Or that early pregnancy symptoms can mimic pre-menstrual symptoms (although sometimes they are a little more severe)? Whereas you may feel you have a particularly bad dose of PMT, you may in fact later realise that you were pregnant! Some women experience pregnancy symptoms within just a few days of conception; others experience nothing at all until a few weeks into the pregnancy.

Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Missing a period/ light spotting instead of a period - While there are many reasons for missing a period, this is a classic sign of pregnancy and one that should be followed with a pregnancy test.

Extreme fatigue - Because your body is going through a lot of changes, you can feel very tired.

Swollen abdomen and breasts - The changes in your hormones can lead to the swelling of these areas, but they can also occur with hormonal changes in relation to your regular period.

Women experience pregnancy symptoms at varying stages. It is not necessary that they will experience all the symptoms that point towards preganncy. Some fortunate ones may just feel one early pregnancy symptom, in the form of missed period.

The rest of the symptoms may follow later. Early pregnancy stage symptoms can vary from person to person and should not be a stand-alone confirmation of your pregnancy. To follow is a list of early pregnancy symptoms that may help you conclude you are pregnant, which could be the most important and joyous period of your life.

Implantation Bleeding:

Implantation bleeding is the earliest pregnancy sign. About eight days after conception the embryo implants itself into the uterine wall. Some women will experience spotting as well as some cramping.

Delay/Difference in Menstruation:

A delayed or missed menstruation is the most common pregnancy sign leading a woman to test for pregnancy. When you become pregnant, your next period should be missed. Many women do bleed while they are pregnant, but typically the bleeding will be shorter or lighter than a normal period.

Swollen/Tender Breasts:

Swollen or tender breasts is a pregnancy sign that may begin as early as 1-2 weeks after conception. Women may notice changes in their breasts such as tender to the touch, sore, or swollen.

Another early symptom to look out for is fatigue and exhaustion. You may feel tired almost all the time and you will find it hard to get out of the bed when you wake up due to all the changes in your body and the increasing level of hormones that you have. Just try to have at least 15 minutes of nap whenever is possible.

Abdominal bloating

Some women may experience feelings of abdominal enlargement or bloating, but there is usually only a small amount of weight gain in the first trimester or pregnancy. In this early stage of pregnancy a weight gain of about one pound per month is typical. Sometimes women also experience mild abdominal cramping during the early weeks of pregnancy, which may be similar to the cramping that occurs prior to or during the menstrual period.