Some pregnancy symptoms are very well known. A change to your menstrual cycle in the form of a missed period for example, as well as food cravings, breast tenderness, and mood swings. 

But remember that pregnancy hormones can show up in lots of different ways, and whilst some pregnant women will experience a whole array of pregnancy symptoms, others won’t experience any at all.

If you think you might be pregnant, here are some of the early pregnancy symptoms to look out for.

If you’re used to a regular menstrual cycle, missing a period is the most obvious and reliable sign that you could be pregnant¹. Even if your periods are less regular, you might notice that you’re unusually late or realise you’ve been waiting for a period that just hasn’t shown up.

In the first weeks of pregnancy, some pregnant women experience light bleeding or spotting called ‘implantation bleeding’¹.

Implantation bleeding is the result of the embryo attaching itself to the lining of the womb, and it tends to happen around the same time your period would have been due in your menstrual cycle​².

Keep in mind however that everyone’s menstrual cycle is different. So, whether your period’s late, light, or missing altogether, it’s always worth taking a pregnancy test or speaking to your healthcare provider to find out what’s going on.

Morning sickness is one of the very common signs of early pregnancy³. It usually starts between four and seven weeks of pregnancy, and in most cases, symptoms will subside anywhere between 16 and 20 weeks⁴. Don’t be fooled by the name – ‘morning’ sickness can strike at any time of day or night, not just in the mornings⁵.

​​​Around eight out of 10 pregnant women get at least some morning sickness symptoms⁵, but if you’re lucky, you may not experience any morning sickness at all.

Even though the nausea can be unpleasant, morning sickness, even if it’s regular, won’t cause any harm to your baby³. However, some pregnant women find that morning sickness makes daily life a little difficult. To try and ease any symptoms, you could try³:

• Getting plenty of rest when you can. 

• Eating plain foods, little and often. For example dry toast or some crackers.

• Avoiding foods that affect your sense of smell (a change your sense of smell is another one of the common pregnancy symptoms). 

If you find yourself being sick multiple times a day and can’t keep any food or drink down, this could be a sign of a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)⁵.

Symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum include⁵:

• Weight loss.

• Severe nausea and vomiting that lasts a long time.

• Dehydration.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum can be dangerous if you get too dehydrated or lose a lot of weight. So, if you’re worried about your nausea and sickness, it’s very important that you talk to your doctor as soon as possible to make sure you get the right treatment and support. 

During the early weeks of pregnancy, there are a number of pregnancy hormones working their way around your body. These changes to your hormone levels can cause a variety of pregnancy symptoms, one of which is frequent urination¹. So, if you find yourself needing a wee more often, especially during the night, it could be a sign that you’re pregnant¹.

Pregnancy hormones can also slow down your digestion, making it uncomfortable or difficult to go to the loo. Constipation is a common symptom in early pregnancy, and you can ease the symptoms by eating more fibre, drinking lots of water and staying active if you feel up to it⁶.

Feeling shattered? One of the most common early signs of pregnancy is a feeling of complete exhaustion, especially in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy⁷. 

Tiredness and fatigue is thought to be the result of ​pregnancy hormones. So if there’s no other reason or explanation as to why you might feel so tired, check if you’re experiencing any of the other early pregnancy symptoms we’ve listed here.

​​In the early weeks of pregnancy, you may experience ​a funny, metallic taste in your mouth, a common symptom for many pregnant women¹.

You might also notice that your sense of smell is more sensitive than usual and the scents of foods that you used to love now make your stomach churn.

F​​ood cravings are another early sign of pregnancy, starting in the first 12 weeks and peaking in the second trimester⁸. You might crave foods that you wouldn’t normally eat or develop aversions to the foods you previously enjoyed¹. As well as food cravings, some pregnant women also get cravings for things like dirt or clay⁹. These are known as ‘pica’ cravings, and if you find yourself experiencing them, get in touch with your doctor or midwife, as this could be a sign of a lack of iron⁹. 

If your breasts feel bigger than usual, or you’re ​​experiencing breast tenderness and soreness around the time in your menstrual cycle that your period was due, it could be a sign that you’re pregnant¹. Changing hormone levels in the first trimester can make your breasts grow and change to get your body ready to breastfeed¹⁰.

You might also notice your breasts tingling, darker nipples and more visible veins¹.

You might notice that you’re getting more vaginal discharge than usual if you’re pregnant, as this is one of the common pregnancy symptoms. This is your body’s way of protecting your growing baby by preventing any infections entering your womb through the vagina¹¹.

You should call your doctor or midwife if your vaginal discharge has a strong smell or looks green or yellow, as this could be a sign of an infection¹¹.

Stomach pain and light bleeding are common early pregnancy symptoms.

Pains and cramps can be as a result of ligament or growing pains as your body stretches to support your ​​growing baby. They can also be caused by constipation and trapped wind, which are also common early pregnancy symptoms¹².

Light bleeding or ‘spotting’ is also common in the first few weeks of pregnancy. As we discussed above, this can be ‘implantation bleeding’, which happens when your fertilised egg embeds itself into the lining of your uterus. ​In later pregnancy, light bleeding could be caused by changes to your cervix².

Most of the time, light bleeding or cramps are nothing to worry about. But if you experience any heavy bleeding, severe stomach pains, or are worried about any of your pregnancy symptoms at all, get in touch with your doctor or midwife for advice¹².

Changing levels of the pregnancy hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, can affect your body and mood during your monthly menstrual cycle¹³. If you’re pregnant, both of these hormones will increase to support you, your growing baby, and a healthy pregnancy. Sometimes, these increased hormone levels can cause you to have mood swings​¹⁴.

Changing hormone levels can cause pregnant women to feel tearful or easily irritated during the first trimester, even when they’re excited about being pregnant¹⁴. If you start having mood swings, you might want to check the other symptoms we’ve listed here and take a pregnancy test.