7 Early Signs of Pregnancy (13 Moms Share Their Early Pregnancy Symptoms)

Have you ever asked yourself “Could I be pregnant?” More so, have you wondered “what are the early signs of pregnancy” and “what early pregnancy symptoms should I lookout for?”

I am right there with you my friend.

Looking to get pregnant with my children were one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.

However, despite my nursing background and pregnancy knowledge prior to conceiving, I found myself questioning early signs of pregnancy.

It is a monthly game that can feel exciting and discouraging all at the same time. Especially if you are trying to get pregnant right away.

So, if you are in the process of trying to conceive and would like to learn about the early signs of pregnancy, you are in the right place.

Next, we will cover the clinical early signs and symptoms of pregnancy along with the early pregnancy symptoms stories of 13 moms who share their story.

Early Signs of Pregnancy

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Early pregnancy symptoms range from woman to woman.

In addition, early symptoms of pregnancy are often confused with premenstrual symptoms making them even harder to detect.

Next, are some of the most common pregnancy symptoms to lookout for in the early stages of pregnancy (3-8 weeks).

1. Missed period

Well, this might sound like the obvious, but for women who are extremely regular in their monthly cycle, this is one of the first clear signs of early pregnancy. On the other hand, this early pregnancy sign is often overlooked for women with irregular periods.

2. Implantation Bleeding

Implantation bleeding which happens 6-12 days after conception may present as a light pinkish-brownish discharge. It happens as a result of when the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterine lining. For woman with irregular periods implantation bleeding might not be anything out of the norm and they might confuse it with menstrual spotting.

3. Mild Cramping and Back Pain

During the first trimester your body is preparing for your growing baby. As a result, you’ll likely feel mild to moderate cramping in your lower abdomen. Pregnancy back pain might also start to make an early appearance.

Related: 11 Ways to Find Pregnancy Back Pain Relief

4. Nausea and Vomiting

Whoever named it “morning sickness” has clearly never been pregnant before. Nausea and/or vomiting could be clear indicators of early pregnancy and can happen any time of the day. In some instances it lingers for the entire pregnancy.

Although some women never experience nausea and/or vomiting in early pregnancy, others do. It is usually the most noticeable between week 3 and week 9 of pregnancy, in most cases subsiding when entering the second trimester.

Related Article: 10 Natural Morning Sickness Remedies That Work!

5. Breast changes

Another early sign of pregnancy is breast tenderness and discomfort.

Many women experience changes in their breasts as early as the first few weeks of pregnancy including soreness and tenderness.

In addition, you will also notice darkening of the areola. According to TheBump.com, this can happen as early as a week or two after conception as result of surging pregnancy hormones and in preparing your breasts to breastfeed your baby.

6. Fatigue and Dizziness

Fatigue is also a common early sign of pregnancy. Although not the case for every woman, pregnancy fatigue and exhaustion can present itself in the first few weeks of pregnancy.

Lightheadedness and dizziness can also be a sign of early pregnancy. It happens as a result of hormonal changes and even fluctuations in blood sugar and blood pressure.

Related Article: How to Prevent and Ease Pregnancy Fatigue and Exhaustion (13 best ways)

7. Increased urination

Increased in urination frequency could also be one of the first signs of pregnancy although it doesn’t become more apparent until the 6th to 8th week.

Other Early Signs of Pregnancy

Here are other pregnancy symptoms that might present themselves in early pregnancy:

• Headaches
• Constipation
• Food cravings and/or aversions
• Mood swings
• Increased in vaginal discharge

So, does it sound like you will be needing a handy Pregnancy Planner? If so, you will love the Ultimate Pregnancy Planner Bundle. If you don’t need it quite yet, make sure you bookmark this page so that you can start your pregnancy with these incredible resources that will help you stay organized and be prepared.

13 Moms Share Their Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Because early pregnancy signs and symptoms vary from woman to woman is it a great thing to hear what other moms have gone through and experienced.

Often times, clinical symptoms suggest one thing, but you end up experiencing something different.

Next, are the stories of 13 mom’s early pregnancy symptoms (including mine) so that you know what to expect when it is your turn.

My Story

I have a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old. My very first pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage for a total of 3 pregnancy. All three pregnancies we planned and as you can imagine, every month was an exciting roller-coaster of over analyzing every single symptom in hopes we were indeed pregnant.

I would keep note of the changes and texture in my vaginal discharge as it served as an indicator of my fertile window. Ovulation kits were also helpful.

Often, I found myself taking a pregnancy test even a few days before my period. I would use the line indicator pregnancy test and after applying a good amount of early morning pregnancy urine I would hold the test up against a bright window to see if I saw a faint positive line. A few days after I would then use the Clearblue digital pregnancy tests to confirm.

Some people might call that crazy, I call it excitement, lol.

It turned out that with all three pregnancies I was able to see a faint positive line even a few days before my period.

As far as early signs of pregnancy here is the breakdown:

Second pregnancy (boy): mild lower abdomen cramping (week 3+), sore breast (week 3+), lightheadedness (week 3), nausea (week 4+), vomiting (week 5 – week 8).

Third pregnancy (girl): mild lower abdomen cramping (week 3+), sore breast (week 3+), nausea and vomiting (week 5 – week 17).

In addition to early pregnancy symptom differences there were also many other second pregnancy differences vs first as well. I also believe that the baby’s gender and subsequent pregnancies might also dictate pregnancy symptoms as well.

12 Other Moms Stories

I became pregnant through IVF but I knew I was pregnant because my breasts were unusually tender which is something I’ve never experienced before pregnancy.   – Rebecca from Orthodox Sunflower

Nipple soreness that didn’t subside before a period as usual. Also, ongoing and increase in cervical discharge.  – Sarah from The Stylish Mommy

The first signs of pregnancy I experienced were random cramps that felt like my abdomen was stretching. About a week later I couldn’t stand the sight or smell of sweets. I have a major sweet tooth so that’s when I knew I was pregnant for sure!  – Jenn from Steadfast 365

I am never late with my period. With my most recent pregnancy I took an early test and it said negative. My period ended up not coming after three days of my missed day and I thought for sure it had to be it and it was! We were pregnant sure enough. Other than that I don’t have any of “the common” symptoms!  – Josephine from Better as Us

I first had headaches and then a few periods of feeling light-headed and dizzy. I also started to have food aversions early on (like suddenly not wanting my coffee) which always happens to me when I’m pregnant (I’ve had 6 pregnancies).   – June from The Experienced Mama

My first sign of pregnancy was that I was so tired that I couldn’t get up and I didn’t want to eat anything. I just wanted to sleep. Then I took a test about 30 days after my previous period and it was positive. A week later I was nauseated and the morning sickness kicked in.   – Ashley from The Irish Twin’s Momma

I noticed the typical stuff like tender breasts and extreme fatigue. But both times early in pregnancy I experienced a brief dizzy spell. It only lasted a few seconds, but coupled with the other symptoms it made me wonder enough to take a pregnancy test right then. And wouldn’t you know, positive! The second time around I knew exactly what was going on!  – Elissa from Bear Love Meadow

With both my pregnancies, I was super clumsy very early on.  Also my big (think 80 lbs) puppy was attached to my hip 2 weeks before I tested positive, until we went to the hospital for delivery. Oh, the nausea, how I don’t miss you.  I was nauseated very early on through the entire pregnancy.  – Sara from Unbreakable Sara

My first pregnancy symptom with all 3 of my babies was debilitating lower back pain. Three pregnancies later, I found out I have a tilted uterus so typical cramps occur in my lower back – everything makes sense now!  – Ashley from Chronically Caffeinated Mom

Besides my missed period, I experienced breast tenderness that was more extreme than my normal monthly PMS symptoms. Once the cramping, daily headaches, and moodiness set it I knew it was time for a pregnancy test to confirm or deny whether our family was expanding!  – Rebecca from Collecting Clovers

My first symptom was actually morning sickness, which usually comes in a bit later, but I had it 6 days before my missed period! I thought I had the flu at first, but the way it came and went throughout those first few days seemed strange. But then the breast pain started that night, and I knew that was it. Still took two days to get a positive on an early-read test though!  – Dani from Diapers in Paradise

My first signs, besides being late for my period, were mild nausea and sore breasts. I was also suddenly super emotional, much more than usual.  – Connie from The Rose Patch

Related Articles:

• 10 Natural Morning Sickness Remedies

In summary

Early pregnancy signs and symptoms can vary from woman to woman depending on multiple factors.

It is easy to confuse early pregnancy signs with PMS because some of the early symptoms are very similar.

However, your body will start to experience things it hasn’t before, and it will let you know when it senses something different happening… a growing baby!!!

What early pregnancy symptoms do you think you might be experiencing?

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