Guest Post: Three Common But Overlooked Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Women who are trying to get pregnant often wait with bated breath for the first signs that they have been successful. While a missed period is the classic indication, this is not always the first or most reliable sign that conception has occurred. Three other symptoms can occur within the first few weeks after conception, and when taken together, are usually a sure sign that a woman is pregnant. Let’s look at some pregnancy symptoms and how to cope with them.

Pregnancy Symptom #1: Fatigue

Starting new life requires a lot of energy, so one of the earliest signs of pregnancy for many women is complete and utter exhaustion from routine activities. In fact, most women say that feeling tired is what they remember most about the first trimester of pregnancy.

While fatigue may continue or return periodically throughout pregnancy, most women regain their energy in the second trimester, and some even sooner. Until then, cope with fatigue by reducing the amount of activity in your day (shorten your workout and skip the evening social engagements) and going to bed earlier at night. You might also consider taking a catnap in the afternoon -- even 15 or 20 minutes can make a difference in your energy levels.

Pregnancy Symptom #2: Full Bladder

While frequent urination often occurs in late pregnancy as a result of the growing fetus, having to pee frequently is also one of the early pregnancy symptoms. The hormonal changes and increased blood flow associated with early pregnancy can cause frequent urination as early as two weeks after conception.

There's not much you can do about frequent urination, unfortunately. Cut back on fluids before bed to reduce the number of nighttime bathroom trips, and avoid diuretics like coffee, tea and alcohol (which you should be avoiding now that you're pregnant, anyway).  You can also empty your bladder more completely if you lean forward when you pee.

Pregnancy Symptom #3: Breast Tenderness

Another of the earliest pregnancy symptoms -- and often the very first pregnancy symptom -- is tenderness of the breasts and nipples. Many women experience sore breasts around their period, but as a pregnancy symptom, this soreness is exaggerated. It may also be accompanied by darkening of the areolas, which occurs as the result of hormonal changes.

Again, there is not a whole lot you can do to alleviate breast tenderness. Wearing comfortable bras made from non-chafing material (e.g., cotton) and clothing that fits loosely across the bust can help. You'll also want to avoid carrying things against your chest, and tell your partner that it's "hands-off" for the time being. The tenderness tends to dissipate over the pregnancy, but may return later on and after birth, especially if you breastfeed.

A Final Note

Keep in mind that pregnancy symptoms differ from woman to woman, both in terms of the symptoms experienced and in terms of their onset, duration and severity. If you suspect you're pregnant, take a home pregnancy test, and confirm a positive result with your doctor or medical practitioner. 

Suzy is the editor of SureBaby.com and has been writing about pregnancy symptoms and parenting tips for years.