Period symptoms or pregnancy

But if you have irregular periods or you're not keeping track of your menstrual cycle, other symptoms may be your first clues about a possible pregnancy. The most common symptoms to follow were nausea and vomiting, fatigue, frequent urination, and breast tenderness and swelling.

By 8 weeks pregnant, women reported some additional pregnancy symptoms:

Other symptoms that pop up throughout pregnancy include:

When should I take a pregnancy test?

Some home pregnancy tests claim they're sensitive enough to give a positive result as early as five days before you would expect your period.

The pain often decreases during your period and eventually go away by the end of your flow.

Menstrual cramps will often decrease after your first pregnancy or as you age. Fatigue can be more pronounced during your first trimester, but it can last throughout your pregnancy as well. You may also have moments of sadness and cry more easily.

As with PMS, these latter symptoms can also indicate depression.

There are safe treatment options that can make you feel better and keep your symptoms from getting worse."

Pregnancy nausea may be accompanied by indigestion, food aversions, a heightened sense of smell, a metallic taste in your mouth, and excess saliva.

Implantation bleeding or spotting

If you're pregnant, you expect a break from your period – so seeing spotting or vaginal bleeding can be an unwelcome surprise.

But it's not rare: About 1 in 4 women have spotting or light bleeding during the first trimester. Or you may have a ravenous appetite. You’re more likely to be emotional during pregnancy. On the other hand, you may feel downright exhausted or unmistakably queasy.

If you start to feel some of the early pregnancy symptoms below, you may very well be pregnant.

You may notice your breasts feel different when you put on your bra or that you're making extra trips to the bathroom. Vomiting may or may not accompany the nausea.

Remember you are not alone.

If you’re pregnant, experience mood changes that last until you give birth.

Some moms-to-be experience heightened emotions, both good and bad, while others feel more depressed or anxious.

Note: If you've been feeling sad or hopeless or unable to cope with your daily responsibilities, call your healthcare provider or a mental health professional right away. If your bleeding is severe or accompanied by pain or lightheadedness, or if you're at all concerned, call your doctor or midwife.

Cramping

Like spotting or bleeding, cramping is a confusing early pregnancy symptom – because it can make you feel like your period's starting.

Every month, you may wonder if this month is going to be the month — or just your time of the month again.

Unfortunately, the early signs of pregnancy and PMS are very similar, which can make it hard to tell what’s causing those sore boobs and strange food cravings.

Can you tell the difference between PMS and pregnancy?

Unfortunately, no.

Some women feel the first twinges of pregnancy a week or two after conceiving, while others don't feel any different for a few months.

In the best studyOpens a new window on this question to date, 136 women who were trying to get pregnant kept daily records of their symptoms from the time they stopped using birth control until they were 8 weeks pregnant.

Test first thing in the morning, when your urine is more concentrated. Some women will experience more cramping as they start to go into menopause.

Early in pregnancy, you may experience mild or light cramping. (While some test manufacturers claim they can give you results as early as four or five days before your expected period, they’re only accurate about 60 percent of the time, which means if your result is negative, you should wait and retest to see if it’s the real deal.)

These home pregnancy tests all work by measuring levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) — a pregnancy-specific hormone — in your pee.