The top 10 pregnancy symptoms and signs

You may be able to spot the first signs of pregnancy, even before a positive pregnancy test. In the earliest days and weeks of pregnancy, your body is going through some major changes. Early pregnancy signs include breast tenderness, fatigue and nausea. Find out more about the most common early pregnancy symptoms that women experience.

A missed period

If you're usually pretty regular, and your period doesn't start on time, you'll probably take a pregnancy test before you notice any other symptoms. A missed period is one of the surest symptoms of pregnancy (NHS 2019).

But if your periods are usually irregular, or you lose track of when your next one is due, you may not realise that your period is late. In this case, tender breasts, feeling queasy and making extra trips to the loo may be early clues that you're pregnant. If you miss your period for 1 month to 2 months and a pregnancy test is still negative, make an appointment to see your GP.

Prickling, tingling nipples

As pregnancy hormones increase the blood supply to your breasts, you may feel a tingling sensation around your nipples (Bharj and Daniels 2017).

This can be one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy, and is sometimes noticeable by the third week (Bharj and Daniels 2017).

Spotting and cramping

It's not uncommon to have some spotting around the time of your missed period. Many experts think that this light bleeding is caused by the fertilised egg embedding into the lining of the womb, known as implantation bleeding (Hutcherson 2017, Payne 2017, Tommy’s 2018b), but there isn’t much evidence to back this up. Others think that the developing placenta causes the bleeding, but we need more research to be sure.

You may notice a slight pink or brown-coloured stain in your knickers when you wee, or feel slight cramping (Tommy’s 2018b).

It’s possible to experience vaginal bleeding up to about eight weeks into your pregnancy (Tommy’s 2018a). It shouldn’t be heavy or painful though, and should only last a day or so at most, though for some it can last a bit longer (Hutcherson 2017, Tommy’s 2018b).

If you have any bleeding that is heavy enough to need a pad or is accompanied by pain, seek medical advice from your doctor to be on the safe side.

Nausea

If you're lucky, you'll escape nausea completely. However, morning sickness is a common symptom of early pregnancy (NHS 2018a). It often starts when you're about four to six weeks pregnant (NHS 2019, Bharj and Daniels 2017).

You may feel sick and queasy, or even vomit. Despite the name, morning sickness can affect you at any time of the day, or night (NHS 2018a).

Breast tenderness

Once you are about eight weeks pregnant, your breasts may become increasingly sensitive (Bharj and Daniels 2017, NHS 2019). It's similar to how they feel before you have a period, but more so.

You may notice that your breasts are larger and swollen, with veins visible just below the skin (NHS 2019). Tenderness tends to be most common in the first trimester, easing as pregnancy progresses.

Fatigue

Exhausted? You may find yourself diving for your duvet as your body cranks up to support your baby, right from the early stages of pregnancy (NHS 2019). Pregnancy hormones in your body are to blame, as these can make you feel tired, upset and emotional.

Though fatigue is not a sure-fire pregnancy symptom on its own, it's a common one (Tommy’s 2018b). You may find that tiredness wipes you out the most in your first trimester and third trimester.

Frequent urination

From about eight weeks of pregnancy, you may notice that you're weeing more often (NHS 2018b, Bharj and Daniels 2017).

This is down to a combination of pregnancy hormones, a larger volume of blood in your system, and your kidneys working extra hard (Payne 2017).

If you feel pain or a burning sensation when you wee, though, you may have a urinary tract infection (UTI). See your doctor if you think you have a UTI.

Darker nipples

Skin changes are common during pregnancy. One of the first changes you may notice is the circle of skin round your nipples (areolas) getting darker (NHS 2019). This can happen from about halfway through your first trimester (Bharj and Daniels 2017).

You may also find that the bumps around your nipples become more pronounced, and your nipples more erect. The bumps are called ‘Montgomery glands’ or ‘Montgomery tubercules’ and they produce oily secretions to prepare your breasts for breastfeeding (Tommy’s 2018b).

From about eight weeks, your vulva and vagina may change to a deeper colour (Bharj and Daniels 2017), though you may not notice this.

Food cravings and altered sense of smell

Food cravings can be a symptom of pregnancy. Food aversions are also a common early sign. You're more likely to go off certain flavours at first, possibly even before you've missed a period.

You may notice a metallic taste in your mouth, or find that you can't face your morning coffee or a food you usually like, such as eggs (NHS 2019).

Your sense of smell may change as well, and you may become more sensitive to food or cooking smells (NHS 2019).

Positive pregnancy test

Most home pregnancy tests will give you a reliable result if you wait until at least the first day of a missed period.

• Learn more about the signs of ovulation.
• Check out our tips on having a healthy pregnancy.
• Get to know your menstrual cycle.