Symptoms of Pregnancy in the First Week

Symptoms of pregnancy in the first week may be very few, if any. Most women do not know they are pregnant during the first week, though some new over-the-counter tests are helping women to determine if they pregnant sooner than ever before.

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Pregnancy symptoms differ for each woman and from pregnancy to pregnancy. The most significant sign of pregnancy is a missed or delayed period. If you have not missed your period yet, you may experience any of the following other early symptoms.

Implantation bleeding, if it occurs, is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. It may occur as soon anytime from 6-12 days after conception. You may notice a bright red discharge. The discharge is just a small amount that does not last long. Implantation bleeding occurs when the embryo implants itself into the wall of the uterus. This impact can cause a small amount of blood discharge.

Some women experience slight cramping during implantation bleeding while others report light spotting. It is important to note that implantation bleeding is often confused with alterations in the menstruation cycle or changes in birth control usage.

Another early sign of pregnancy occurs in the breasts. Between one and two weeks after conception, your breasts may become slightly swollen, tender to the touch, or sore. This tenderness occurs when your body releases a significant amount of hormones. This influx of hormones occurs just after conception, as the body starts to prepare for a fetus. It will taper off initially after your body adjusts to the hormones.

Tender breasts are not always a sign of pregnancy, though. They can also be a cause of hormonal imbalances and the onset of menstruation. Some birth control pills can also cause swelling in the breasts.

If you are feeling run down and tired, it may be because you are pregnant since fatigue is an early sign of pregnancy. It is hard to use this as a sole symptom of pregnancy, though. Most women do not realize what is causing them to feel tired or worn until they have missed their period. Fatigue can set in as early as the first week of pregnancy. The cause of the fatigue is the influx of new hormones into your body.

Fatigue is a symptom only when it is out of the ordinary. For example, your day-to-day lifestyle may not have changed and yet you feel very tired. This is a symptom of pregnancy, not common fatigue caused by stress or physical exertion.

Unless you have missed your period, it is unlikely that any of these symptoms of pregnancy will catch your attention. Nevertheless, they are symptoms of pregnancy in the first week.

• Morning Sickness: Although doctors do not know the exact cause of morning sickness, it is not considered a danger to mother or child. Morning sickness can begin during the first week of pregnancy, but is more commonly associated with the first two to eight weeks of pregnancy. Morning sickness is different for each woman, with some women just experiencing stomach pain while others actually get sick.

• Back Pain: Some women experience low, painful backaches during the first week of pregnancy. This may be a symptom caused by implantation, though back pain may last your entire pregnancy.

• Headaches: During the first weeks of pregnancy, the body is trying to cope with the new influx of hormones. This can lead to headaches. These headaches may be mild to severe and may come and go. Rest and just giving it time to pass is the best way to deal with them.

One of the best ways to know if you are pregnant during this first week is to look for several of these symptoms. For example, you may have a slight bloody show, headaches, and fatigue.

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