Your body could be sending you signals that you are pregnant even before you have your first missed period.
You should keep an eye out for the earliest symptoms of pregnancy because they can tell you that you need think about a nursery even before the pregnancy tests tell you.
Cramping
Although a lot of women think that cramps are a sign that you are about to have your period, in many cases it actually signals you that implantation is taking place. This happens because the fertilized egg has to embed into the lining of the uterus and this can’t go unnoticed.
Breast tenderness
When thinking about the earliest pregnancy symptoms you should know that some women experience breast tenderness when they ovulate and before their menstrual period. This can also be a sign of pregnancy, caused by estrogen and progesterone. The same hormones cause breast tenderness when you aren’t pregnant.
Fatigue
In many cases the earliest sign of pregnancy is fatigue. The high progesterone levels can make you feel tired all the time. Sometimes women notice this symptom only a week after ovulation. The progesterone levels increase even if you aren’t pregnant, but in this case they will return to the normal levels.
Nausea
This is one of the earliest pregnancy signs that are the most obvious. Nausea can appear days before the first missed period. Again, the hormones are to blame. Usually morning sickness kicks in around the 6th week of pregnancy, but some ‘lucky’ women get to experience it a lot sooner.
Bloating
If you are interested in the earliest warning signs of pregnancy you should know that pregnancy bloating is difficult to distinguish from the bloating caused by your period. Nonetheless keep in mind that the bloating is more obvious in case of pregnancy (meaning that your jeans won’t fit you as easily as they normally would).
Diarrhea and constipation
When considering the earliest pregnancy warning signs it is good to know that the pregnancy hormones also affect the digestive tract that slows down. This could result in constipation. It is also possible to notice diarrhea, but this is less common than constipation.
Headaches
The headaches that are some of the earliest alarm signs of pregnancy can be caused by the pregnancy hormones but also by the increased blood volume. It is possible that the headaches are caused by the sudden increase of the progesterone and estrogen levels. It is also possible to experience some migraine types of headaches.
Backache
This is also one of the earliest pregnancy alarm signs. It can be caused by the bloating, cramping, and constipation. In some cases this is also a premenstrual symptom. During pregnancy the backaches can be caused by the stretching uterus. Sleeping poorly can result in backaches too.
During pregnancy it might be interesting to track the early pregnancy symptoms week by week. Naturally you can also gather more information to know in advance what you can expect so you won’t be caught by surprise.
