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Early Pregnancy Symptoms

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Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Introduction

Most women equate a missed menstrual period with the possibility of being pregnant, but other symptoms and signs are frequently experienced by many women in the early stages of pregnancy. It's important to remember that not all women will experience each of these symptoms or have the symptoms to the same degree. Even the same woman can have different types of symptoms in a subsequent pregnancy than she had in previous pregnancies, and symptoms can change or develop on a weekly basis.

Ectopic pregnancy symptoms, or tubal pregnancy symptoms, are very similar to normal pregnancy symptoms at the outset and can include many of the symptoms described below. However, with a tubal or other type of ectopic pregnancy, other symptoms, such as abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding, develop over time, usually 6 to 8 weeks after a missed menstrual period.

The following are the most common pregnancy symptoms in the first trimester.

Missed period

A missed menstrual period is most often the first sign of pregnancy and is a common first trimester symptom. Sometimes a woman who is pregnant may still experience some bleeding or spotting around the time of the expected period, typically 6 to 12 days after conception. When it occurs, this so-called "implantation bleeding" is generally not as heavy or long as a regular menstrual period. This small amount of bleeding that happens at the time of the expected menstrual period occurs because the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall. This is referred to as implantation bleeding.

Any bleeding during pregnancy is typically lighter than that observed during the regular menstrual period. However, if a woman does not have regular menstrual cycles, she may notice some of the other symptoms of early pregnancy before it is apparent that the menstrual period has been missed. A missed menstrual period also does not confirm that a woman is pregnant even if she has regular cycles, since both emotional and physical conditions may cause absent or delayed periods.

Breast swelling, tenderness, and pain

Feelings of breast swelling, tenderness, or pain are also commonly associated with early pregnancy. These symptoms are sometimes similar to the sensations in the breasts in the days before an expected menstrual period. Women may also describe a feeling of heaviness or fullness in the breasts. These symptoms can begin in some women as early as one to two weeks after conception.