What are the Symptoms of Pregnancy?

Have you noticed some odd symptoms lately but aren’t sure what to look for if you might be pregnant? Are you looking for next steps if some symptoms point to pregnancy? We’ll answer both questions and give some guidance as to what you can do.

Here are some signs you can look for that can be caused by pregnancy:

• Missed period. If you have a regular period and it has been a week or more since you expected to start your period, this could be a sign of pregnancy. However, if you have an irregular period this can be misleading and it’s too hard to tell what the reason may be for the missed or late period.

• Sore or swollen breasts. If you are pregnant, hormonal changes can cause your breasts to be swollen and tender. Pregnant women often experience this as one of the early signs of pregnancy.

• Nausea with or without vomiting. Nausea during pregnancy (also called morning sickness) can happen anytime within the first month or two of pregnancy, night or day. Some women have a difficult time with it and others don’t experience it at all during pregnancy.

• Frequent urination. Have you noticed needing to pee more often? While a woman is pregnant, there is an increased amount of blood in her body, which makes her kidneys process more liquid out of the body.

• Fatigue. As another top ranked early symptom of pregnancy, fatigue and sleepiness usually happens within the first trimester. No one is sure what causes this but some think it may be the sudden change in hormones.

• Moodiness. Being emotional or having mood swings can be common.

• Bloating. It’s similar to the feeling you may get just as you start a period.

• Light spotting. Not every woman has a light spotting of blood at the beginning of a pregnancy. But for those who do, it is a result of implantation when a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus, around 10-14 days after conception. Light spotting will happen close to the time you would normally start your next period.

• Mild cramping. This happens early in pregnancy for some women.

• Changes in taste or smells. Due to hormonal changes, there may certain foods or smells you love or hate that are different from what you have experienced before.

• Nasal congestion. Having a stuffy or runny nose can be caused by the increased blood within the body due to pregnancy. This can also lead to a dry nose or nose bleeds.

Because any one of these symptoms can be linked to other causes, it’s important to know for sure if you are indeed pregnant.