Early signs of pregnancy
For women who have a regular monthly menstrual cycle, the earliest and most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period. Sometimes women who are pregnant have a very light period, losing only a little blood. Some of the other early pregnancy signs and symptoms are listed below. Every woman is different and not all women will notice all of these symptoms.
Feeling sick and vomiting
You may feel sick and nauseous, and/or vomit. This is commonly known as morning sickness, but it can happen at any time of the day or night.
Around half of all pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting, and around three in 10 women experience nausea without vomiting. For most women who have morning sickness, the symptoms start around six weeks after their last period.
Find out more about coping with nausea and morning sickness in pregnancy.
If you're being sick all the time and can't keep anything down, contact your GP.
Feeling very tired
It's common to feel tired, or even exhausted, during pregnancy, especially during the first 12 weeks or so. Hormonal changes taking place in your body at this time can make you feel tired, nauseous, emotional and upset.
Changes in your breasts
Your breasts may become larger and feel tender, just as they might do before your period. They may also tingle. The veins may be more visible, and the nipples may darken and stand out.
Peeing more often
You may feel the need to pee (urinate) more often than usual, including during the night.
Other signs of pregnancy that you might notice are:
- constipation
- an increased vaginal discharge without any soreness or irritation
- a strange taste in your mouth, which many women describe as metallic
- craving new foods
- losing interest in certain foods or drinks that you previously enjoyed, such as tea, coffee or fatty food
- losing interest in tobacco
- having a more sensitive sense of smell than usual, for example to the smell of food or cooking
If you think that you might be pregnant, find out more about taking a pregnancy test.
If you are pregnant, use the pregnancy due date calculator to work out when your baby is due.
