There are an astonishing number of early pregnancy symptoms - some are well-known, others a big surprise and some tantalisingly similar to pre-menstrual signs or having a
period…1. TINGLY NIPPLES OR SORE, HEAVY BOOBS
Oh yes, a change to your boobs is the first sign of pregnancy for so many of our MFM mums, and can happen as early as 2 or 3 weeks of pregnancy. “I have sore nipples, not boobs just the nipples,” said MFMer Pinkpig-56913, just 5 days after ovulating.
Breasts can also feel tender or sore, while nipples may be tingly or prickly, (although, as we mentioned these can also be normal monthly changes).
Other symptoms can include breasts that feel heavy, itchy, sore and, um, feel veiny. Plus your nipples may feel more sensitive, more bumpy and they may even look darker. Then again, everyone is different, and some won’t feel any breast changes until later in pregnancy.
“I had very painful breasts when I took my bra off, although I am a 34H but they were agony,” says Bride-carly-barley, who also had other early symptoms. “I had morning sickness very early on, about 3 weeks, and my tastes changed. I couldn’t eat anything strong tasting and the smell of my husband making his morning coffee made me want to be sick!”
2. LATE OR MISSED PERIOD
Being late or missing your monthly period is the most well-known first sign of pregnancy, although the rest of the symptoms in our list are ones that you may experience even before you miss your period.
If you're trying to get pregnant, sadly a missed period doesn't necessarily mean you're pregnant. For many women, late and irregular periods can be the norm, which is why it's useful to know other symptoms.
If your period is unusually late, it's time to take a pregnancy test.
3. FEELING A LITTLE SICK
Probably the most talked about symptom is, of course, morning sickness. Around 80% of women have nausea during their pregnancy, with 50% actually throwing up. You can actually start feeling queasy from as early as two weeks of pregnancy, due to changes with your hormones. Nausea won’t necessarily always happen in the morning, as afternoon, evening and night-time sickness can also appear.
There are all sorts of tummy pains, twinges and niggles that some women feel in the early weeks after conceiving. Here are the most common…
4. PERIOD PAINS
This is a confusing symptom, as it can happen exactly around the time that you would expect period pains. If you’re hoping you might be pregnant and then start feeling menstrual-type cramps, this may be a sign of pregnancy rather than your period. However, it’s one of the less common symptoms.
5. STOMACH CRAMPS
Rather than period-style pains, some women experience a bit of tummy cramping. This may be due to your ligaments starting to stretch as your uterus changes shape.
6. TUMMY TWINGES, PULLING AND PINCHING
These are some of the terms our mums use in our forum when describing the sometimes curious feelings many of us have in our stomachs in early pregnancy. It might feel like your muscles are being stretched or even pinched from inside, and can be on one side and then the other.
“I had abdominal twinges at approx 5 weeks and panicked,” says MrsJohnstone in our forum. “But the doctor said it was just everything stretching and changing and not to worry.”
7. SPOTTING OR LIGHT BLEEDING
It’s not unusual to have light spotting or bleeding in early pregnancy – in fact it can occur in around 20% of pregnancies. You may have some spotting when your fertilised egg attaches to your womb lining, which is called implantation bleeding. Confusingly, it can occur just before or around the same time your period is due but is usually a bit lighter.
8. BLOATING
Yes, it’s that pesky pregnancy hormone progesterone that can give you a bump before your baby does. Your tummy can fill full and swollen, especially after a meal. When it comes to trips to the lav, there are many changes that can come with pregnancy…
9. FREQUENT TRIPS TO THE LOO
Often one of the most common early signs, you’re going to have to get used to this one. The loo may become your new best friend over the next few months.
10. URINARY TRACT INFECTION (UTI)
Confusingly, frequent trips to the loo can also be a sign of a urinary or bladder infection. And even more confusingly, both can be more likely when you’re pregnant due to your changing hormones. If you think you’ve got a UTI, visit your GP
11. TRAPPED WIND
Not as funny as it sounds, in fact not funny at all. Trapped wind can give you a painful bloated feeling in your stomach or under your ribs, even in very early pregnancy. Of course, trapped wind can also become passed wind – farting and burping – which can make you feel better afterwards, but maybe not those close by!
12. CONSTIPATION
Been regular and suddenly no-show poo? It’s another symptom of pregnancy and often an early one, due to changes in your hormone progesterone.
13. DIARRHOEA
Yes, the pregnancy gods have a sense of humour. If you’re not constipated you might have the runs. This can happen at any point in pregnancy, but is one of the symptoms several of our mums had in the first few weeks.
14. CHANGE IN CERVICAL MUCUS
Some of our MFM mums find their cervical mucus changes – usually that they seem to have more mucus than usual. In very early pregnancy, your mucus may be thinnish and slippery for longer than usual (its texture changes across your normal monthly cycle) and will then thicken due to the increase in progesterone. It’s usually a pale colour, but don’t worry if you see a brownish discharge – this is also common. It’s usually harmless, but if you’re worried, have a chat with your GP.
15. THRUSH
Thrush is another pregnancy symptom that is affected by the increasing level of the hormone progesterone – around 25% of pregnant women will get it. A sign of thrush can be increased cervical mucus but this is also a sign of early pregnancy. Thrush also has other symptoms – your mucus will be thicker and creamier, and you may also have itchiness and soreness, and possibly a stinging sensation when you wee.
Symptoms in your mouth are some of the more unusual signs…
16. STRANGE OR METALLIC TASTE
One of the most unexpected symptoms of early pregnancy is a sour or metallic taste in your mouth. Yep, once again it’s due to your progesterone hormone and it even has its own name – dysgeusia. "My first sympton was an aversion to diet coke which I normally love! It just seemed to taste funny. Then there was a bizarre dizzy feeling followed by extreme tiredness," explains Hushpuppy. But there can be other reasons why you have a strange taste in your mouth
17. EXCESS SALIVA
Another weird one – you may find you have more saliva in your mouth or notice a bit of drooling when you fall asleep!
18. DRY MOUTH
And then, you may get the opposite to excess saliva – a dry mouth. You may find you’re more thirsty than usual, which is normal but occasionally may be a sign of gestational diabetes.
19. BLEEDING GUMS
Not a pretty symptom - when you brush your teeth you may find you bleed a little.
20. TIREDNESS
From feeling a bit rundown to experiencing complete fatigue (here at MFM we call it pregxhaustion), sleepiness can be a very early sign that you’re pregnant. One MFM mum-to-be explained, “My tiredness was so bad that I recently made a cake with salt instead of sugar. I was so exhausted I didn’t check the labels!”
21. SLEEPLESSNESS
Adding to early pregnancy fatigue comes sleeplessness in early pregnancy. Yes, the pregnancy gods don’t play fair. Even if you don’t know you’re pregnant, you may find your mind races and body just doesn’t want to push up zzzs.
22. VIVID DREAMS
Well known as a peculiar pregnancy symptoms, vivid or weird dreams can happen in the first few weeks according to our
23. BACKACHE
Back pain, particularly in your lower back, is a symptom described by several of our mums – even right at the beginning of pregnancy. Although you don’t have a bump at this early stage, the pain can be caused by hormones that relax ligaments in your back, which can make it ache.
24. HEADACHES
Although more common during the latter part of your first trimester and then into your second, headaches can start early.
25. ACHY HIPS AND LEGS
Yep, it’s not just your back – your hips and legs may also ache at different times during pregnancy due to hormone changes.
26. LEG CRAMPS
A frequent symptom (around 33% of women get leg cramps at some point during pregnancy), our mums say this is also a frequent early sign. Usually early cramping is not as severe as later on.
Hopping and standing on a cold floor are two cramp-soothing tips from our mums –
27. SENSITIVITY TO SMELLS
Can you suddenly smell damp? Does your pet have a new whiff about them? And have you started thinking your partner might like some cologne? Oh yes, your sense of smell may be so heightened that you can smell things that you didn’t even know had a smell. The downside; the slightest odour can make you feel queasy.
28. RUNNY NOSE
Yes, you may find that you develop a runny nose or have more, um, mucus and this can start in the first few weeks.
29. STUFFY NOSE
On the other hand you may find you’re suddenly coping with a bunged up nose.
Are Vicks and Sudafed decongestants safe to take during pregnancy?
Are Vicks and Sudafed decongestants safe to take during pregnancy?
30. NOSEBLEEDS
You may not have had a nosebleed for many years, but they’re a common occurrence in pregnancy.
31. HEARTBURN
Ouch. While heartburn is a very frequent pregnancy symptom, a few mums-to-be experienced it in their first few weeks. That burning feeling in your throat can be safely soothed with Gaviscon.
32. NOT HUNGRY
In those first few weeks of pregnancy, your appetite may be affected. Many MFM mums found they were suddenly less hungry than before, sometimes because they were feeling a bit queasy, but sometimes their hunger just wasn’t there.
33. MORE HUNGRY
And then other mums-to-be suddenly find they’re ravenous and have an urgent desire to eat certain foods.
34. SPOTS AND ACNE
Remember those outbreaks that peppered your teenage years. Well, they could be back now you’re pregnant. Given the hormonal changes in early pregnancy, it’s no surprise that one of the first signs can be an eruption of spots.
35. NO SPOTS
You know we said you might suddenly sprout spots in early pregnancy. Well, the opposite can also happen. If you’re someone unlucky enough to normally experience a few zits around your monthly period, then pregnancy can reverse this. So for some mums, the absence of spots can mean a baby is on the way.
36. HOT FLUSHES
A rising heat creeping up your skin? While it’s usually considered a menopause side effect, it can also be a pregnancy symptom.
37. FEELING DIZZY
A more unusual early pregnancy symptom – one that tends to occur in the second and third trimesters – dizziness and feeling faint is a sign that several of our mums noticed. One MFM mum, Supersquish, explained, “I was queuing in Primark and felt faint all of a sudden, and it suddenly hit me! I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God!’ and dropping my items and running to Boots! I knew it was going to be positive.” And it was!
38. OVERSENSITIVE, GRUMPY OR TEARFUL
Can’t watch Bake-Off without tearing up? Find niggly things have become super niggly? It’s all perfectly normal thanks to your changing hormones oestrogen and progesterone (which also cause PMT).
39. FEELING DIFFERENT
Finally, sometimes there’s not a specific ‘thing’ that’s different, it’s just you don’t feel quite, well, the same. Pregnancy can work in mysterious ways, and sometimes you just have a gut feeling. Time to take a test if you haven’t already.
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