What Are The Early Signs Of Pregnancy : Week 1

How soon can you find out that you’re pregnant? How soon do the symptoms of pregnancy show up? Can you tell if you’re pregnant after having sex? 

If you’ve been planning for a baby or are faced with the possibility of an unexpected pregnancy, these are some of the questions that would be on the top of your mind. 

The truth is, the early symptoms of pregnancy differ across women and pregnancies. You may notice the early signs of pregnancy in the first or second week after conception, or not have any pregnancy symptoms for months. You may just feel some of the symptoms at the start of your pregnancy or experience the whole gamut of symptoms throughout your term. 

Also, while a missed period is one of the very early signs of pregnancy, many of the early pregnancy symptoms could be due to other factors such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and may not mean that you’re pregnant. Besides, having symptoms a day or two after having intercourse usually does not mean that you’re pregnant. 

To set your mind at ease and help you in your parenting journey, we have compiled a list of the most common symptoms of pregnancy that you may experience in the first week of your pregnancy. 

Note: After conception, your body may take some time to show these symptoms of pregnancy. 

Symptoms of pregnancy in the first week

The early symptoms of pregnancy differ across women and pregnancies. These pregnancy symptoms could kick in within the first 72 hours or 3 days of conception, or appear in Week 1, Week 2, or the first months of pregnancy. 

While the most common early sign of pregnancy is a missed period, you could also experience some of the other commonly seen early pregnancy symptoms detailed below. 

Remember that these pregnancy symptoms could be caused by other factors as well, such as hormonal changes, illness, lack of sleep or exercise, and stress, and may not mean that you are pregnant for sure. The best way to check if you’re pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. 

Bleeding or spotting

Implantation bleeding or spotting is one of the first signs of pregnancy. It occurs after conception when the embryo attaches to the uterus wall (usually 6-12 days after fertilization).

You could mistake this bleeding for your menstrual period, but they are not similar. Implantation bleeding is light. It could be just a spot of blood or a small quantity of pink discharge. The spotting may last anywhere between a few hours to a few days. 

Cramping

Implantation bleeding can be accompanied by minor cramping. As the fertilized egg attaches to the uterus wall, you may experience a feeling that is similar to menstrual cramps. These cramps occur in the abdomen, pelvis, or low back area, and feel like a pulling, tingling, or pricking sensation.   

With this early pregnancy symptom, you may get a few mild cramps initially or experience some discomfort over a few days. 

Vaginal discharge

Another one of the early signs of pregnancy is vaginal discharge. It could be: 

• Sticky

• White

• Milky

• Pale-yellow 

You may get this pregnancy symptom early on in the first trimester, and it could continue throughout your pregnancy.

This early symptom of pregnancy could occur due to:

• Increased vaginal blood flow

• Increased hormone levels

• Thickening of the vaginal walls (which starts soon after conception) 

It is completely normal and your body’s way of preventing infections as your cervix and vaginal walls become soft and more prone to infections. However, if the vaginal discharge smells bad, burns, itches, turns greenish-yellow, or becomes very thick or watery, consult your doctor to rule out any bacterial infection.

Breast changes

This is another very early sign of pregnancy. After conception, increased blood flow and rapidly changing hormone levels may lead to noticeable breast changes: 

• Your breasts may become swollen, sore, and tingly in Week 1 or Week 2 of pregnancy.

• They may appear larger and feel heavier, fuller, or tender to the touch.

• The areola, the area around the nipples, could darken.

• You may notice blue veins.

This early symptom of pregnancy could cause you discomfort initially. However, your breast pain should ease up once you get used to the hormonal changes, which may take several weeks.

Note: Breast changes could also happen due to other factors and may not necessarily mean that you are pregnant.

Morning sickness 

Morning sickness is synonymous with pregnancy worldwide. With this early symptom of pregnancy, you could experience:

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Tiredness

Nausea with or without vomiting could occur at any time during the day and could last the entire pregnancy. Possibly brought on by changes in the levels of pregnancy hormones, it could get triggered by food aversions. You could develop strong aversions to food that you may have previously considered your favorites. 

The symptoms, fortunately, could lessen around Week 13 or 14 of pregnancy. 

To ease this pregnancy symptom, follow a healthy diet that accounts for your food aversions and takes care of your baby’s nutritional needs. Consult a Dietician for further guidance.

Fatigue

Feeling low and exhausted throughout the day is one of the very early signs of pregnancy. You could experience this symptom of pregnancy in the first week after conception. 

Fatigue during pregnancy occurs due to an increase in the level of progesterone (a hormone released by the ovaries). Note: low blood sugar, low blood pressure, and raised blood production could also cause an increase in this hormone’s levels.  

If you experience this symptom of pregnancy, you can offset it by: 

• Getting plenty of rest 

• Eating protein- and iron-rich food 

Increased basal body temperature

Raised basal body temperature is another early sign of pregnancy. If you keep a track of your morning basal body temperature to chart your ovulation cycle, you may notice a dip in the temperature before the start of your period. If your basal body temperature stays raised even as you near your period, it may be a sign of a missed period and pregnancy.

Missed period

A missed period is one of the most recognizable early symptoms of pregnancy. However, missing a period may not necessarily mean that you are pregnant. Weight gain, weight loss, hormonal problems, fatigue, and stress could also cause missed or delayed periods. 

Also, as mentioned above, bleeding during pregnancy is one of the early pregnancy symptoms. If you experience it, you could mistake it for a period and not realize that you are pregnant. 

If you do miss a period or your period is delayed and there is a chance that you could be pregnant, you may want to get a store-bought or DIY home pregnancy test to check pregnancy.

Other early symptoms of pregnancy 

Pregnancy-induced hormonal changes can cause some other symptoms. Some of these are detailed below.

Frequent urination

You could start making frequent trips to the bathroom early on in your pregnancy. While this early sign of pregnancy occurs due to hormonal changes and the kidneys producing more fluid during pregnancy, this change could also occur due to a urinary tract infection, diabetes, or the use of diuretics. 

Headaches and back pain

You could experience these symptoms early on in your pregnancy due to the sudden increase in pregnancy hormones.

Disrupted sleep

Fluctuating hormone levels could disrupt your sleep patterns during the first few weeks of pregnancy. 

Mood swings or irritability

These are common symptoms of pregnancy in the first months. Induced by hormonal changes during pregnancy, sharp mood swings or irritability could occur as soon as the first few weeks after conception. 

Food cravings or aversions

You could experience this pregnancy symptom early on in your pregnancy, and these changes could last throughout your term.  

Constipation or bloating

Raised levels of the progesterone hormone can make you bloated or constipated. Increased levels of this hormone can cause food to pass through your intestines more slowly, resulting in this pregnancy symptom. To relieve the discomfort: 

• Drink a lot of water

• Exercise

• Eat a lot of high-fiber food

Dizziness or fainting

This pregnancy symptom may be caused by dilated blood vessels, decreased blood pressure, or low blood sugar.

Sensory changes

You may develop a heightened sense of smell or a metallic taste in the mouth during your pregnancy.

Do all women experience early signs of pregnancy?

Your symptoms of pregnancy could vary from another expecting mother’s symptoms. You could experience most of the pregnancy symptoms or encounter only a few during your pregnancy. If this is not your first pregnancy, the pregnancy symptoms and signs you experience could be different from the ones you had experienced earlier. 

Also, the early signs of pregnancy are similar to the symptoms experienced before and during periods. Thus, you could mistake your pregnancy symptoms for the onset of the period and not realize that you’re pregnant. 

How to confirm that you’re pregnant

Since many of the symptoms of pregnancy can be similar to those that you get before or during menstruation, the best way to confirm that you are pregnant is to go for a urine/blood test that determines the levels of the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), in your system.

In case you’ve missed a period or are experiencing any of the symptoms of pregnancy mentioned above, you can:

• Take a store-bought home pregnancy test. You can also try a homemade pregnancy test to check pregnancy at home privately. While home pregnancy tests are fairly reliable, they could give a false positive due to a number of reasons, e.g., ectopic pregnancy or medication effect.

• Book a Doctor’s appointment. If your home pregnancy test is positive, make an appointment with your doctor for a urine or blood test to confirm the pregnancy. The sooner you confirm that you’re pregnant, the sooner you can start with your prenatal care.

When to See Doctor

If you test positive on a home pregnancy test, visit your doctor for a urine or blood test to confirm the pregnancy. This helps you to start taking prenatal care for your baby’s all-around development at the earliest.

If you have just learned that you're pregnant but are unable to visit the doctor to confirm the same, you can start taking a prenatal vitamin daily (in consultation with your Doctor). Prenatal vitamins contain important vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid and iron, which help your baby grow and develop well.