Pregnancy signs at two weeks

Tender breasts, nausea, fatigue, and food cravings can all be signs that you're in the early stages of pregnancy. While the pregnancy may still be too early to show up as a positive pregnancy test, your body is already changing, and these early symptoms could be its way of letting you know that you're pregnant.

You will not be able to get an accurate result on most home pregnancy tests before you've missed your period (NHS 2022a). But, in the meantime, you can stay on the lookout for these very early pregnancy symptoms.

Tender or tingling breasts

One of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy can often be sore or tingling breasts (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2022b, Healthline 2019). One or both breasts may feel heavy, tender, lumpy and extra sensitive to touch (Healthline 2019, Murray & Hendley 2020). Some people also notice a tingling sensation in their breasts or nipples (NHS 2022b, Healthline 2019). This can happen within a week or two of conceiving (Healthline 2019).

You may also notice that the veins in your breasts are more visible than before (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2022b, Healthline 2019). Your nipples may get darker and stand out more (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2022b, Healthline 2019), and you may spot tiny bumps on your areolas (the darker area of skin around your nipples) (Healthline 2019).

These early changes and sensations in your breasts happen because pregnancy hormones are starting to prepare your body for breastfeeding, stimulating the glands that will later produce milk to feed your baby (Healthline 2019). Blood flow to your breasts also increases, and you may soon notice that your usual bra is starting to feel tight and uncomfortable (Healthline 2019, Murray & Hendley 2020).

Learn more about sore breasts in pregnancy, including tips on how to ease pain and tenderness.

Food cravings and aversions

We've all heard about pregnancy cravings. But this early in pregnancy, you may also notice changes to your appetite, such as going off foods you previously loved or craving specific foods (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2022b).

Early pregnancy hormones can also affect your sense of smell and taste. You may find yourself suddenly wanting to eat foods you've never enjoyed much before (NHS 2022b). Or you may find that foods or drinks you previously loved just don't have the same appeal – particularly tea, coffee or fatty foods (NHS 2022b).

Some people in the early stages of pregnancy also notice a strange, metallic taste in their mouth (Healthline 2016). Others find that they're more sensitive to certain smells, including the smell of food (NHS 2022b).

Many women also wonder whether increased appetite before their period is due is also a sign of early pregnancy. While it's certainly true that women do tend to feel more hungry during later pregnancy, it's not usually an early symptom (Healthline 2020). In fact, pregnant women are more likely to lose their appetite in the earlier weeks due to morning sickness (Healthline 2020, Murray & Hendley 2020).

See the top food cravings in pregnancy.

Morning sickness and nausea

Morning sickness can start two weeks after you’ve conceived, when you’re four weeks pregnant. It’s more common for it to start when you’re about five or six weeks pregnant, though (Bastian & Brown 2023, Murray & Hendley 2020, NHS 2022b, NICE 2021).

Despite the name, you may feel nauseous – with or without vomiting – at any time of the day or night (NHS 2022b, NICE 2021). Morning sickness usually starts to ease early in the second trimester (NICE 2021), although about one woman in five still feels sick into their third trimester (NICE 2021).

The exact cause of morning sickness is unknown, but it’s thought to be connected to the rise in pregnancy hormones, human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and oestrogen (Murray & Hendley 2020, NICE 2021). Some experts think it may have evolved in humans to stop pregnant women from eating foods that could be harmful to them or their baby (NICE 2021).

While it's perfectly normal to experience some nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy, if you're unable to keep anything down, talk to your GP (NHS 2022b). This could be a more severe form of pregnancy nausea called hyperemesis gravidarum, which can often be treated with medication (NICE 2021).

Learn more about nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

Peeing more often

Another common symptom in early pregnancy is the need to pee more often (Bastian & Brown 2023, MNT 2021, NHS 2022b). This can happen from the first few weeks after conception (MNT 2021), and may have you running to the loo all day, or making more frequent trips at night (MNT 2021, NHS 2022b).

In the early weeks, this is thought to happen because of the pregnancy hormones progesterone and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) (MNT 2021). One of the ways these hormones help to prepare your body for pregnancy is by increasing the volume of blood in your body to support your growing baby (MNT 2021). And more fluid in the body means more trips to the bathroom (MNT 2021).

However, if you notice any pain or burning when you pee, be sure to get checked out by your GP, as it could be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI) (Bastian & Brown 2023).

Learn more about frequent urination in pregnancy.

Increased vaginal discharge

It’s possible that if you’re particularly in tune with your usual menstrual cycle, you will notice changes to your vaginal discharge at this early stage (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2021, NHS 2022b).

It’s common to have more vaginal discharge in pregnancy (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2021, NHS 2022b, Murray & Hendley 2020). It’s usually harmless and not that different from the discharge that you had before you were pregnant. It will normally be clear or white in colour and may be thick and sticky or slippery and wet, but it shouldn't smell bad (NHS 2021).

The amount of discharge increases to help prevent infections from travelling up your vagina to your womb (NHS 2021, Murray & Hendley 2020). Don’t rinse out your vagina (douching) (NHS 2021), as this may irritate your skin and upset the natural, healthy balance of bacteria.

However, if you notice any changes to your vaginal discharge, such as changes in colour or smell, or if you experience pain or itching, mention it to your GP, as it could be a sign of infection (NHS 2021). In particular, thick discharge that looks like cottage cheese can be a sign of thrush (NHS 2021).

Read more about vaginal discharge in pregnancy.

Vaginal spotting

You may notice a slight pink or brown-coloured stain in your knickers or on the toilet paper when you wipe. It’s common to have some spotting or light bleeding at around the time you would have had your period (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2022b), or a few weeks later (Hasan et al. 2010).

This light bleeding in early pregnancy is often known as implantation bleeding (NHS 2022b), because many experts think it might be caused by the fertilised egg implanting in your womb. However, not all experts agree that bleeding is caused by implantation, so we need more research to discover why it’s so common in early pregnancy (Hasan et al. 2010).

If you have bleeding that seems unusual, or you have any concerns, see your GP to be on the safe side. Bleeding that’s heavier than spotting or that is accompanied by pain, may be a sign of something more serious, such as miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy (Bastian & Brown 2023). An ectopic pregnancy is when the embryo implants outside the womb; it needs immediate treatment.

Discover how to tell the difference between early pregnancy spotting and your period.

Feeling tired

You may feel tired right from the early stages of pregnancy, as your body prepares to support your growing baby. You’ll probably find this lasts until you’re about 12 weeks pregnant (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2022b).

Though fatigue is not a sure-fire symptom on its own, it’s a very common early pregnancy symptom (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2022b), and often goes hand in hand with morning sickness (NICE 2021).

Learn more about tiredness in pregnancy and what to do about it.

Missed period

It may sound obvious, but a missed period is generally considered to be the most reliable early sign of pregnancy (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2022b).

If you have a regular cycle of 28 days or less, you might be expecting your period about two weeks after ovulation (the time you might have conceived). Because pregnancy is dated from the first day of your last period, you'd be considered four weeks pregnant at this point, but it's still an important early sign to look out for.

If it's been a week or more since you expected your period and there's still no sign of it, it's definitely time to take a pregnancy test (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2022b)!

Learn what to do if your period is late, but the pregnancy test is negative.

Other possible early pregnancy symptoms

These may not be as common as the symptoms above or may not show up quite as early, but they can still be associated with pregnancy in the first trimester. If you notice several of these symptoms, it could be worth taking a pregnancy test:

• mild cramps
• bloating
• constipation
• heartburn
• a stuffy nose
• feeling breathless
• mood swings
• feeling lightheaded or dizzy
• trouble sleeping
• lower back pain
  (Bastian & Brown 2023 , NHS 2022b)

As always, if you're ever concerned about any symptoms you're experiencing, get in touch with your GP or call NHS 111 to be on the safe side.

Will I notice early pregnancy symptoms?

After you've conceived, it typically takes a few weeks for pregnancy hormones to build up in your body and start causing symptoms (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2022b). It’s possible that you may experience pregnancy symptoms as early as two weeks after conception. However, it's more likely that you won't feel anything for a while longer.

It may be two weeks since you conceived, but your doctor will calculate that you’re four weeks pregnant. They’ll count your pregnancy from the first day of your last period (Bastian & Brown 2023). There’s no way of knowing for sure the exact date that the embryo implanted in your womb (uterus), which is when you conceived (Bastian & Brown 2023).

Every pregnancy is different, so it’s hard to predict if you’ll notice changes in your body, especially just two weeks after conception (NHS 2022b). Some women may notice all the symptoms above, while one in 10 might not experience any symptoms at all in the early weeks (Bastian & Brown 2023, NHS 2022b).

Early pregnancy symptoms, such as tender breasts, tiredness and feeling sick, are easy to confuse with signs that your period is coming on (Bastian & Brown 2023). For many women, the first reliable sign they notice is a missed period (NHS 2022b ).

Is it too early to take a pregnancy test?

At two weeks after conception, it may be. The more sensitive home pregnancy tests claim to detect low levels of pregnancy hormones even before your period is due (NHS 2012a).

However, in general, you’ll get the most accurate result from your pregnancy test if you use it no earlier than the first day of your missed period (NHS 2012a).

If your period is late, and your test result is negative, try testing again in a week's time (NHS 2022b). If you have an irregular cycle, you may have tested a little too early.

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