If you have a regular monthly menstrual cycle, the earliest and most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period. In the first few weeks of pregnancy you may have a bleed similar to a very light period, with some spotting or only losing a little blood. This is called implantation bleeding. Every pregnancy is different and not
everyone will notice all of these symptoms. You may feel sick or be sick. This is commonly known as morning sickness, but it can happen at any time of the day or night. Morning sickness symptoms usually start when you’re around 4-6 weeks
pregnant If you're being sick all the time and cannot keep anything down, see a GP. You may have hyperemesis gravidarum, a serious condition in pregnancy that causes severe vomiting and needs treatment. It's common to
feel tired, or even exhausted, during pregnancy, especially during the first 12 weeks or so. Hormonal changes in your body at this time can make you feel tired, sick, emotional and upset. Your breasts may become larger and feel tender, just as they might do before your period. They may also tingle. The veins may be more visible,
and the nipples may darken and stand out. You may feel the need to pee more often than usual, including during the night. Other signs of pregnancy you may notice are: During early pregnancy, you may find you no longer like some foods or drinks you used to enjoy.Early signs of pregnancy
Feeling sick during pregnancy
Feeling tired is common in pregnancy
Sore breasts in early pregnancy
Peeing more often suggests pregnancy
Strange tastes, smells and cravings
You might notice:
- a strange taste in your mouth, which some describe as metallic
- you crave new foods
- you lose interest in certain foods or drinks you used to enjoy, such as tea, coffee or fatty food
- you lose interest in smoking
- you have a more sensitive sense of smell than usual – for example, the smell of food or cooking
If you're worried about any symptoms you're having, talk to a GP or your midwife.
If your pregnancy test is negative
A positive test result is almost certainly correct, as long as you have followed the instructions correctly.
A negative result is less reliable. If you get a negative result and still think you may be pregnant, wait a week and try again.
If you're pregnant, use the pregnancy due date calculator to work out when your baby's due.
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Video: what pregnancy symptoms are normal?
In this video, a midwife describes which symptoms during pregnancy are normal.
Media last reviewed: 20 March 2020
Media review due: 20 March 2023
While some pregnancy symptoms start very early, most of the time, you won't notice anything right away. Anything that happens immediately after having sex, like spotting, increased discharge, or feeling tired or nauseated, is usually unrelated to pregnancy.
Other than a missed period, pregnancy symptoms tend to really kick in around week five or six of pregnancy. One 2018 study of 458 pregnant people found that 72% detected their pregnancy by the sixth week after their last menstrual period.
Symptoms, such as breast tenderness and morning sickness, tend to develop abruptly. Typically this happens about two weeks from when you missed your last period (six weeks since you actually had a period). Occasionally you will hear of someone who has symptoms right around their first missed period, but this timing is less common.
When Do Early Pregnancy Symptoms Start?
Regardless of your feelings about a possible pregnancy, it can be easy to ascribe any sensations you're having to potential pregnancy symptoms. However, keep in mind that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms and those of early pregnancy can be very similar—and pregnancy symptoms most often don't occur until after you've missed a period not before.
Having symptoms a day or two after having sex is usually not a sign of pregnancy. Here are some things to consider as you try to determine if you're pregnant.
Am I Pregnant? Real Women Share Their Early Signs
Nausea
Nausea immediately after sex is something you may question as a sign of pregnancy. However, your body doesn't have enough time to react to produce that symptom due to a pregnancy resulting from recent intercourse.
For most pregnant people, pregnancy-related nausea begins two to eight weeks following conception. So, if you are having pregnancy-related nausea, you became pregnant weeks before.
Pregnancy Test
A pregnancy test is the best way to tell if you are pregnant or not. However, you must wait until you miss your period to get the most accurate results from a urine pregnancy test.
This can be a home pregnancy test or a pregnancy test from your doctor, midwife, or health department. A blood test (quantitative beta HCG) might show positive results as early as one week after ovulation.
Basal Body Temperature Charting
Basal body temperature (BBT) can predict and suggest ovulation. This only works if you have been taking your temperature in the days prior to ovulation. Temperature elevation (approximately 0.5 to 1 degree F) begins one or two days after ovulation and persists for several days.
Temperature elevation identifies prior ovulation; it does not diagnose pregnancy.
Why You Might Feel Pregnant
It can be fairly common to experience some physical symptoms as you enter into what many people call the two-week wait, the period of time between when you ovulate and when you expect your period. These symptoms can include:
- Breast soreness
- Feeling bloated
- Frequent urination
- Headaches
- Mood swings
- Nausea and/or changes in appetite
While all of the symptoms could be pregnancy symptoms, they can also be explained by either fluctuation in your hormones due to your menstrual cycle, or by other events in your life. These events can include illness, stress, or even something as simple as not enough sleep or too much exercise.
Some people experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms as pregnancy symptoms, whereas others do not typically have these symptoms every cycle.
When you experience a symptom that is not common to your cycle, it may be easily confused with a potential pregnancy.
To help relieve focusing on these symptoms, you can take positive steps for your physical and emotional health. Eating nutritious foods, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol will promote your health and wellness whether or not it turns out you are pregnant.
When Pregnancy Is Unintentional
If you had unprotected sex or a contraceptive failure and fear you could get pregnant, emergency contraception is an option. Commonly called the "morning-after pill," medications are available over-the-counter (without a prescription) that can prevent pregnancy if taken within five days of having unprotected sex.
The sooner you take these medications, the more effective they are in preventing unintended pregnancy. These medications do not cause an abortion, but rather prevent a pregnancy from being established.
A Word From Verywell
Fears or hopes of getting pregnant can be an emotional roller coaster. You won't know for sure whether you are pregnant until a couple of weeks have passed since the potential conception. To help relieve focusing on symptoms, you can take positive steps for your physical and emotional health. Eating nutritious foods, quitting smoking, and limiting or avoiding alcohol will help promote your health and wellness whether or not it turns out you are pregnant.
By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD,
MPH
Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH is a professor, author, childbirth and postpartum educator, certified doula, and lactation counselor.
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