Slight bleeding, cervical mucus discharge, fatigue, headaches, swollen and tender breasts, nausea, frequent urination, mood swings, food cravings and aversions, constipation and weird taste in the mouth are some of the most common early pregnancy symptoms.

Pregnancy is a difficult journey for most couples trying to conceive. It is a roller coaster adventure that you need to be careful about. Being alert and aware of the early pregnancy symptoms can only help you along the way as you struggle to comprehend all the changes occurring within you and around you at the crucial period in your life.

When do pregnancy symptoms start?

If you are wondering when do pregnancy symptoms start, it can be said that your body starts giving you hints pretty early on, with various pregnancy symptoms before missed period. Though this is the most definitive indicator, it must be kept in mind that you may miss a period as a reaction to different medicines, weight gain or loss, hormonal changes or as a symptom of polycystic ovarian syndrome. However, if your missed period hints at pregnancy, there is a chance that you may have overlooked a few of the other early symptoms that could have clued you in to the state of affairs within your body.

11 Most Common Early Symptoms of Pregnancy

Some common early pregnancy symptoms are discussed below:

Slight bleeding

While missing your period is the key pregnancy symptom, spot bleeding a few days before your due date which ultimately becomes a missed period is something that all women should be on the lookout for. The bleeding is only a few drops which you may notice while in the bath or the inner lining of your undergarments. It is a result of implantation where the fertilised egg will get attached itself to the wall of the uterus. This may be  accompanied by menstrual cramps but the bleeding is too little to be dismissed as an early period.

Cervical mucus discharge

After conception, the normal discharge from your cervix will acquire a thicker and creamier texture and remain that way until you miss your period. This is an early pregnancy symptom that occurs in some women as the discharge becomes a regular characteristic after the conception of your baby.

Fatigue

The changes occurring within your body results in an unexplained exhaustion and fatigue in the early days of pregnancy, often accompanied by backaches. This is one of the

Headaches

A symptom noted by women across the board, chronic headaches in the earliest weeks account for pregnancy symptoms which are dismissed as something else entirely. In the world we live in, stress headaches can be quite common. However, if you have been trying to conceive, the sudden onset of headaches may also be a result of all the hormonal changes occurring in the body and a result of your organs getting used to the new order of business.

Swollen and tender breasts

According to the American Pregnancy Association, 17% of women indicated that a change in their breasts was the first early pregnancy symptom that they tangibly perceived before they missed their period. Women tend to overlook this feeling or ascribe it to a different cause than see it as a sign of pregnancy.

Nausea

If you have been wondering at what stage of pregnancy morning sickness is supposed to set in, chances are that you have experienced it already. 25% women, according to the American Pregnancy Association, have felt nausea as one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms but have interpreted it as a digestive issue than what it really is. Keeping track of these symptoms can help you understand your condition better and make adequate preparations for the things you need.

Frequent urination

Feeling the urge to pee frequently? It is not your kidneys that you should be looking at if you and your partner have been trying to conceive. This is a common symptom of pregnancy that many women tend to overlook while still waiting for the magic to happen.

Mood swings

If you think that mood swings only set in later in the pregnancy stage, you are about to be pleasantly (or unpleasantly) surprised. Mood swings are some of the earliest pregnancy symptoms that failed to indicate that you are indeed with child. Being alert about sudden temperamental differences that cannot be accounted for, can help indicate the obvious.

Food cravings and aversions

Like mood swings, the sudden craving or aversion to food in the early days may also indicate a change in your system. Craving something really specific or being unable to stomach some food or beverage that you generally like may be cited as an early pregnancy symptom that people tend to miss.

Constipation

One of the most uncomfortable of symptoms, if you have a sustained feeling of constipation around the same time that you were supposed to get your period, it might hint at something else. A change in the body can also manifest in the way your bowel works to really give you a taste of what is in store for the next nine months.

Weird taste in the mouth

Some women have also accounted for a weird metallic taste in the mouth, right along with the body beginning to process the fact that it has been fertilised. While the taste itself can be unpleasant, you can see it as the bitter pill that promises a whole new adventure in the next chapter of your life.

Conclusion

The symptoms mentioned above are some of the early pregnancy symptoms that can foreshadow your pregnancy. However, you must not interpret one or two of these symptoms to be a guarantee of your pregnant status. It is recommended that you wait for the missed period, while trying to objectively remain alert to these changes so that you are the first to know about any change about to occur.

References

https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/early-signs-of-pregnancy