11 Early Signs Of Pregnancy That You May Experience Before a Positive Test

Think that you may be pregnant? Not feeling like your usual self lately? Are you suffering from not being able to hold your dinner down? As well as not being able to take the typical day to day smells of the world?

There is a chance you might be pregnant.

I found out I was pregnant after a visit to the ER. I had pain in my lower left side of my stomach. After several hours of waiting and labs being taken, the doctor told me “Everything seems to be fine, but Ummm You’re pregnant!”

Ironically enough, I and my husband were trying to conceive and I been asking to take a pregnancy test every chance that I could. But, the on time, I wasn’t really trying to find out, I discovered I was pregnant!

I found out I was pregnant when I was 3 weeks pregnant, which honestly, I dread knowing so early on. 

When you know you are pregnant so early on in your pregnancy, your pregnancy tends to feel like a drag. Which, hear me out before you start to throw your hard statements at me. It is nice to know early on so you can have “all the time in the world” (full 9 months) to prepare for your baby and also you can keep yourself from doing things that you should avoid while being pregnant. 

But, the cold hard truth is, It sucks to know super early (like 3-4 weeks early). The sweet spot is honestly like 6 to 8 weeks.

How soon can you get symptoms of pregnancy?

Early symptoms of pregnancy vary for each woman. Like, I mentioned earlier, my earliest sign was a pain in my lower left stomach. Most woman’s earliest sign is a missed period or a sudden case of unexpected vomiting!

11 Early Symptoms of Pregnancy

Here are 11 early symptoms of pregnancy:  

1) Missed Period

• • A missed period is typically a sign of pregnancy, but there are a few exceptions to the rule. Your period can come late due to stress or physically active. I didn’t have a period prior to me trying to get pregnant. It was bizarre to tell the doctors that my last period was in September, and I was newly pregnant in November. But I was going through trauma prior to, so it’s only expected for my body to react as well. 

2) Stomach aches

• • Stomach aches can be compared to the ones you may get when you eat something that didn’t settle right, or maybe even just pain. If you know my pregnancy story, I went to the ER because I was having pain on the left side of my stomach. 

3) Spotting and Cramping

• • Spotting and Cramping are caused by implantation bleeding, complications, or even an infection. If you are spotting, you definitely want to verify with your doctor that its just implantation bleeding (which is normal). 

4) Breast Changes

• • Breast Changes can occur during the first trimester. You may feel like your breast is more massive and swollen. Sometimes, you areola (The circle around your nipple) will become darker. 

5) Fatigue

• • This one hit me hard. I was so sleepy and tired. I also found myself not able to do my regular physical activities without feeling like I need to catch my breath. Note, some women can continue their pregnancy without feeling fatigued until the 3rd trimester. 

6) Nausea (Morning Sickness)

• • Morning SIckness is the most dreadful symptom for me. During my 1st trimester, morning sickness became night sickness and then turn into all-day sickness. You will find yourself throwing up your food or whatever is in your stomach. Note: Some women don’t have morning sickness or nausea. If you are blessed to not have morning sickness, you better thank God lol. 
  • Some wives tales, hint that if you have a lot of morning sickness, you could be having a baby girl. 

7) Frequent urination

• • You might find yourself having to pee a lot more than usual. I know for me, it was like I was peeing at least 20 times a day. Like I literally drank as much water as I was supposed to way before nighttime to prevent having to wake up every 15 minutes to use the bathroom at night. 

8) Constipation

• • Constipation is another rough early symptom. It’s best that you contact your doctor for their recommend list of medications for constipation. I was advised to take Colace, and God knows I need it. This early pregnancy symptom literally had me reconsidering if I was ready for delivery (which I did pretty good, so don’t be a scary cat like me during your 1st trimester). 

9) Mood Swings

• • Believe it or not, Mood swings is an early pregnancy symptom. The thing that sucks about mood swings being a sign of early pregnancy is also a symptom of a period. See how contradicting that it. 

10) Headaches and Back Pain

• • Headaches and Back Pain can occur during the first trimester of pregnancy. It may be because your body is taking note of the hormonal changes that occur due to your baby being developed inside of you. It also can be from the need of more vitamins now that you are supplying nutrients for two. 

11) Dizziness and Fainting

• • Dizziness and Fainting is an early sign of pregnancy. I use to feel dizzy when I got up out of bed at night to use the bathroom. Note: Old Wives tale suggested that If you suffer from Dizziness a lot during your pregnancy, that you may be having a Baby Boy. 

It doesn’t make it better than, more than half of the symptoms of pregnancy can be easily mistaken for signs of a menstrual. 

But, here are some helpful tips to keep your burning question at ease:

Best Ways to Determine If You Are Pregnant

Take a pregnant test

If you choose to take a home pregnancy test, I recommend choosing the most trusted brand for the most accurate results. I typically use First Response when taking my pregnancy test. I always picked the one that claims to tell you two weeks earlier than your missed period. 

Please note, it is better if you take a blood pregnancy test administrated from a medical professional. A blood test determines the level of HCG in your body, which HCG can be easily described as pregnancy hormones in your body. Now, the perfect than about a blood test is it is the most accurate way of determining if you are pregnant or not. 

You can actually find out way earlier than the First Response Pregnancy Test (early response)! 

In fact, when I went to the hospital, they conducted a blood test on me, and my HCG level was a 10!  Can you imagine how early that is?

They want to say I was 3-4 weeks pregnant! Like I said, It sucked knowing that early on.

Take Your Pregnancy Test Early In The Morning

If you want the most accurate results, take your test early in the morning before using the bathroom. Yes, you need the fresh sample of pee of the day. Lol. Sorry to break it down like that, but indeed, that is what is required. 

Of course, if you are far along into your pregnancy (6-8 weeks pregnant), taking the test later on in the day, may still give you a positive test.

Be Aware That False Negatives Exist and False Positives

False Negatives are simply, when you take a test, and it reads negative when in fact, you are pregnant. There have been many women that this has occurred to. I am actually one of them. But, I will say, most of the time, this happens because the test was taking way too early to detect a high level of HCG. 

False Positives are simply the opposite of False Negatives. Instead of getting a negative test, your test reads positive but you are not pregnant.

I know this is nerve-wracking and stressful. 

To avoid these mistakes: 

• Take multiple tests.
• Have a medical provider administrate the pregnancy test.
• Try retesting again in two weeks.

Common Questions/FAQ About Early Signs of Pregnancy

Here are some commonly asked questions about early signs of pregnancy:

Can you be pregnant and not know it and still have your period?

Yes, You can be pregnant and still have a period. It’s rare to be pregnant and even have a period, but it even happens for some women. To be sure, just take a pregnancy test. Note, a blood test can be more accurate, so talk to your doctor about getting one done. 

How do you know if you’re pregnant without a test?

You can’t surely know that you are pregnant without taking a test or going into labor. There are some early pregnancy signs that can give you a hint, but it is recommended that you speak with your health professional about taking a pregnancy test to confirm. 

Can Precum cause pregnancy?

There have been some cases where women are pregnant due to precum and, it’s only because there is a few regular cum that’s not precum that was also ejaculated. If you think you might be pregnant due to precum, take a pregnancy test to validate. 

Why do I feel pregnant but the test is negative?

Sometimes you can feel pregnant and still get a negative reading. I personally felt pregnant before my test read a positive, and I was told I was pregnant a week later when I went to the doctor due to stomach pains. I would recommend you take a blood test for more accurate results and or wait a week or two. 

The Last Thing You Need to Know about Early Signs of Pregnancy

There are many early signs of pregnancy, but to know for sure it’s always best to take a pregnancy test. If you are blessed to be pregnant, congratulations! Motherhood is amazing! I would love to continue to help you through your pregnancy and motherhood journey. So, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter, and let’s become mommy friends!

As always, Sharing is caring! Don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family. Share on social media (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Reddit) as well! Also, share some of your early signs of pregnancy symptoms below in the comments!

If you are pregnant, check out these blog posts to help you through your pregnancy:

• 30 Pregnancy Affirmations To Help You Through Your Pregnancy
• The Best Products to Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
• 10 Reasons Why Every Mom to Be Needs An Amazon Baby Registry
• The Best Guide To Adapting Your Pets To Your Newborn (Pets and Infants)
• A Cheat Sheet to Having a Mermaid Themed Baby Shower
• The Beginner’s Guide to Surviving as a New Mom
• Must-Have Products On Your Baby Registry
• Breastfeeding 101 For New Mothers
• 5+ Lactation Products To Increase Milk Flow
• 19+ Best Amazon Products to Survive the 4th Trimester (Postpartum)

Looking into becoming a SAHM, check out these blog posts below:

• The Beginner’s Guide to Becoming a Stay At Home Mom
• Ways To Make Money As a Stay at Home Mom
• 10 Best Stay At Home Mom Tips to Staying Active
• Best Ways To Save Money As A Stay At Home Mom
• Benefits of Walking For Stay At Home Moms

The post 11 Early Signs of Pregnancy appeared first on My Motherhood Made Easy.