, as the placenta eventually grows to a surprising 1.5 pounds. The translation here? You’re likely going to feel tuckered out. 

Pregnancy fatigue is common and normal, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t annoying—especially when there’s so much you want to get done before your little one arrives!

Feeling extra tired might be difficult to avoid during the first stretch of pregnancy, but you can try to find some relief by:

• Shooting for an earlier-than-usual bedtime 
• Leaning on your partner, friends, or family for support 
• Replacing FOMO— with FOMS, the fear of missing sleep
• Eating healthy, energy-sustaining meals with proteins and complex carbohydrates
• Boosting endorphins with light to moderate exercise 

Changes in Your Breasts 

If you have tender, achy or sore breasts and barely fit into your bra, you might be experiencing one of—or rather two of—the very first signs of pregnancy.  

Breast changes happen early on due to the changing hormone levels in estrogen and progesterone that flood your body during pregnancy. In fact, these changes can sometimes occur even before you can count on accurate results from pregnancy tests, which work by detecting a build-up of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a chemical that’s released when the embryo implants in the uterine lining (usually no sooner than 10 days after conception).

Estrogen and progesterone are the first to surge, before hCG. This mighty tag-team readies your breasts for lactation by stimulating the growth of breast ducts and milk-producing glands and giving you some major(ly painful) cleavage. 

While these hormones get to work, you might feel certain growing pains, including:

• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Feelings of heaviness
• Tingling

Most of your breast tenderness and pain will dissipate after your body adjusts to the new (hormonal) normal, but until then, you can seek relief with a supportive, comfortable bra, hot showers, and cold compresses. 

Spotting and Cramping 

The first few weeks of pregnancy can be confusing, especially if you’re experiencing symptoms that mimic what you typically deal with on your period, including spotting and cramping. About 10 to 14 days after conception, you might experience uterine cramps and light vaginal bleeding as the embryo, or fertilized egg, implants into the lining of your uterus. 

Implantation might feel a little bit like period pain, and it generally occurs around the time you usually menstruate—both of which can pile on the uncertainty about if you’re pregnant.

You might be able to differentiate implantation cramps and bleeding from a menstrual period by looking for:

• Vaginal Discharge Color – Implantation bleeding may be light pink or brown. 
• Volume – Implantation bleeding is much lighter than menstruation, from a single drop of blood to a light discharge. It probably won’t resemble your usual flow, contain clots, or require a tampon.
• Pain level – Implantation cramps are generally lighter and less intense than menstruation and should pass within a few hours or days. Implantation can be felt in the abdomen, pelvis, and lower back. 
• Duration – Implantation pain and bleeding generally last 1 to 3 days, while periods typically span 4 to 7 days. 

Increased or Frequent Urination 

It’s a common misconception that the increased urination you experience in pregnancy only occurs in the second or third trimester when your baby grows big and strong enough to stomp on your bladder.

This definitely might be in the cards (especially if bold, audacious dance moves have been inherited), but there might also be frequent trips to the bathroom when you’re newly pregnant. It has less to do with your excitable child-to-be and more to do with the increased blood flow that happens when you’re pregnant. 

When your body creates blood, it sends it to your kidneys for a little detailing. Your kidneys get to work adjusting the salt, water, and minerals levels in your blood and filtering out waste, which becomes urine and collects in the bladder. 

Increased blood volume during pregnancy means more filtering for your kidneys. More filtering for your kidneys means more urine in your bladder (regardless of how much liquid you’re drinking). And more urine in your bladder means more visits to the ladies’ room. 

Morning Sickness and Stomach Upset 

You’ve probably heard of morning sickness. You might even know that it can strike at any time—morning, noon, or night. What causes this pregnancy-related stomach upset? Is there any way to find relief from this early pregnancy symptom?

While the exact source of morning sickness isn’t known, it likely has something to do with the hormonal changes occurring in your body. These hardworking and slightly pesky hormones are also linked to:

• Food aversions
• Food cravings
• Constipation
• Heartburn
• Bloating

If you’re one of the many pregnant people who experience morning sickness during the first trimester, rest assured that it gets better (as morning sickness is generally at its worst in the first trimester). Morning sickness tends to strike within the first 9 weeks of pregnancy and go away by week 14. 

That said, some women suffer morning sickness more intensely than others. This more intense version is called Hyperemesis Gravidarum. And some women experience nausea, food aversions, and vomiting through their second and third trimesters. 

If you’re struggling with a troubled tummy, you might find relief by:

• Staying hydrated
• Eating small meals throughout the day
• Keeping snacks, like crackers, handy
• Following the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) 
• Drinking ginger tea or chewing ginger candy

Missed Period 

Another one of the first signs you’re pregnant? A missed menstrual period. 

When your period goes from late to never, you might experience anxiety, hope, excitement—or all three. 

But not all missed periods mean that you’re pregnant. Delays in your menstrual cycle can happen for various reasons, including:

• Weight gain 
• Weight loss
• Stress
• Hormonal issues

If you’ve recently stopped taking birth control pills, that might be the culprit for your missed period, as it can take a few months for your cycle to get back on track. Whatever the reason, it’s better to be safe than sorry, make sure to see a doctor or take a home pregnancy test so you know for sure.

SneakPeek®: Tests You Can Count On 

The first weeks of pregnancy can be thrilling, mysterious, and, yes, a little bit uncomfortable. But with every new day, your little one is becoming—and you’re becoming, too. Your body is transforming and working around the clock to help your baby thrive. If you’re interested in learning more about your pregnancy check out our blogs on pregnancy symptoms by week and signs your pregnancy is going well in the first trimester. 

At SneakPeek, we know this journey is unlike any other, and it can come with some uncertainties. That’s why we want to provide some clarity.

The SneakPeek At-Home Early Gender DNA Test is the #1 OBGYN-recommended at-home gender test. It’s easy-to-use and clinically proven to be over 99% accurate¹ at detecting gender as early as 6 weeks into your pregnancy. That’s weeks before genitalia becomes recognizable in an ultrasound! So you can start celebrating with your loved ones, poring over baby name blogs, and picking out clothes even sooner. Just leave painting the nursery to the ones without morning sickness. 

Ready to take a peek into your future? Join the over 1 million happy moms who already have by choosing SneakPeek®. 

Sources:

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12. Mayo Clinic. Pregnancy weight gain: What’s healthy?  https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-weight-gain/art-20044360