Note: Information provided on this page is for general education only, please seek medical assistance when in doubt
Thought the correct way to check and confirm the pregnancy is the pregnancy test, however upon missing your period and if you are pregnant, the earliest signs and symptoms of pregnancy might include:
- Missed period is the most common pregnancy symptom.
- Tender and swollen breasts, hormonal changes during pregnancy might make your breasts tender, sensitive or sore and/or your breasts might feel fuller and heavier. The area around the nipples, called the areola, may also darken.
- Nausea with or without vomiting also called morning sickness, which can strike at any time of the day or night, sometimes begins as early as three weeks after conception.
- A typical unusual smell.
- Frequent and Increased urination.
- Fatigues due to increased levels of the hormones, which can make you feel sleepy.
- Food aversions or cravings, while one may not have a strong desire to eat pickles and ice cream, many women will feel cravings for certain foods when they are pregnant. Some women develop aversions to certain types of food early in pregnancy and may find turning up their nose away from certain foods.
- Spotting, generally few days after conception, the fertilized egg attaches itself to wall of the uterus; this can cause one of the earliest signs of pregnancy called spotting, this bleeding generally lasts for a short time and is usually much lighter than menstrual bleeding.
- Cramping, some women may experience mild uterine cramping early in pregnancy.
- White milky discharge from vagina, this discharge is related to the thickening of the vagina's walls, which starts almost immediately after conception.
- Mood swings, the flood of hormones in early pregnancy can make unusually emotional and weepy mood swings.
- Dizziness, pregnancy causes blood vessels to dilate and blood pressure to drop resulting feeling lightheaded or dizzy.
- Constipation, hormonal changes can sometime cause digestive system to slow down, which can lead to constipation.
- Backaches, lower backaches may be a symptom that occurs early in pregnancy; however, it is common to experience a dull backache throughout pregnancy.
- Headaches, sudden rise of hormones in your body can cause you to have headaches early in pregnancy.
- Darkening of Areolas, the skin around your nipples may get darker..
Unfortunately, above signs and symptoms aren't unique and may differ person to person and pregnancy to pregnancy. Likewise you can be pregnant without experiencing any of these signs and symptoms.
In general if you miss a period and notice any of the signs or symptoms listed above, it’s a time to take home pregnancy test. In case your home pregnancy test is positive, make an appointment with your health care provider so that you can begin prenatal care earlier.