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Early pregnancy can be a tough, confusing time — especially for first time parents. Sometimes, early pregnancy symptoms, miscarriage symptoms, and period symptoms can all seem to overlap, leaving you wondering what's actually going on in your body. And if you're actively trying to conceive, these questions might begin before you've even gotten a positive pregnancy test. It's a lot to take in!
But if you're wondering if what you're feeling are early pregnancy symptoms, menstrual cycle weirdness, or something else entirely, keep reading. Let's demystify exactly how you might be feeling in those first few weeks of pregnancy — and what you can do to feel better ASAP.
How early pregnancy symptoms might start
If you've been pregnant before (or if you've been doing your research), you probably already know that the way your pregnancy is dated is a bit wonky. Your pregnancy actually starts at your last period, so when you conceived your baby you were already technically two weeks pregnant. This means many parents-to-be might not get that positive test until they're four weeks (or more) in. Knowing that, how early pregnancy symptoms might start is definitely an interesting topic.
According to American Pregnancy, some pregnant people might feel symptoms as soon as one week after conception, while for others, it can be a bit longer. One of the very earliest symptoms that you might recognize will be symptoms of implantation, like bleeding or cramping when the embryo attaches to the uterine wall (though not everyone will experience this). Otherwise, you may not experience many early pregnancy symptoms before a missed period. Without these symptoms, how do you know if you are pregnant? Take a test, or make an appointment with a doctor for a blood test for pregnancy to be 100% sure.
If you've gotten that positive test and you're not feeling much of anything, take heart: those pregnancy pains will come for you soon enough!
Morning sickness, tender breasts, and more: What you'll experience first
The symptoms you may face in the first couple of months of pregnancy are pretty much like what you see in movies — the morning sickness can be real for some moms-to-be. Week by week, pregnancy symptoms will likely change, but according to the Mayo Clinic here are some of the earliest symptoms you might feel — thanks to pregnancy hormones running wild in your body:
- Tender breasts
- Nausea and/or vomiting (and despite the name morning sickness, this can happen at any time of the day)
- Fatigue
- Bloating
- Mood swings
- Food aversions
There are also some weird early pregnancy symptoms to look out for, too, like nasal congestion and constipation, which can both be brought on by an increased blood volume beginning in your body. The more you know!
These early weeks of pregnancy can also be a bit scary, because this is also the time when your pregnancy is at its most vulnerable. If you experience any miscarriage symptoms like cramps or bleeding (though signs of pregnancy spotting can be normal), it never hurts to contact your doctor.
"If you feel something different in your pregnancy… or anything that just doesn’t make sense — it shouldn’t be happening — the best thing to do is to contact your provider," OB-GYN Dr. Daniela Carusi told Today.
How to cope with early pregnancy symptoms
If pregnancy already has you feeling run down, remember to take care of yourself! Dealing with pregnancy pains can be overwhelming, so be kind to yourself — and try to resist the urge to Google absolutely everything as you wait to see a doctor to officially confirm your pregnancy and find out your due date.
If you're feeling tired, take a nap when you can and be sure to get adequate sleep at night. If you're nauseous, eating the right foods for morning sickness can help, and so can eating small meals throughout the day and snacking on ginger candy. And if you're uncomfortable, well… remember it's never too early to invest in a pregnancy pillow!
"I knew I was pregnant — thank goodness for those early pregnancy tests — but the news still seemed surreal. The symptoms, though, those seemed to be reenforcing the fact of my impending little one quite forcefully," mom Gretchen Bossio wrote for Mom.com. "Baby might be small, but they — and my pregnancy hormones — are quite mighty."
Early pregnancy symptoms are a lot, so give yourself some grace. You're creating human life!
