EARLY PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS BEFORE MISSED PERIOD
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Lucky for you, I’ve been in both camps when it comes to early pregnancy symptoms. With my son, we were trying for 4 months so that’s 4 times I went absolutely crazy trying to figure out every little twinge.
So here’s my strange early pregnancy story:
After my third conception, I KNEW I was pregnant right after we had done it. Don’t ask me how. My husband said I was nuts. I started getting crampy and gassy the next day.
My sense of smell heightened. I started craving chocolate and had more vaginal discharge than normal. I had a faint positive pregnancy test at 8 DPO which is highly unlikely. Just saying, sometimes you KNOW.
Have you taken a pregnancy test yet? These pregnancy tests are inexpensive and you get 25 tests. They’re dip strips and they’re the same strip that’s encased in the drug store tests but cost twenty times less than those!
You can see a positive line WAY earlier than regular tests. They also sell ovulation strips which is how my son was conceived.
RELATED: What to do After a Positive Pregnancy Test
Very Early Pregnancy Symptoms Before Missed Period
- Tender or swollen breasts
- Fatigue
- Slight bleeding or cramping
- Nausea
- Food aversions or cravings
- Headaches
- Constipation
- Mood swings
- Faintness or dizziness
- Feeling pregnant
- Gas and bloating
- Low back ache
- Change in vaginal discharge
RELATED: Pregnancy Must Haves (for a thriving pregnancy!)
Symptoms of Pregnancy in the First Month
Tender or Swollen Breasts
This is a symptom I never experienced but so many women do. If your breasts are tender or swollen at all, the chances of being pregnant are high.
Or you might just be getting your period. Check out this article to distinguish the two different possible meanings.
Fatigue
Are you tired as heck? And not just like a ‘one bad sleep’ tired-
like a ‘got hit by the exhausted truck and cannot. get. back. up.’
I noticed this a lot more with my 2nd and 3rd pregnancies. It’s a heavy feeling, one you just can’t shake. Fatigue is a telltale sign of early pregnancy!
RELATED: How To Conceive Twins (without fertility drugs!)
Slight Bleeding or Cramping
In very early pregnancy this can be more than one sign:
- Implantation Bleeding
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Miscarriage
Implantation bleeding occurs when the egg embeds into the wall of the uterus. It’s very slight and you may not notice it. But if you are trying for a baby or suspect you are pregnant early enough, it usually happens 10-14 days after conception.
I noticed with 2 out of 3 babies like clock work on the 12th day after conception! A slight brownish red streak, that’s all it was for me.
Ectopic pregnancy signs include sharp or stabbing pain, vaginal bleeding, gastrointestinal symptoms, weakness, dizziness or fainting.
Miscarriage symptoms include mild to severe back pain, weight loss, white-pink mucus, true painful contractions, brown or bright red bleeding and decreased signs of pregnancy.
Nausea with or without Vomiting
Nausea can start as early as 4 weeks gestation which is two weeks after a missed period. It’s different for every woman, some don’t feel nauseous at all! If you are experiencing this, try taking multivitamins or prenatals later in the day instead of on an empty stomach.
Have you ever heard of Ginger Chimes? They are SO great for morning sickness.
RELATED: How To Reduce Morning Sickness (proven methods!)
Food Aversions or Cravings
According to Healthline, food aversions and nausea are usually the first signs of pregnancy. This is because the hormone Hcg (the pregnancy hormone) is wreaking havoc on your system.
It peaks around week 11 but you will still probably experience aversions/cravings throughout your pregnancy.
Headaches
Headaches in early pregnancy are a result of the surge of hormones in your body and an increase in blood flow. I didn’t seem to experience this symptom but again, everyone is completely different!
Did you know eating a handful of almonds can get rid of a headache?
This video is INSANE, I can almost guarantee that it will get rid of your headache, no pills required! I used this a lot during pregnancy.
RELATED: No Fluff Pregnancy Must Haves For Every Trimester
Constipation
Constipation means having difficulty having a bowel movement. When you get pregnant, you will get a surge of progesterone which is thought to slow the movement of the gut.
Try drinking more water, avoiding large meals and going for walks after eating!
If that doesn’t help, check out these remedies.
Mood Swings
Mood swings were something that affected me greatly. I was shocked at the level of intensity starting right from beginning.
In fact, this is one symptom that I KNEW I was pregnant with my third baby starting from a few days after conception… Call me crazy but it’s true!
Some things that can help cope with mood swings:
- Go for a walk
- Eat some healthy, vibrant fruits/veggies
- Turn on some feel good music
- Try to get a good night’s sleep
Faintness or Dizziness
This can be attributed to dilating blood vessels and dropping blood pressure. Move carefully and sit down if you need to!
Missed Period
This is a very obvious sign and the most famous. However if you have had more than one baby or done a lot of reading up on pregnancy, you might know that this is not always the first sign you notice!
I noticed this with my first baby but with subsequent pregnancies I seemed to know my body a lot better and noticed other signs long before my period was due.
You can definitely experience other symptoms as early as days after conception!
Just Feeling Pregnant
In case you skimmed and didn’t read the first part of this post (like I love to do), I’ll repeat the story!
Never ignore your intuition. It’s there for a reason and it’s usually correct. With my third baby, I hadn’t had a period for three years. We weren’t having sex all that much cause two kids under 4, amiright?
We had sex one time when we were on a trip in Mexico which was probably the only time that whole month. I’m dead serious when I say I KNEW within 10 minutes after.
I just knew. My husband said I was crazy but we had a positive pregnancy test 8 DPO. That’s insane.
Trust your instincts!
Gas and Bloating
Again, we can chalk this one up to all the extra progesterone. TMI ya’ll, but I had such horrible gas with my third baby, starting from like day 2. It lasted almost 3 weeks, it was awful.
Make sure you check with your doctor first but feel free to try this-
Charcoal pills! They work wonders. Charcoal naturally sucks up smells and impurities, some people use charcoal sticks to purify water.
Frequent Urination
It’s surprising that that this can start as early as the time you’d be missing your period. This is caused by the hCG hormone in your body which increases blood flow to the pelvic area and kidneys.
Don’t skimp on the water to try to pee less often, it’s still important to keep hydrated!
RELATED: Pregnancy Gifts For First Time Moms
Low Back Aches
Ah, these pesky hormones. They really make a mess of things! Low back pain can certainly be an early pregnancy symptom. I always experienced this myself, it’s more of a dull, crampy ache that throbs in your low back.
Darkened Areola
This can happen as early as a week or two after conception. This is a sign that I always noticed because it’s kind of shocking to look in the mirror and realize that your areolas are much darker than usual!
The reason this happens in because of- you guessed it! Hormones.
You may also get some small bumps that are called Montgomery tubercles which will lubricate your nipples when your baby starts breastfeeding.
Vaginal Discharge
You may experience a harmless, milky white discharge after conception. This is a sign I noticed with my 3rd baby for sure, mostly because I was on extremely high alert and was noticing EVERYTHING.
There are other types of discharge that can be signs of other things, such as:
- Yeast infection
- STI
- Bacterial infection
- Miscarriage
RELATED: VAGINAL DISCHARGE IN PREGNANCY
Raised Basal Temperature
Some women track their ovulation by keeping track of their basal body temperature every morning. You may be able to tell if you’re pregnant if you experience a raised BBT about a week after conception but this isn’t completely accurate and you need to be tracking your temperature every single morning.
If you’re anything like me, you will be googling every possible early pregnancy symptom.
You will be on forums, Pinterest articles, anything you can get your hands on trying to figure out “how soon can you get symptoms of pregnancy??”
I GET IT!
Whatever your situation is, if you are trying for a baby or if this was kind of an ‘oops,’ I’m sending so much love to you on this journey no matter what❤
Conclusion
I hope this list of early pregnancy symptoms before your missed period has helped you! Are there any other weird pregnancy symptoms you’ve experienced that you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments!
More Helpful Pregnancy Articles:
Best Pregnancy Tests (that won’t break the bank!)
Morning Sickness Remedies (for pregnancy)
No B.S. Pregnancy Must Haves For Every Trimester
70 Early Signs of Pregnancy {weird, very early pregnancy symptoms}
What to Do After a Positive Pregnancy Test
Cramping Plus Other Early Pregnancy Signs
Qarfeelah
Wednesday 5th of April 2023
This was really helpful, i read every bit
Lynette
Wednesday 2nd of June 2021
Does any mama have a symptom of breast itchiness for really early signs?
Alexander Sabucido
Thursday 22nd of August 2019
We should know these early signs or pregnancy.
lee
Tuesday 23rd of July 2019
I appreciate the information you stated here. More power to your blogging career