The main symptoms of pregnancy are: delayed period, morning sickness, mood swings, excessive fatigue, breast sensitivity and increased urinary urgency. These symptoms tend to appear within the first few weeks of pregnancy.

However, pregnancy symptoms can vary from woman to woman, with some women not experiencing any symptoms, while others noticing them in different intensities.

If you suspect you have pregnancy symptoms and your period is late, you should take a home pregnancy test and consult your doctor for assessment.

Signs and symptoms of pregnancy

The first pregnancy symptoms that tend to emerge, in order, are:

1. Late period

A late period is usually the most obvious sign of pregnancy, as during gestation the expectant mother does not have her period. This allows the fetus to develop in the womb.

This sign happens due to the an increase in beta hCG, which stops the ovaries from releasing mature eggs. A missed period can happen up to four weeks after conception and it is more easily identified by women that have regular periods.

2. Pink discharge

When the egg is fertilized the expectant mother may present a light pink discharge, which is caused by the implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus.

This type of discharge generally happens a few minutes after conception or up to three days after. Read more about what else can cause pink discharge other than pregnancy.

3. Thicker discharge

Due to the major hormonal changes that happen after conception, it’s normal to have a thicker vaginal discharge. This discharge is not necessarily pink, and most of the time, it has a slight white coloring.

When this discharge occurs with a foul odor and symptoms such as pain or itching, it’s important to visit a gynecologist, since these symptoms can indicate a vaginal infection, specifically a yeast infection. Find out what different types of discharge can indicate.

4. Cramps and bloating

Cramps and bloating are another early pregnancy symptom that is very common during the first seven days. It might be present for up to two weeks. The increase in blood flow and the body’s adaptation to uterine growth are what triggers the abdominal bloating. This bloating can be confused for normal period cramps.

5. Fatigue and sleepiness

Fatigue is one of the most common pregnancy symptoms and it appears at around the second week of pregnancy. It’s normal for fatigue to increase in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, while the body adjusts its metabolism and functioning to provide the energy necessary for the baby’s development.

Women normally may feel that the tasks that they used to do suddenly become exhausting and that they need to sleep more than ten hours a night to replace the energy they spent during the day.

6. Sensitive breasts and darker areolas

During these first two weeks, it's normal for breasts to get more sensitive due to the increased production of hormones that stimulate breast glands, preparing them for breastfeed. There is also an increase in breast volume, because the mammary glands start to develop to support the needs of the baby after birth.

Women may also notice alteration in the areolas, which tend to get darker due to the increase in blood flow to the area.

7. Lower back pain

Even though back pain is most likely felt in the last weeks of pregnancy, some women may develop this type of pain right at the beginning of pregnancy. It is related to changes that happen in the woman’s body to prepare for the baby.

In some cases, lower back pain may be confused with period cramps, and therefore some women may think that their period is coming.

8. Aversion to strong smells

It’s very common for women to feel disgust towards strong smells at the beginning of pregnancy, even if the smell is seemingly pleasant, such as perfume. Most pregnant women may even vomit after inhaling a strong smell. This normally happens with strong odors like gasoline, cigarettes or cleaning products.

In addition, as their sense of smell is altered, some women may also report that their taste buds changed, making food taste more intense and nauseating.

9. Mood swings

In the first weeks of pregnancy, the expectant mother may realize that she has mood swings with no apparent cause. It’s very common for the expectant mother to cry due to situations that would not make her cry before being pregnant.

This happens because of the strong hormonal alterations that happen in the body during pregnancy. These changes can cause an imbalance in neurotransmitters, causing unstable moods.

10. Morning sickness and vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are the most common and well known pregnancy symptoms, especially morning sickness. Nausea and vomiting usually happen after the sixth week of pregnancy and may last for the whole pregnancy.

In spite of this, nausea does not always imply vomiting, and it is actually more frequent for the nausea to resolve without the need to vomit.

11. Food cravings

Typical pregnancy cravings usually start in the first month and are ongoing for the whole pregnancy. It is also common for some women to have cravings for strange foods, experiment with different food combinations or even crave foods they’ve never eaten before.

In some cases these cravings may be related to nutritional deficiencies, especially if the craving is very different from what the expectant mother usually eats. In these situations it is recommended to see a doctor, to understand the cause and start appropriate treatment, if needed.

12. Dizziness and headache

Dizziness usually occurs in women that suffer from strong nausea ou vomiting. It can be related to a decrease in blood pressure, reduction of blood sugars and an unbalanced diet.

Headaches are also common during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, but they are generally mild, even though they can be persistent. Sometimes, the expectant mother may not even realize that the headaches are related to the pregnancy.

13. Peeing more frequently

As pregnancy progresses, the body needs to produce several hormones, to guarantee the baby develops in a healthy way. When that happens, the bladder muscles relax and it is harder to empty the urine that is inside it. Consequently, the expectant mother may feel a more frequent need to urinate.

14. Pimples and oily skin

Hormonal changes can lead to pimples and oily skin, which are usually evident after the first month of pregnancy. Oily skin and breakouts can be managed with skin cleansers and personal hygiene routines.

Online pregnancy test

If you think you might be pregnant, report your stats below to assess your likelihood:

Illustrative picture of the questionnaire

Find out if you are pregnant

Regardless of the test results, the best way to confirm a pregnancy is to complete a pregnancy test, either with a urine or blood test.

Pregnancy symptoms week by week

Read more about pregnancy symptoms that can appear depending on the week of pregnancy:

Symptoms in week 1

The symptoms of the first week of pregnancy are the most difficult to notice. They are normally only noted by women who are in tune with subtle differences in their bodies. These symptoms include:

Pink vaginal discharge
Thicker discharge
Abdominal cramps and bloating

Symptoms in week 2

Symptoms that may appear around 2 weeks of pregnancy are:

Easily tired and excessive sleeping
Sensitive breasts and darker areolas
Late period
Lower back pain
Aversion to strong smells
Mood swings

Symptoms of the first month

Symptoms after the first month of pregnancy include:

Morning sickness and vomiting
Food cravings
Dizziness and headache
Increased urinary urgency
Pimples and oily skin

What to do if you suspect you are pregnant

If you suspect you are pregnant, you should purchase a pregnancy test from the pharmacy. This types of tests should be done after the first day of a missed period. Learn more about home pregnancy tests. If the result is negative, and your period still hasn’t come, you can wait another three to five days and re-do the test, as it may be a false negative result.

If the result is negative once again, you should consider doing a blood test to check for a pregnancy, as this is more trustworthy. This test will show the amount of beta hCG hormone, which is only produced during pregnancy. Learn more about the hCG test, what is it for and results.

If even after ten days of a delayed period the pregnancy test from the drugstore is still negative, this means that you are not pregnant, but you will need to schedule an appointment at the gynecologist to check the cause of the late period. Check out some possible causes for a late period.

What if the drugstore pregnancy test is positive?

After confirming the pregnancy through the drugstore urine test, it is advised that you go to a gynecologist to do a blood test for pregnancy, as this test indicates the quantity of beta hCG hormones and it is more reliable.

When to do an ultrasound

After the fifth week of pregnancy, the doctor may order an ultrasound to visualize the gestational sac, and check whether the baby is developing correctly in the womb. This is because there are cases of ectopic pregnancies, in which there is a pregnancy but the baby is developing in the fallopian tubes. This condition is very serious, and places the woman’s life in danger.

,If the doctor does not do the ultrasound before, you should ask for one between eight and thirteen weeks of pregnancy, to confirm how far along you are and when you will reach 40 weeks of pregnancy, which is the baby’s due date.

At this stage the baby is still very little and cannot be seen well, but it is generally very exciting for parents. It is also too early to find out the baby’s gender, which can be checked during the second trimester of pregnancy, at around 20 weeks.