Common early pregnancy symptoms can include a missed period, nausea, fatigue, tender breasts, and having to pee more frequently. Keep reading to discover what causes these symptoms and if they should be used to indicate pregnancy.
What Causes Pregnancy Symptoms?
Pregnancy symptoms are brought on by physical changes in a woman’s body, like shifting hormone levels and increasing blood volume. Some women may not notice many responses to these changes, while others may have many pregnancy symptoms as a result.
Common Early Pregnancy Symptoms
Missing a period is usually the most obvious pregnancy symptom. A growing pregnancy introduces a new hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), to your body. This hormone signals the body to stop your period.
While missing your period is the most obvious indicator of pregnancy, here are some other common early pregnancy symptoms:
- Increased Urination- The increase in blood level means the kidneys will be working more as they filter the blood resulting in more waste seen as increased urine output.
- Nausea (with or without vomiting)- Morning sickness in pregnancy isn’t limited to the morning, as the name might suggest. In fact, it can happen at any point in the day and range from mild to severe. Nausea can be experienced by itself or with vomiting and sometimes food aversions. Nausea in pregnancy is caused by increasing hCG and estrogen in the body.
- Fatigue- Again, rising hormone levels are responsible for this early pregnancy symptom, but this time, progesterone is responsible. Progesterone is another hormone the body needs to support pregnancy.
- Tender Breasts- A woman’s breasts may become tender and swollen due to, you guessed it, hormone changes in early pregnancy.
Don’t Rely on Symptoms to Predict Pregnancy
It may be tempting to rely on pregnancy symptoms to indicate pregnancy, but the truth is they are just not reliable.
Individual pregnancy symptoms on their own can be indicators of other conditions. For example, increased urination can be caused by a urinary tract infection (UTI), or tender breasts could be a sign that a woman’s period will soon start.
How Can We Help?
If you think you may be pregnant, reach out to First Choice Georgia Pregnancy Clinic today. We offer free pregnancy testing and a follow-up ultrasound if you are pregnant. Pregnancy can be overwhelming, but we can provide the facts and support you need to thrive.
