Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Find out first and fast. The earliest of the early pregnancy symptoms?

The early symptoms of pregnancy can vary among women. The most important symptoms of pregnancy include a missed menstrual period. This symptom is most reliable if a woman is at least 10 days late for her menstrual period. If a woman has irregular periods, has not had a period, is breast feeding, or is peri-menopausal, a missed menstrual period is less reliable as an early symptom of pregnancy.

Other early pregnancy symptoms include breast enlargement and tenderness. The changes in the breast in pregnant women are often more evident in women who have never been pregnant. These changes include tingling and tenderness, increased in size, increased pigmentation of the areola, and the development of striations.

Other early pregnancy symptoms include an increased requirement for sleep associated with increased fatigue. If a woman is monitoring her basal body temperature, an increased basal body temperature for 18 days in a row is an early symptom of pregnancy.

Nausea and vomiting are common early pregnancy symptoms during the first half of pregnancy. These early symptoms of pregnancy often first occur at four to six weeks gestation and continue until 18 to 20 weeks. These early symptoms are often increased in the morning and sometimes are severe. If uncontrolled nausea and vomiting occur, a healthcare provider should always be contacted.

Women may sometimes develop early pregnancy symptoms of minimal spotting with implantation of the fertilized egg. This often occurs around the time of the normal menstrual period. Women may also experience urinary frequency during this time.

If painful urination develops, these symptoms should not be ignored, as they may indicate the presence of a urinary tract infection. Painful urination is not among the early pregnancy symptoms.

Symptoms of Early Signs of Pregnancy often do not lead directly to the underlying diagnosis and many symptoms can be misleading. Please review all concerns and information found on this website with your health care provider.