First Month Pregnancy Symptoms

During the first month of pregnancy many signs and symptoms may appear. Do you think you may be pregnant? Here are some first month clues.

Identification

There are several typical signs of pregnancy that women may experience. For some expectant women, the first clue they are "with child" comes with a missed period. The absence of a cycle can be caused by many conditions, but a pregnancy is the most common.

Significance

Another significant symptom of early pregnancy is known as morning sickness, although some women experience nausea through the entire day. Morning sickness is caused by the rapid increase in the pregnancy hormone, HCG, and usually subsides after the first trimester.

Effects

A common side effect of early pregnancy is breast tenderness, swelling or darkening of the areola. Another sign of pregnancy women often mention is feeling some aching muscles or flu-like symptoms.

Time Frame

Near the time of the first missed period a pregnant woman may experience light spotting or bleeding. This is called implantation bleeding and is caused by changes in the uterine lining when the egg first implants.

Misconceptions

It is a common misconception that all women will experience these signs and symptoms of pregnancy. The truth is, some women do not find out they are pregnant until they are many weeks along in their pregnancy because of the lack of pregnancy signs. For these women it isn't until they hear the fetal heartbeat, or see the baby in an ultrasound, that they even realize they are pregnant.