How Early Do Pregnancy Symptoms Start?

In about the middle of your cycle, ovulation occurs and an egg is sent into your fallopian tube. If the egg is fertilized, you may start to feel early pregnancy symptoms within a week or two. Here is the result of a study on "how early do pregnancy symptoms start?":

• 50% of women felt early pregnancy symptoms by week 5

• 70% of women felt symptoms by week 6

• 90% of women felt symptoms by week 8

Even if you find the answer from a friend or doctor, you may find your own set of symptoms start at a completely different time. Everyone and every pregnancy is different.

Missed Period

You may notice that your period has been late for a few days late or even a month or two. However, some women may bleed during early pregnancy, which is lighter and shorter in duration. Bear in mind and distinguish that with your period.

Mood Swing

Hormonal changes in pregnancy can cause the moods to fluctuate wildly. At one minutes you may be laughing and happy. The next you may break down and cry uncontrollably. This is a common occurrence and can happen very early in pregnancy. However, this too can be confused with PMS.

Morning Sickness

If you are pregnant, you may experience morning sickness, meaning nausea, vomiting and the like. Under normal circumstances, morning sickness comes on at around 2 to 8 weeks after you conceive. But some women never feel morning sickness during pregnancy.

If you experience bad morning sickness, check this video to know how to deal with it:

Taste Changes

There are reports that some women have a funny taste, like metallic. You may also find that coffee tastes funny. Or a food you normally find tasty like eggs, tastes completely different. This symptom usually lasts the entire pregnancy.

Breast Changes

If you have been conceived for 1 or 2 weeks, your breast may feel tender and swollen. Even a few days after conception your breasts may begin to be tender when touched. It is a hard to pinpoint these symptoms since some women experience this with PMS or at some point during the cycle.

Spotting and Cramping

In early pregnancy, you may notice a slight amount of spotting or vaginal bleeding. This occurs as the fertilized egg burrows into the uterine lining. It happens on or about the 10^th to 14^th day. There may be slight cramping as this occurs, but not as much cramping or bleeding as a normal period.

Fatigue

You may start to feel very tired and sleepy during the 1st week of conception. This is the kind of tiredness that doesn’t go away and you feel like you could nap all day.

Constipation

Both you and your growing baby will need the most nutrients early in pregnancy. Your body will naturally slow down your digestive processes so your body can absorb all the vitamins, protein and minerals possible. You may notice constipation very early in pregnancy.

Appearance of Pimples and Acne

Early pregnancy can bring on a breakout like you haven’t had in years due to hormonal changes. You may start to notice 1 or 2 pimples or even a bunch during the early stages of pregnancy. For most women, it tends to go away towards the second trimester.

High Basal Body Temperature

Keeping track of your basal body temperature before you conceive will help you know when you are pregnant. When you ovulate your basal body temperature drops. After conception, your basal body temperature will stay high throughout your pregnancy. If you didn’t conceive, the temperature will drop again before your period starts.

Other Early Pregnancy Symptoms

• Low back pain

• Headaches

• Frequent urination (6 to 8 weeks)

• Darker areolas (area around nipples)

• Food cravings or aversions

• Darkening of vaginal color