Can you conceive? A pregnancy test provides proof. But you suspect or wish you were pregnant before you miss your period. Discover the causes of the early signs and symptoms of pregnancy. The following are the most frequent early signs and symptoms of pregnancy:

Missed period. You may be pregnant if you are fertile and have not had your usual menstrual cycle for a week or longer. This symptom, however, might be deceiving if your menstrual cycle is erratic. 

Breasts are soft and puffy. Early pregnancy hormonal changes might make your breasts uncomfortable and painful. As your body adjusts to the hormonal changes, these symptoms may lessen after a few weeks. 

Nausea, either with or without vomiting Morning sickness, which can occur at any time of day or night, often occurs one to two months following conception. Some women, however, suffer nausea earlier than others. While the exact reason for nausea during pregnancy is unknown, pregnancy hormones are most likely to blame. 

Urination has increased. You may feel yourself urinating more frequently than normal. During pregnancy, the volume of blood in your body rises, leading your kidneys to process more fluid that ends up in your bladder.

Fatigue is also one of the most common early pregnancy symptoms. Nobody knows for sure what causes tiredness during pregnancy’s first trimester.

Many of these signs and symptoms are not unique to pregnancy. Some may indicate that you are sick or that your period is about to start. Again, you can get pregnant without many of these symptoms. If you still miss your period and have any of the signs or symptoms above, get a home pregnancy test or see your doctor. If you have a positive home pregnancy test, make an appointment with your doctor. The sooner your pregnancy is confirmed, the sooner you can start prenatal care. If you are planning to become pregnant or just found out you are pregnant, start taking a daily prenatal vitamin. Prenatal vitamins often contain essential vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid and iron, to support your baby’s growth and development. And if you’re curious when the your due date of baby birth might be, try using pregnancy due date calculator.

Increased body temperature during rest. If you’ve been tracking your first morning temperature with a special basal body thermometer, you may have seen that it increases roughly 1 degree when you conceive and remains raised throughout your pregnancy. Though not a guaranteed early pregnancy sign (your temperature might increase for various reasons), it may give you a heads-up on the exciting news. 

An early pregnancy symptom is a heightened sense of smell, which makes previously moderate scents overwhelming and disagreeable. Babies may be in the air if your sniffer becomes suddenly more sensitive and easily irritated, since it is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy that many women describe. 

Tender, swollen breasts and darkening, bumpy areolas are among the breast changes you might experience early in pregnancy. The hormones estrogen and progesterone deserve most of the credit (or the blame) for this early pregnancy symptom. The breast tenderness is pain with a gain, though, since it’s part of your body’s preparation for the milk-making to come. Your areolas (the rings surrounding your nipples) may darken and expand in size. You’ll also notice little pimples on your areolas rising in size and quantity. These lumps, known as Montgomery’s tubercles, have always existed, but they’re now preparing to create additional oils that lubricate your nipples once a baby begins feeding.

Blame pregnancy-related hormonal changes for any mood swings you may experience while pregnant. You may experience PMS-like moodiness as early as 4 weeks into your pregnancy; later in the first trimester, and regularly during the duration of your pregnancy, you may be up one minute and worried or down the next. 

Aside from pregnancy hormones, your life is about to change dramatically, so it’s natural for your moods to swing. Give yourself a break by eating healthy, getting enough sleep, and pampering yourself. These early pregnancy symptoms normally come around or around the time you miss your period, which is usually between weeks 4 and 9. However, because every woman and every pregnancy are unique, you may not notice any symptoms at all, while other expectant mothers may.