How do you know you just might be a little tiny bit pregnant?…….
Very early pregnancy symptoms can be easily dismissed if you aren’t looking for them. Of course, missing a period is the most common and usual signs, but it’s not necessarily a sign of pregnancy, and missing a period usually means you are already a few weeks pregnant. For example, some women normally have irregular periods, so being a few days late isn’t something they tend to worry about. If you typically have light periods you may not even notice that anything is different with your body.
On top of that, sometimes a woman will bleed slightly when they would usually have their period, which is caused when the embryo fuses with the lining of the womb or an ‘Implantation Bleed’ – which is actually a very early sign of pregnancy!
But how else can you tell very early pregnancy symptoms?
More Reading:
Home Pregnancy Tests – How Good Are They?
Home pregnancy tests these days are usually accurate about 97% of the time and will show positive results anywhere from 11 days to two weeks after becoming pregnant. They are the first port of call when you experience any very early pregnancy symptoms. There is one brand of pregnancy test that will give you a result six days before your period is due! In fact, they are so good, many Doctors use these tests before confirming with a urine or blood test.
Pregnancy tests measure a chemical called human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, which spikes in a woman’s urine when she’s pregnant. So if you see the second line, however faint it might be, there is a good chance that yes indeed, you are pregnant. However, unless you’re looking for other signs, you may not even think to take a pregnancy test until a month later when you miss your period. There are other early symptoms that you can look for in the meantime.
Once you become pregnant, your hormones are going to behave much differently than they normally would. The first very early pregnancy symptom is usually tender breasts your body knows you’re pregnant even if you don’t, and it’s going to begin building up the tissue that you’ll need to create milk.
First Response is a Good Pregnancy Test for very early pregnancy
Some other symptoms of Very Early Pregnancy may include:
The thing with early pregnancy symptoms is that your body knows it is pregnant before you know – and there are some crazy assed symptoms – you may have one, all of them – or none at all. Just monitor how you feel normally and see how many of these apply:
You Have Tender and Full Breasts
As early as a week or two after conception, your body makes extra estrogen and progesterone and this triggers the glands in your breasts to start growing, getting ready for milk production. This surge of hormones makes your breasts feel large, heavy and sore – and that soreness can reach right up into your armpits. Look – the girls will look FABULOUS and full – but as they are sore – no one can really touch them!
Your Nipples Have Changed Colour
If you have noticed that your nipples are slightly darker in color – pregnancy could be the culprit. Although for most women this doesn’t happen until way later on in the pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones cause the nipples to darken in preparation for the baby to be able to recognize his food source!
Nipples usually go back to their original color after giving birth, but your areola will certainly grow and will stay somewhat enlarged.
Tiredness – More Than Usual
If you are struggling to get up in the morning, or are ready for bed at 7pm, this can be an early sign you are pregnant. It is common for women to be exhausted during the early stages of pregnancy, after all, your body is working hard, your hormones are surging and your heart is pumping faster and harder and mother nature is telling you to get all the sleep you can!
You Feel Like You Are Coming Down With Something
No, we aren’t talking about morning sickness here, more like a cold or flu. You know that feeling when you are getting sick, you feel drained, tired, and a bit achy? These are very common early pregnancy symptoms.
You could also have a headache, be a bit snotty or feel like you have a head cold.
PMS Symptoms or Cramping
Many times implantation of the embryo causes cramping in the uterine wall. This cramping is often put down to PMS or women thinking they are just getting their normal period. Plus the uterus is getting ready to expand – so it may be starting the stretching process early!
You Develop a Muffin Top
If you have noticed a belly where there wasn’t one before – no it isn’t your pregnancy showing yet – it is the pregnancy hormones that are getting your uterus ready to stretch! This can cause a bit of belly distention or a muffin top.
Muffin Tops are a Very Early Pregnancy Symptom to Look Out For
Implantation Bleeding
Got a few spots of blood in your undies? It might not be your period starting – implantation bleeding is where the fertilized egg implants itself into the uterus. It can release a couple of drops of pink (but usually brownish) discharge.
You Pee A LOT!
Most women associate peeing every five minutes with the last trimester of pregnancy. But a sudden need to go to the loo more often can be an early sign of pregnancy. The swelling and stretching of your uterus (see PMS Symptoms or Cramping above) can put pressure on your bladder – which makes you need to wee more. This usually does settle down during the second trimester.
You Have Frequent Headaches All of a Sudden
When you become pregnant, your heart is working harder than usual – after all – it is building a small human. But this increased blood volume can trigger a tension headache, particularly in the afternoons. So if your head is aching like a band of tension around your head – this could be a sign you are pregnant.
Just make sure that those headaches aren’t caused by dehydration or the need to wear glasses – all headaches should get checked out by your GP just to make sure!
You Start Snoring at Night
A crazy 49% of women snore during their pregnancies. And snoring is one of the very early pregnancy symptoms to look out for. The increased blood flow during pregnancy is to blame, this can cause swelling of the upper airways which can cause you to snore at night. Some women develop sleep apnea too – so it is important to monitor how you are feeling in the morning and to report any excessive snoring to your GP.
Snoring is one of the Many Very Early Pregnancy Symptoms
Your Nose is Runny
Crazy but true! A runny nose or a nasal drip is very common during pregnancy. Again you can blame the increased blood volume that puts pressure on your nasal vessels. It can cause blood noses too! Your runny nose could last the whole nine months too!
A runny nose is a classic very early pregnancy symptom!
Increased Vaginal Discharge
If you notice that your undies look like you have blown your nose on them – welcome to parenthood! This discharge is usually clear but can sometimes have a yellowish tinge to it – but there is a lot of it – and it can sometimes be a bit smelly. Make sure you mention this to your GP to rule out any problems such as thrush or an STD. Blame the pregnancy hormones on this one!
Metallic or Funny Taste in the Mouth and Pregnancy Breath
Does everything all of a sudden taste like aluminum foil? Does your partner complain your breath smells bad? These are pregnancy hormones at play.
Got Bad Breath? Another of the Very Early Pregnancy Symptoms to Look Out for
Everything Makes You Want To Cry
You see something sad on the television and you start crying like a baby! Well, maybe there is more to it! Early pregnancy hormones play with your head, and some women become sensitive to feelings of sadness – the slightest thing can set off tears! Mood swings are totally normal – especially in the early days of pregnancy. Time to buy a home pregnancy test and see!
Other Very Early Pregnancy Symptoms To Look Out For
- Very sensitive to odours especially meat
- Increased gas (farting – sad but true lol)
- Food Cravings
- Increased thirst
- Burping or Reflux
- Snoring, due to the extra production of mucus when you are pregnant
- Vomit Burps
- Your Feet start to swell
- You feel, well – different
Overall, you can expect to have surges in mood throughout most of your pregnancy, and it’s also common to become concerned about your health. A lot of women just have general, vague feelings of worry, like something is different but they just can’t place it. That, more than anything, is usually what tips you off to the fact that there may be a little bun growing in your oven.
If you even suspect that you may be pregnant, you should always start with a pregnancy test as soon as possible. If that reads positive, talk to your general practitioner or family doctor immediately and get in touch with an obstetrician or midwife to go in for a check-up.
Ladies Share Their Very Early Pregnancy Symptoms:
I Had Been trying for a Baby for 2.5 Years!
“I had heartburn (which I never have), and noticed it hurt my boobs when I slept on my stomach. I thought these very early pregnancy symptoms were all in my head because we had been trying for 2.5 years so obviously it was just wishful thinking. Then next day at work I must have peed fifteen times. At that point, I just knew. I even sat at my desk and made up a cute little sign with my due date to put with the test I was going to take when I got home. Drove home, took the test, sure enough! I was 3 weeks 5 days at that point.”
I Felt Really PMS’y
“I was queasy, it felt kinda like light carsickness. My period wasn’t due for a couple of days, and I wasn’t trying to get pregnant. I was actually avoiding it. So I didn’t suspect a thing, because the sore boobs and “pms” feelings all felt identical to when my period is about to start. I didn’t even think to test until I realized I was two days late, and I hadn’t been late in 6 months. I was nearly 5 weeks when I found out.”
Pregnosis is another good early pregnancy test for Very Early Pregnancy Symptoms
I Couldn’t Eat My Spaghetti and Meatballs.
“Met 2 girlfriends for like much and ordered spaghetti and meatballs. Our orders arrived and the minute I laid eyes on my plate, I had to push it away. There was no way I could eat it. Aside from that revulsion, I had no other early pregnancy symptoms.
My GFs joked that maybe I was pregnant, so I got a test and bam! Yeah, pregnant.”
I Was Crazy Thirsty
“I was crazy thirsty, considering taking a diabetes test even though my weight is normal. No other symptoms. I took a pregnancy test a bit before my expected period because we were trying, tested too early. Tested again like ten days later and the line showed up immediately, I had tender breasts but thought it may have been related to my period. I’m still crazy thirsty at 23 weeks.”
Crazy Tired
“Fatigue. Major, major fatigue. I was falling asleep at work because I was so tired, and no amount of sleep helped. I always tell people, “I never slept better than in the week before I found out I was pregnant.”
Implantation Bleeding
“My first very early pregnancy symptoms started with implantation bleeding and bad pregnancy breath, which I thought was my period starting but it never did. Then sleeping 20 hours a day. Then everything tasted rotten.”
I Was Easily Winded
“For me, I started getting suspicious when I got winded going up and downstairs. This probably started around 2 1/2, 3 weeks (I found out when I was about five weeks pregnant.) I worked out a lot so the fact that it just came out of nowhere made me wonder if something was going on.”
My Fiance Smelled Like Garbage
“My very early pregnancy symptoms were the loss of my sense of smell. My fiancé got food poisoning (or norovirus or something) and he smelled like garbage: literally garbage. It was seeping through his pores. I smelled the sick before he even started feeling nauseous.”
I Just Felt… Off
“My very early pregnancy symptoms were nothing crazy but I just felt a bit off…like it sort of felt like my period was coming but it didn’t, and it sort of felt like a cold coming on but it wasn’t. Also, I noticed I was really tired all day…sleeping 9 hours and then still feeling worn down. And super hungry all the time. That was just in the first month or so before I even knew for sure!”
I Was Light-Headed
“I felt lightheaded for a few days both times. I remembered we had unprotected sex and thought, maybe I should test. I did. Positive! The other symptoms rolled in like a tsunami afterwards.”
Fatigued at Exercise
“All of a sudden I couldn’t do my usual 30 minutes on my elliptical machine. I was exhausted by the 20 minute mark and I knew I had to be pregnant (and we had been trying for three months!).”
If you become concerned about your or anyone else’s health please seek immediate medical attention or go to our health hotlines and website post for further resources https://www.stayathomemum.com.au/my-kids/babies/important-hotlines-websites/