What Are the Early Pregnancy Symptoms?

If you have recently been sexually active and are feeling unusual symptoms, you may be worried that you are pregnant. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, common early indicators of pregnancy can include: 

• Missed period: One of the first signs of pregnancy is a missed period. However, keep in mind that not all missed or delayed periods are due to pregnancy.
• Tender, swollen breasts: Hormonal changes may cause your breasts to feel sensitive or sore early in pregnancy.
• Nausea with or without vomiting: Often called “morning sickness,” this symptom can occur at any time of the day and can start a few weeks after conception.
• Increased urination: Pregnant women might find themselves needing to urinate more frequently.
• Fatigue: Feeling more tired than usual can be an early sign of pregnancy due to hormonal changes.
• Mood swings: Feeling up one minute and down the next? This emotional rollercoaster might be due to early pregnancy.

Other early pregnancy symptoms include light spotting, bloating, and food aversions.

Confirming Your Pregnancy

While these symptoms can indicate pregnancy, they are not definitive. If you’re experiencing some or all of these symptoms and believe you might be pregnant, the best way to confirm is through a pregnancy test. 

While at-home pregnancy tests are usually very accurate, there is a slight chance that you can receive a false positive. If you’ve taken a pregnancy test and received a positive result, getting a second opinion at a women’s health clinic is the best thing you can do.

Getting the Answers You Need

In addition to receiving a confirmation pregnancy test, a women’s health clinic can provide a follow-up ultrasound scan. This scan will provide you with important information you will need to know about your pregnancy, like its age, location, and viability. 

Determining the age of your pregnancy is very important in determining what options are available to you. For example, medical abortion is only FDA-approved during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

An ultrasound can also identify the location of your pregnancy to rule out complications, such as an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is when a pregnancy occurs somewhere else other than your uterus and is a serious health risk that requires immediate medical intervention.

Additionally, up to 20% of pregnancies end in a natural miscarriage, and an ultrasound scan will determine the viability of your pregnancy.

We Can Help

Facing an unplanned pregnancy can feel overwhelming, but you are not alone.

Our trained team of licensed medical providers at Alpha Pregnancy Care Center are here to support you with free pregnancy resources and a caring team that will listen to your concerns and answer your questions.
Contact us today to schedule your free and confidential appointment.