Missing your period can be frightening if you are not planning a pregnancy. However, if you have been sexually active, it is possible that you are pregnant. It is important to confirm pregnancy early with an accurate pregnancy test. Pregnancy symptoms may differ from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy. Some women experience signs or symptoms of pregnancy within a week of conception. For other women, pregnancy symptoms may develop over a few weeks or may not be present at all. Listed below are some common indications of pregnancy, but please be aware that there are other medical conditions that can also cause these same symptoms.

Missed Period

Missing your period is the clearest sign of pregnancy. But it is not definitive, as stress or other factors may cause irregular periods.

Vaginal Discharge

During the early stages of pregnancy, some women notice a thick, milky discharge. This is caused by the vaginal walls thickening. Women typically notice this during the first weeks of pregnancy, and it can last throughout pregnancy.

Tender/Swollen Breasts

Breast tenderness has been reported as early as the first week or two of pregnancy. Tenderness can mean breasts feel sore, sensitive, swollen, or heavy.

Fatigue/Tiredness

Women naturally secrete a hormone called progesterone. During pregnancy, the levels of progesterone rapidly increase, causing fatigue. This is typically noticed within the first few weeks of pregnancy.

Nausea/Morning Sickness

The queasy feeling isn’t limited to mornings. Most pregnant women who experience morning sickness feel slightly nauseated at other times during the day as well. About half have vomiting, but very few have severe enough morning sickness to develop dehydration and malnutrition.

Other Early Pregnancy Symptoms