What are the early signs of pregnancy?

August 30, 2022

Estimated read time: 12 minutes

Do you have baby fever mama?

If you’re trying to get pregnant, we’re SO excited for you!

We know how amazing, and stressful, this time can be. You’ve been tracking your cycle and planning your “gettin’ down” days, watching for signs of ovulation, eating foods you’ve heard can help with implantation, and generally doing EVERYTHING you can to give you the best chances of seeing that positive on a pregnancy test.

And, like every mama trying to get pregnant, you’re probably Googling early pregnancy signs every day, wondering if that twinge in your Boobies could be a symptom. Or that milky discharge MIGHT mean you’re expecting.

But, what are the early signs of pregnancy, and how soon can you feel pregnancy symptoms? Don’t fret, mama. We’re here to help.

Read on and we’ll break down all those early pregnancy signs to put your busy mind at rest.

How soon can you feel pregnancy symptoms?

Are you plutzing away, desperate to know if those symptoms you’re experiencing are PMS or pregnancy?

Thinking to yourself “when do you start to feel pregnant?”

Well, the good news is that even before you reach for a pregnancy test, and sometimes even before a missed period, there are some subtle ways your body could be telling you there’s a cute lil’ bun in the oven.

Of course, the annoying thing is a lot of early pregnancy signs are very similar to symptoms you get right before your period starts, making it hard to tell the difference. The only way to know for certain is by taking a pregnancy test, but, we know, it can be agony to wait.

The two-week wait (or TWW as it’s known in some circles) can be the most anxious time of the month. You’ve been tracking your basal temperature, checking for ovulation, and jumping in the sack during your most fertile days. And then, the wait begins.

Not every woman experiences early pregnancy symptoms, but many do. And you can start to experience these before your missed period. Some subtle signs can appear as early as the first week.

We’re going to look at one of our favorite symptoms first in a little more detail. BOOBS! Because we’re all about the Titties here, and we’re going to answer the question, are sore breasts always a sign of pregnancy?

Do sore Boobs mean I'm pregnant?

The short answer for are sore breasts always a sign of pregnancy?

Nope. Not always. BUT your pretty Titties can be one of your first indicators that there’s something cooking in your womb.

Sore breasts can occur for a whole heap of different reasons. But one of the reasons is hormonal shifts that come during pregnancy, to prepare your Titties for breastfeeding.

During the very early weeks of pregnancy, you might experience breast pain. This kind of pain tends to be dull and achy, making them feel heavier than usual and perhaps even swollen. They might also be super sensitive to touch, so go easy on them mama.

The most common place to feel sensitive in your breasts and a key early pregnancy sign is in your nipples. They might feel extra sensitive and tender, so you might want to wear a comfortable sports bra to bed to give them a bit of extra protection.

If you are pregnant (yay) then as your first trimester progresses, the tenderness should ease off a little, but your Boobies can still feel full and heavy. Some women can also experience a tingling sensation around the nipple area… yep. Pregnancy is so much fun!

Why sore breasts might be a sign of early pregnancy

Boobie discomfort is usually one of the first signs that a positive pregnancy test is on the way, and it can occur as early as a couple of weeks (even one week) after conception.

Throughout the first trimester, your body is flooded with hormones, hormones that have a very important job - to grow and feed your baby.

Hormones in early pregnancy like estrogen and progesterone are ramping up, making the glands in your breasts grow. They’re preparing your Boobs for breastfeeding…yes…already! Your Titties grow larger because extra blood is flowing to your breasts, which will give you a pretty impressive rack, but it can make them sore, tender, and even itchy.

If you’re experiencing these kinds of symptoms, then you might very well be pregnant. But if you also experience breast discomfort in the lead-up to your period, it can be very difficult to tell the difference. So although it can be a useful indicator of early pregnancy, remember, it isn’t definitive.

What are the early signs of pregnancy?

OK, now we’ve got the Boobs outta the way, it’s time to look at some other early pregnancy signs and help answer the question, how soon can you feel pregnancy symptoms?

#1 Missed Period

Missing your period is usually the most common sign of pregnancy. If you’ve been tracking your cycle regularly and your period doesn’t arrive on the day you’re expecting, then you can take a pregnancy test.

A missed period usually occurs 4 weeks after conception. Once implantation has happened, your amazing body starts making human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that helps your body sustain the pregnancy. It will also stop your body from releasing eggs (ovulation) every month.

#2 Raised basal body temperature

Have you been using a basal body thermometer to track your cycles?

If you have and you’ve noticed that your first-morning temperature rises by around 1 degree, then this could be an early pregnancy sign.

When you ovulate, your basal body temperature rises by about half a degree and it stays like that until you get your period. If you’ve been charting your temperature and it doesn’t decrease in more than 2 weeks, then it might mean you’ve conceived!

#3 Nausea

Feeling sick is another common sign of early pregnancy in a lot of women. Although this usually develops around 4 to 6 weeks after conception.

Although full-blown morning sickness probably won’t strike (if it does at all) for a few more weeks, some women may experience a kind of motion sickness feeling in the very early weeks, which can start as early as 2 weeks after conception.

#4 Cramping

Ugh, as if period cramps weren’t enough, cramping after conception is also a thing.

This can be very confusing because a lot of women mistake early pregnancy cramping as a PMS symptom. These cramps, however, are caused by hormonal changes and your uterus growing, getting ready to house a cute little muffin for the next 9 months.

This cramping can also be triggered by implantation

#5 Implantation bleeding

When a fertilized egg implants into the lining of your womb, usually about 6 to 12 days after conception, it can cause a small amount of bleeding.

Implantation bleeding is spotting that you can get very early in your pregnancy. This kind of bleeding is light and might only be seen when you wipe. It also tends to be brown or pink in color, unlike the red of period bleeding.

While implantation bleeding is harmless, if you do experience it and it gets heavier or turns red, you should speak to your doctor right away.

#6 Tiredness and fatigue

Yaaawn…is it bedtime yet?!

Fatigue can develop any time during pregnancy, but it’s super common in early pregnancy. This is when progesterone levels soar, which can make you feel like you need to take a snooze. Like, NOW!

Your body is working 24/7 to support your pregnancy, and your heart is working hard and pumping faster as it delivers extra oxygen to your uterus, giving you a lack of energy.

Get those naps in while you can, mama.

#7 Frequent peeing

When you’re expecting, even in the very early stages, blood flow to your kidneys increases by 35-60%, producing a lot more urine. Your growing uterus could also put pressure on your bladder, making you need to pee more often.

If you’re concerned about how much you need to go, speak to your doctor to rule out a UTI.

#8 Mood swings

Are everyone and anything suddenly getting on your last nerve?

Well, mood swings can also be a sign of early pregnancy!

Those hormones can make you feel extra emotional, causing you to laugh one minute and sob into a box of Kleenex the next. You might feel depressed, irritable, anxious, or ecstatic. All within a few minutes of each other.

Don’t worry mama, it’s all normal.

#9 Bloating and constipation

Yep. It’s those hormones again.

Bloating can occur in early pregnancy, just like it would with PMS. The hormonal changes in your body can slow down your digestive system, making you feel bloated and constipated as a result. It can also make you extra gassy. Sorry!

When do you start to feel pregnant? It's different for everyone.

Even if you’re experiencing all of these symptoms, it can still be difficult to know if you’re really pregnant without taking a pregnancy test.

We know how difficult these first few weeks can be mama, especially if you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a while. But we hope this has helped answer some of your questions and that you get your big fat positive REALLY soon!

You’ve got this.

At Titty City Design, we believe that every boobie is beautiful, and that should be celebrated. We are a female-owned and operated, small business here to spread self-love and body positivity with our line of boob apparel, boob accessories, and boob-themed decor and products for the home. A portion of our proceeds goes to help support postpartum people and breast cancer patients.