Introduction
When you’re trying to become pregnant and dying to see that plus sign or those two pink lines on the home pregnancy test, it can be hard to wait. You may even find yourself becoming hypersensitive to every little change in your body.
Maybe it seems like your breasts feel heavier today, or you’re more tired than usual. Plus, you’re dying for something salty. Could that be a sign?
Can you tell if you’re pregnant three days past ovulation (DPO)? Let’s look at the earliest signs of pregnancy, plus the best time to take a pregnancy test for the most accurate answer.
RELATED: Early Pregnancy Symptoms
When do the earliest signs of pregnancy appear?
You may start noticing the earliest symptoms of pregnancy in the first few weeks after conceiving. While a missed period is the most telling sign, there are other symptoms of pregnancy as well.
These include:
- Breast changes. You may notice that your breasts feel more sensitive or tender than usual. They can also feel fuller and heavier.
- Fatigue. Soaring progesterone levels during early pregnancy can make you feel unusually sleepy.
- Aversions or cravings for certain foods. For some people, certain food aromas can trigger nausea while others find they have a strong desire for a particular food.
- More bathroom breaks. You may notice you need to urinate more frequently.
- Nausea. Morning sickness isn’t just limited to the morning, it can begin very early in your pregnancy, as soon as three weeks after conceiving. You may feel nauseated enough to vomit.
There are other symptoms of early pregnancy that may surprise you, such as cramping, bleeding, and more.
Cramping
Some women may notice mild cramping, similar to light menstrual cramps. Often, this can be the result of the many changes taking place in the uterus as the implanted egg starts to develop.
Mood swings
With the rush of pregnancy hormones in the early weeks, some women find themselves feeling very emotional.
Bleeding
Many pregnant women experience some kind of spotting, brownish discharge, or bleeding early in their pregnancies.
There can be many different reasons for this, including cervical irritation, infection, implantation bleeding, ectopic pregnancy, and threatened miscarriage.
Bleeding early in the first trimester is common, occurring in 15 to 25 percent of pregnant people, and usually doesn’t indicate a major problem. Bleeding later in pregnancy can indicate something more serious.
RELATED: Cramps but No Period: Early Pregnancy Symptoms
Constipation
With hormonal changes can come disruptions to your digestive function, and that can lead to constipation.
Dizziness
It’s common to feel lightheaded or dizzy, especially after standing up from a reclined position. This feeling comes from dilated blood vessels, a side effect of pregnancy, which affects your blood pressure.
High body temperature
One of the earliest clues about pregnancy can be your basal body temperature. This is your temperature when you wake up in the morning.
Fertility and ovulation can affect your basal body temperature, leading to fluctuations. However, some women ovulate without changes to their basal body temp. Other factors can also influence your this temperature.
If you’ve been tracking ovulation and charting your basal body temperature, an elevated number for over two weeks could be a sign of pregnancy.
Because these symptoms aren’t completely unique to pregnancy, you may be exhibiting signs even if you aren’t pregnant. In some cases, they may be related to an impending period or an illness. Or, you may be pregnant and showing no symptoms at all.