Early pregnancy signs: Heartburn, gas, tender breasts, and more

Digestive changes are one of the most common early pregnancy signs, says Nordahl. If you feel a burning sensation in your chest after scarfing down your usual black coffee and egg salad sandwich from the deli near your office, it might not be that the deli changed the recipe to include green onions or switched coffee brands; it could actually be pregnancy-related heartburn.

One telltale sign of heartburn is that the burning sensation can feel worse when you bend over or lie down. It’s safe to reach for an antacid to relieve the burning, but also try to avoid certain foods, such as citrus fruits.

Before you start cursing your bra for suddenly feeling more like a contraption from the hardware store than the lacy lingerie that took a serious chunk out of your paycheque, consider that your newly sore boobs could be a sign that you’re pregnant. Breast tenderness is another common early pregnancy sign, according to Nordahl.

This is typically one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms, though it often mimics the tenderness we feel from PMS.

For many women, what can make this symptom particularly confusing is that breast soreness is also a very common sign of your period. But early on in your pregnancy, your breasts may hurt because they’re expanding in preparation for producing milk.

Being gassy—or, less eloquently, “farty”—is no problem when you’re chillaxing alone in your threadbare sweatpants, but it’s next-level horrifying when you’re out and about anywhere else. Unfortunately, it’s one of the more common early pregnancy signs. Expect flatulence during not only the first few weeks of pregnancy but also the next nine months.

Inevitably, your unruly gas will strike right in the middle of a work meeting or during a cool-down in your silent yoga class.

Can’t zip up those light-wash jeans that fit like a glove a few weeks ago? It could be that extra-large soda and popcorn you inhaled while transfixed on the onscreen hunk at the cinema last night, but it could also be a sign that you’re expecting. Like breast tenderness, abdominal bloating is a symptom that’s common before your period, making it hard to tell apart from monthly premenstrual symptoms.

The usual tactic to fight extra bloating and constipation is to ease up on excess salt and stay hydrated with water, both of which are good habits, whether you’re pregnant or not. But you might also want to buy a pregnancy test.

Not sure which one to buy? We suggest loading up on affordable pregnancy test strips like these. They're a fraction of the price of typical home pregnancy tests, just as accurate and allow for several budget-friendly tests in a short period of time.

Pelvic cramping as an early pregnancy sign? Yep, it can be, according to Nordahl. That might seem counterintuitive, as cramps are super-typical symptoms of Aunt Flow. You were probably hoping that being pregnant meant you could kiss cramps goodbye, but sadly that’s not the case.

Light cramps can be caused by early pregnancy hormonal shifts and implantation of the fertilized egg on your uterine lining. Here are some other reasons for cramps without a period.

The unusual sensation of feeling “full” is yet another early symptom of pregnancy. “Fullness can be experienced before a period is missed, but a first-time mom may miss it,” says Nordahl. “A second- or third-time mom may pick up on it right away, especially if she is actively trying to conceive.”

If you’re getting a feeling of déjà vu from previous pregnancies that you’re experiencing at the gut level (literally), congrats, you could be preggo! It is often one of the most reliable early pregnancy symptoms.

Well, duh, of course a missed period is the most common of early pregnancy signs. For many women who haven’t been pregnant before, this is usually the first symptom they notice, explains Nordahl. But hindsight is often 20/20.

“A first-time mom usually thinks back and realizes that a few things were different but wasn’t sure what they meant,” she says.

One of the earliest signs of pregnancy is a general sense of fatigue and tiredness. Nobody's really sure what causes this issue. However, during early pregnancy, the levels of the hormone progesterone quickly increase. Your blood sugar levels and blood pressure also tend to drop.

Together, these early signs could leave you feeling exhausted. The tiredness tends to persist through the first trimester but will usually improve by the second trimester.

Frequent urination is a key—and annoying—sign of pregnancy. The exact definition of frequent urination will vary from person to person since everyone has different bladder needs. A typical person urinates between four and ten times a day. Some pregnant people experience only slight changes to their urination pattern, but others may feel like they are constantly in the bathroom.

This symptom often begins around the same time as your first missed period or about two weeks after conception. Make sure to drink enough fluids to compensate for the extra bathroom trips and avoid excess caffeine.

In movies and TV, the audience often figures out that a character is pregnant when they rush into the bathroom first thing in the morning. That is just how iconic morning sickness is as a pregnancy sign. Despite the name, morning sickness can occur at any time of the day. It may or may not trigger vomiting.

Most people tend to experience morning sickness between one and two months after becoming pregnant. Some people have nausea before this, while others may not have it at all. The cause of morning sickness is still unknown, but experts assume it is due to the many hormonal changes that pregnancy brings.

Food aversions and hunger-related mood swings can also be added to this list.