Pregnancy Symptoms: Early Signs of Pregnancy Before Missed Period

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Do you feel slightly off and can’t quite put your finger on why? You may be pregnant!

Becoming pregnant can be a very exciting and stressful time. If you’re trying to get pregnant you may have already made changes to your daily habits to ensure your pregnancy is as healthy as it can be. However, if you’re not trying to conceive, you may now be getting paranoid about habits that may affect pregnancy.

Unfortunately, there’s no telltale way to see if you’re pregnant until you get that positive pregnancy test. Especially true is that early pregnancy symptoms can somewhat mimic PMS symptoms. However, there are early symptoms that you may start to notice that lead you to question whether you are pregnant or not. Check out what other symptoms you can expect during your first trimester.

With my first baby, I KNEW I was pregnant. After having a previous miscarriage, we weren’t quite ready to start trying again, but we weren’t “not trying” either. It was the week leading up to me taking the pregnancy test and things just felt off. That and I was taking turns using the bathroom all day at work with the girl only a week out from her due date and I was highly suspicious. So when I took the pregnancy test, I already knew the result before it even showed!

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So how can you tell if you’re pregnant before you get that positive test? Here are # early pregnancy symptoms.

1. Fatigue

One of the first symptoms you may start to feel after conception is fatigue. Our bodies start to point all of our energy towards hormone production. In particular, the hormone progesterone increases dramatically to help support the baby. Our blood circulation also increases as our bodies pump more blood towards the fetus. Per Johns Hopkins, this can lead to a faster heart rate and breathing rate for mom as well, making her even more tired. Sometimes, low iron levels can also cause excessive tiredness, although this is more common later in pregnancy. 

Don’t be worried if you’re excessively tired and feel the need to take daytime naps. This is 100% normal. Take naps where you can, eat healthy meals, partake in light exercise such as going for a walk, and drink plenty of water. Look forward to the second trimester when your energy levels should pick back up again!

2. Change in Bowel Habits

In early pregnancy, the body produces higher levels of the hormone progesterone, which can slow down digestion. This can lead to constipation or changes in bowel movements, such as diarrhea. Additionally, the growing uterus can put pressure on the intestines, further contributing to changes in bowel habits. During pregnancy, this was one of the first symptoms that I experienced, paired with acid reflux.

3. Acid Reflux

Speaking of acid reflux, this is another common symptom in early pregnancy. This occurs when stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest or throat. Pregnancy hormones can relax the muscles that control the flow of stomach acid, which can lead to increased instances of acid reflux. Ask your doctor what medications are safe to take for reflux during pregnancy.

4. Vivid Dreams

It is still unsure why exactly pregnancy causes more vivid dreams, but there are some possible explanations. It could simply be due to the intense hormonal changes we are going through. It could also be due to stress and anxiety. Another speculation is that our normal sleep patterns are messed up, thus interrupting our REM sleep. REM sleep is the deep part of our sleep cycle where dreams take place; therefore, it makes sense that our dreams would also be turned upside-down. Whatever the cause, it is normal for pregnancy to cause vivid and sometimes even terrifying dreams. 

5. Headaches

Another early pregnancy sign is frequent, recurring headaches. These can be pesky and make us feel worse than we likely already do. Top it with the fact that we can’t take certain medications such as NSAIDs (example-ibuprofen and Advil), they can be difficult to push through. 

These headaches can be due to multiple factors. First, the increase in hormones and blood flow. They could also be due to stress, fatigue, and eye strain. Pregnancy can also cause nasal congestion which could lead to sinus headaches as well. 

To help with headaches, drink plenty of water, rest when you can, and try to manage your stress. If your headaches persist or are severe, contact your doctor, as headaches in pregnancy can sometimes hint towards blood pressure problems and pre-eclampsia.

6. Frequent urination

This was my telltale symptom that I was pregnant with my son. As a nurse, I work long, 12/13-hour shifts in the hospital. We don’t have much time for bathroom breaks. The week leading up to me taking my pregnancy test, I was at work, and I was peeing nonstop!!!! One of my coworkers who was only 1 week away from giving birth to her son, would be coming out of the bathroom every time I would be going in. I found this highly suspicious and started wondering if I too, was pregnant. Well, on Friday of that week, I was taking a 1-hour online class for work. Sitting in my living room on the Zoom call, and I had already gone to the bathroom 3 times during that one-hour class!!!!  As soon as the class was over, and I had to pee yet again, I took a pregnancy test that I already had. Lo and behold, it was positive!!!

7. Change in vaginal discharge

Discharge. A topic that I’ve found that no one wants to talk about. When I was pregnant with my son I would ask other moms or pregnant women if they too were having weird discharge; they would look at me like I had 5 heads. Well, after consulting the internet and my OB, it turns out it’s a very common symptom. 

Discharge will increase during pregnancy due to your vaginal walls thickening and your estrogen levels increasing. Normal pregnancy discharge would be clear or milky white and have a mild smell. 

Just beware, pregnancy can also make us more susceptible to infections, such as yeast. Notify your provider if you have yellow/green discharge, a fishy smell, itching, a thick or lumpy discharge that resembles cottage cheese, bleeding (more than spotting), or a gush of fluid. 

8. Heightened Sense of Smell

About two-thirds of pregnant women are said to experience an increase in sensitivity to smell. Scents you may have previously enjoyed like the scent of your perfume or the smell of coffee brewing, may now have you running to the bathroom. This is said to be due to the increase in human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (HCG). Some may say our increased sense of smell is also a protective measure so we can identify a potentially harmful substance to the baby. Try to use more mild scents around the home where possible!

9. Nausea

Going hand-in-hand with the last symptom is nausea. Also due to the increase in HCG hormone during pregnancy, this symptom can lead to the infamous morning sickness. Another hormone that may be responsible for this symptom is estrogen. This is also why the old wives’ tales say that if you’re having a girl, you’re likely to be more nauseous as girl babies will increase your estrogen levels even more. 

Ways to manage this symptom would be to eat smaller, frequent meals, drink plenty of water, perform light exercises, take prenatal vitamins, wear acupressure bands or nausea wristbands, supplement with ginger (try candies, pops, chews, capsules, ginger ale, or tea), and aromatherapy (check with your provider on this one as some essential oils may be harmful to baby).

10. Swollen/Tender Breasts

Also due to an increase in hormones is the feeling of swollen or tender breasts. This symptom is not a telltale sign of pregnancy considering many women also feel this sensation before getting their period. However, if you are lucky enough to experience this early on, know it can last throughout the entire pregnancy and even through postpartum during breastfeeding. 

11. Food aversions/cravings

Another symptom that the increase in pregnancy hormones may cause is food aversions or food cravings. You may even crave food later in pregnancy that early on you cannot stand. Some say that food aversion is our bodies’ way of protecting babies from unsafe or spoiled foods. Despite pickles being a common food craving for most pregnant women, I ended up having a strong aversion to them. Two years postpartum with my son and I still have not regained a pallet for the taste of pickles, which is insane considering I used to be the type of person to drink the pickle juice straight from the jar. It’s crazy how pregnancy can change our food preferences. I also used to be a salty girl over sweets, but ever since being pregnant with my son, my sweet tooth is insatiable whereas I rarely will reach for anything salty. 

12. Metallic Taste or Teeth Sensitivity

The increase in pregnancy hormones also triggers an increase in our saliva. This may lead to a metallic taste in the mouth. I cannot speak much to this symptom as I do not recall experiencing it, but some say it is so bad that it causes them to not want to eat anything at all. 

Increased blood flow and hormone changes may also result in gum sensitivity and inflammation in the mouth. To minimize the effects of sensitive teeth during pregnancy, it’s essential to maintain good oral hygiene, brush, and floss regularly, and avoid sugary or acidic foods and drinks. If sensitivity persists or worsens, it’s important to consult with a dentist for proper evaluation and treatment.

13. Insomnia

Although you may be feeling more tired than usual during early pregnancy, and you may be getting more sleep overall, your quality of sleep may be lacking. Insomnia is when you have trouble falling asleep or you have trouble staying asleep, or both. This can occur during early pregnancy due to the increase in hormones, nausea, having to get up to pee, or even waking up due to vivid dreams.

14. Spotting or Cramping

One of the more scary symptoms of early pregnancy is spotting and cramping. These symptoms can be normal during early pregnancy and are often referred to as “implantation bleeding” and “implantation cramping.” These occur when the fertilized egg implants itself into the lining of the uterus.

Implantation bleeding typically occurs about 10 to 14 days after conception, around the time when a woman would expect her next menstrual period. It is usually light spotting and may be pink or brown. Cramping can accompany this bleeding and might feel similar to menstrual cramps.

However, it’s crucial to note that while spotting and mild cramping can be normal, any heavy bleeding, accompanied by severe cramping or abdominal pain, or contains clots should be evaluated by a healthcare provider as it could indicate a more serious issue like an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage. Additionally, if spotting or cramping persist for several days, or if other symptoms like fever, chills, or vaginal discharge occur, it’s important to seek medical attention promptly.

15. Other Hormonal Changes

I could tell I was pregnant when I started to notice some other hormonal changes alongside the aforementioned symptoms. Typically, I do not get acne breakouts except when it is a day or two before my period; however, during this time I was getting new spots every day. In addition, I started to notice a significant increase in the amount of hair fallout I was having in the shower. This notified me that I was indeed having hormonal changes.

In Conclusion

Hopefully, this post helped you to decipher whether you may be pregnant or not! Just remember, not all pregnant women get all or even any of the mentioned symptoms! It’s also possible that some of these symptoms are just due to your impending period. 

The only sure way to know if you are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. If your test is positive, congratulations!!!! Now that you’re pregnant, here’s what you should do next!