17 Weird Early Signs of Pregnancy

Could You Be Pregnant? 17 Weird Early Signs of Pregnancy

Most of us women are familiar with the typical signs of pregnancy. We know that a missed period, nausea or vomiting, and sore breasts are all common signs of pregnancy. However, before that missed period and nausea comes to play, there are a few weird early signs of pregnancy that you may experience in the early stages of pregnancy that you may not be aware are actual signs of being pregnant.

If you’re awaiting your missed period and looking for signs that indicate you are pregnant, here are a few not-so-common signs to look out for in the early stages of pregnancy.

11 Weird Early Signs of Pregnancy

1) Increased vaginal discharge:

An increase in cervical mucus could definitely be a sign you are pregnant. When you’re ovulating, there’s an increase in vaginal discharge. The increase in cervical mucus makes it more favorable for the sperm to swim toward the egg.

This vaginal discharge, also known as leukorrhea, will continue if conception occurs and throughout your pregnancy. Leukorrhea is a thin, milky white or clear, mild-smelling, harmless vaginal discharge many women experience in the early stages of pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the increase in vaginal discharge protects your baby from infections and other outside invaders.

2) Spotting:

Light bleeding or spotting can happen in the early stages of pregnancy and is actually quite common. Approximately 1 out of 4 or 25 percent of women experience light bleeding or spotting. Because this type of spotting takes place around the same time as you would get your period, it can be mistaken as menstrual bleeding. Spotting or implantation bleeding, however, is usually pink or brown in color and occurs when the developing embryo attaches itself to your uterine wall.

3) Cramping and bloating:

In the first few weeks of pregnancy, you may experience cramping similar to menstrual cramps. This cramp is due to the fertilized egg being implanted in the uterus wall.

4) Shortness of breath:

As a mom trying to conceive for the third time, the first sign I experienced, which I thought was a definite indicator of pregnancy, was shortness of breath.

I was standing near my kitchen counter when suddenly I felt like I couldn’t get enough air into my lungs. It was so weird.

The shortness of breath in the first few weeks of pregnancy is caused by an increase in the hormone progesterone, which causes a pregnant woman’s lungs to expand and take more breaths in order to carry oxygen to their developing baby.

5) Changes in libido:

Every woman is different. Hormonal changes can either increase or decrease your sex drive. Increased estrogen and progesterone improve blood flow and sensitivity in the breasts and genital area, which can cause an increase in your sex drive.

On the other hand, these increased levels of hormones can also cause a decrease in your sex drive because of the uncomfortable physical symptoms of the first trimester, such as sore breasts and tiredness.

6) Changes in your breast:

Changes in your breasts could also indicate pregnancy. If you notice that your breasts are sensitive, tender, swollen, sore, and bigger! It could be your body preparing for breastfeeding. Your areola or the dark part of your nipples may also get larger and darker in preparation for breastfeeding.

7) Fatigue and exhaustion:

Fatigue is a common pregnancy symptom, especially in the first semester. This is due to the rise in progesterone, a relaxing hormone.

8) Frequent urination:

Frequent urination is also another common symptom in early pregnancy. It’s caused by increased progesterone levels and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), also known as the pregnancy hormone.

9) Heightened sense of smell:

A heightened sense of smell can be one of the very first signs of pregnancy. Although studies have been inconclusive about why women experience this “superhuman” sense of smell during pregnancy, many pregnant women have reported a heightened sense of smell in the first trimester of pregnancy. It has been speculated that this increased sense of smell during pregnancy is a trigger for nausea and vomiting and protects the developing baby by reducing the risk of the mother being exposed to toxins.

10) Excess saliva:

Excessive salivation is another common early pregnancy symptom that goes hand in hand with morning sickness. This pregnancy symptom can start around 2-3 weeks post-conception and usually settles down by the second trimester.

11) Congestion/stuffy nose:

Congestion, known as pregnancy rhinitis, is the most common pregnancy symptom. Hormonal changes and increased blood flow in certain areas of your body, including your nose, causes your nasal passage to swell up and make more mucus causing stuffiness and congestion.

12) Headaches:

As a result of hormonal changes and increased blood volume, headaches are a common first-trimester symptom.

13) Nosebleeds:

An increase in blood volume in your body is to be blamed for your pregnancy nosebleeds.

14) Mood swings:

A surge in the pregnancy hormones estrogen and progesterone could cause you to become emotionally vulnerable. So if you find yourself crying over something that doesn’t make sense, or easily irritated, blame those cheeky pregnancy hormones!

15) Changes in your bowel movements:

Constipation during pregnancy is due to increased progesterone levels in your body. Progesterone slows down the function of your intestines and bowels so that the body can absorb more nutrients from the food you eat to nurture your baby. However, when your body is ready to take out the waste during pregnancy, the stool becomes too dry to pass, causing constipation.

16) A cold:

When you become pregnant, your body perceives the developing fetus as an unfamiliar object. And so, to prevent your body from rejecting the growing fetus, your body’s immune system makes certain adjustments, leaving you vulnerable to the common cold, viruses, and the flu.

17) Metallic taste in your mouth:

What fun would pregnancy be if our taste buds weren’t affected, too, LOL!

An ongoing metallic and sour taste, also known as dysgeusia, plagued me throughout all three trimesters of my pregnancies. This is by far the strangest and most irritating pregnancy symptom I have experienced.

Although weird, dysgeusia is a common pregnancy symptom affecting many women, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. Dysgeusia is caused by changes in our hormone levels, estrogen, which takes part in moderating our sense of taste.

Are you experiencing any of these weird pregnancy symptoms?