So, could you be pregnant?
If you are reading this, this question is probably weighing heavy on your mind.
A lot of women show early pregnancy symptoms, but not all do. For many women, these symptoms can start as early as a week or two after missing a period.
When Do Pregnancy Symptoms Start?
When pregnancy symptoms start will differ from person to person. For some people, it is usually within a few days after conception. For others, the first symptoms will show up several months after conception.
When the symptoms appear will also differ across multiple pregnancies, so if you have been pregnant before, you cannot use that experience as a baseline.
Therefore, if you miss your period and you are also experiencing symptoms like fatigue, spotting, tender breasts, and morning sickness, the best way to be completely sure is to take a home pregnancy test.
10 Early Pregnancy Symptoms
As you go through this list of early pregnancy symptoms, keep in mind that the only way to know for sure whether you are pregnant or not is to take a pregnancy test or to visit your GP. You may experience these symptoms and not be pregnant. On the other hand, some women do not experience any of these symptoms and still have a full-term pregnancy.
1.High basal Body Temperature
Your basal body temperature will increase by about one degree at conception and remain elevated throughout your pregnancy.
2.Breast Changes
Sensitive, swollen breasts could also indicate pregnancy. This usually occurs due to increased levels of estrogen and progesterone. These breast changes typically start at 1-2 weeks after conception and reduce in intensity as your pregnancy progresses.
3.Spotting
Sometimes, spotting can happen about 6 to 12 days after conception. This is called implantation bleeding and it usually appears as light spotting at around the time your period is due.
4.Smell Sensitivity
If you notice that previously mild odors or scents have become strong and unappealing, it may be an early pregnancy symptom.
5.Fatigue
If you have started feeling extremely tired all of a sudden, you might be pregnant. Your body is using a lot of energy to build the placenta. This early fatigue can set in as early as the first week after conception and goes away on its own after a few weeks.
6.Morning Sickness
Morning sickness can either show up very early (about two weeks after conception) or very late (a month or two after conception).
Keep in mind that it is not only limited to mornings. You can experience pregnancy-related nausea at any time of the day.
7.Frequent Urination
This usually starts about 2 to 6 weeks after conception. This happens because of the increased blood flow to your kidneys to help your body get rid of waste faster. It may also happen because the growing fetus is exerting pressure on your bladder.
8.Abdominal Bloating
Soon after you conceive, you may notice that your clothes feel a little tighter. The buildup of progesterone slows down digestion to increase the efficiency of food absorption. This can lead to bloating around your waistline even before you start to show.
9.Constipation
This is another early pregnancy symptom, usually a result of bloating. Exercising regularly, staying hydrated, and eating fiber-rich foods will help ease it.
10.Missed Period
If your periods are always regular and you miss one, you should probably do a pregnancy test because you may be pregnant.
Final thoughts
It is impossible to predict when pregnancy symptoms will start because they differ from woman to woman. However, knowing what to look out for will help you figure out when your own symptoms start. That said, for most women, the first sign of pregnancy is a missed period.
