Early pregnancy can look different for every woman and every birth. Some women may experience a subtle pregnancy glow, while others may endure more noticeable physical and emotional shifts. Though a pregnancy test is the only way to find out for sure, your body may start showing subtle signs of pregnancy within weeks after conception.
At South Miami OG-GYN Associates, we want to help you make the best decisions for your body. If you may be pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, schedule an appointment with our obstetricians in South Miami or Downtown Doral today.
Am I Pregnant?
You may notice physical changes in your body before taking a pregnancy test. The important thing to know is that simply missing your period does not indicate a pregnancy. While that is one sign, there are many other common early pregnancy signs that could mean you’re expecting.
Here are 14 of the Most Common Symptoms
1. Missed Period
This is the most common and often the first potential early sign of pregnancy. When someone is not pregnant, the body sheds the extra lining of the uterus, resulting in menstrual bleeding. During pregnancy, the body keeps this lining in preparation for the fetus, and as a result, you will often miss your period.
2. Nausea or Morning Sickness (even at night)
While not everyone experiences this symptom, morning sickness and general feelings of nausea are strong early indicators of pregnancy. Typically, morning sickness sets in around the fourth week of pregnancy—around the time you’d notice a missed period.
On the other hand, some may experience morning sickness at night.
3. Food Aversions
While food aversions can occur for multiple reasons, it’s often an early sign of pregnancy when coupled with other symptoms.
4. Food Cravings
Just as some foods may make cause food aversions or make you want to vomit, being pregnant may also make you crave certain foods. Hormonal fluctuations in your body cause this as it prepares to support a baby.
5. Tender or Swollen Breasts
Swollen breasts or breasts that are tingling or tender can also be early signs of pregnancy. If you’re pregnant, swollen breasts typically set in shortly after your missed period and are your body’s way of preparing for a baby.
6. Mild Cramping and Spotting
Mild cramping and spotting are common during a menstrual period but can also be an early sign of pregnancy. Spotting or light bleeding, also called implantation bleeding, can begin about two weeks after you’ve conceived. If you’re experiencing mild cramping or spotting, particularly in conjunction with a missed period, you may want to take a pregnancy test.
7. Moodiness
When you become pregnant, your body experiences increased progesterone and estrogen. This increase can affect the way you feel, resulting in symptoms of moodiness or sensitivity levels. If you’re suddenly experiencing moodiness, this may be an early sign of pregnancy.
8. Higher Basal Body Temperature
Some women monitor their ovulation cycles by tracking their monthly BBT (basal body temperature). If you’re not pregnant, your BBT will increase after you ovulate and then return to normal levels. If you are pregnant, your BBT will remain elevated.
9. Fatigue
If you’re feeling more fatigued than usual, this can be an early indicator of pregnancy. Fatigue occurs due to your body’s sudden shift in hormone levels and can set in as soon as a week after conception.
10. Bloating
Bloating is normal, but when coupled with other symptoms, particularly constipation, this could be an early sign of pregnancy. Bloating and constipation can occur, even simultaneously, as your body’s changing hormones slow your digestion.
11. Increased Sensitivity to Smell
Increased sensitivity to smell is a common early sign of pregnancy. This can also contribute to other symptoms, such as nausea and food cravings. Some women experience a metallic taste in their mouths due to an increase in estrogen.
12. Darkening Around the Areolas
If the areas around your nipples gradually become darker, this is often a sign of pregnancy. Some women may notice a darkening right away, while for others, it may occur later and more gradually as the pregnancy progresses.
13. Frequent Urination
During pregnancy, your blood volume increases, ultimately giving your kidneys more work to do to filter and remove waste. Frequent urination is a sign that your kidneys are working hard. Unless you’re drinking an extraordinary amount of fluids, pregnancy could be the reason why.
14. Pregnancy Glow
Pregnancy can make your skin look luminous. This is because the increased blood volume in your body creates a “glow” that makes your skin look rosier and slightly flushed. There isn’t an exact timeframe of when pregnancy glow can set in, but women typically notice it in the second trimester when other physical changes take place as well.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Many of these symptoms, in and of themselves, don’t necessarily indicate pregnancy. However, to gain more clarity, there are a few questions you can ask yourself as you examine how you feel and decide what to do next.
Questions to consider:
- Do you usually have regular menstrual cycles? Or do your periods tend to be irregular?
- What are all of the unusual symptoms you’re experiencing? Write them down.
- How long have you been noticing these symptoms? Days? Weeks?
- If your pregnancy test was positive, do you know the possible date of conception?
The answers to these questions can help you determine your next steps and are important pieces of information to share with your OB-GYN.
What To Do Next
The board-certified obstetricians at South Miami OB-GYN Associates are experts at helping you through every stage of pregnancy as well as labor and delivery. From a simple pregnancy test to prenatal care, screenings, and management of high-risk pregnancies and complicated deliveries, our talented physicians are here to help you every step of the way.
If you are experiencing any signs of pregnancy, schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified OB-GYNs in either our South Miami or Downtown Doral offices. We have both male and female physicians from whom to choose, as well as three talented nurse practitioners. Call 305.665.1133 or schedule your appointment online.
