How to Spot Symptoms of Pregnancy in the First Week

While there are few definitive symptoms of pregnancy in the first week, and you'll usually have to wait two weeks to take a pregnancy test, many women feel they've been able to tell they were pregnant from the earliest days after conception.

Here's how to recognize possible symptoms of pregnancy in the first week.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Pay attention to your energy levels while maintaining your usual routine. Fatigue is one of the earliest possible pregnancy symptoms. If you feel overly tired or exhausted this may be an indicator of pregnancy, as it is one of the symptoms of pregnancy in the first week reported by many newly pregnant moms.

2. Early pregnancy signs

   Note if you have sore breasts, another very early pregnancy sign for many. If they are tender, sensitive, or feel swollen, it may indicate that you are pregnant and the hormones from pregnancy are affecting your body.

3. Recognize light cramping in your lower abdomen, which may feel like period cramps but could be a sign of implantation and the growing uterus.

4. Note any implantation spotting during the first week and up until the time you'd normally get your period. Usually brown in color with no real bleeding, this is another possible symptom of pregnancy in the first week to two weeks after ovulation.

5. Be aware of your feelings. If you have a strong feeling that you are pregnant, and are generally in tune with your body, this is a possible sign of pregnancy -- not a positive sign, mind you, but a preliminary indicator of the possibility of being pregnant.

6. Wait a few days past the first week to have a pregnancy test done. A blood test will reveal a pregnancy 10 days after fertilization, and many home pregnancy tests will let you know 10 to 20 days after ovulation.

Tips & Warnings

• Be aware of changing sensations in your body so that you'll be able to identify symptoms of pregnancy in the first week. Note anything that is different for you or feels "off."

• Check your dates. If you had sex during the middle part of your cycle, about 12-20 days after you last period began, you could very well be pregnant.

Resources

• First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test - 3 Tests
• Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two, and Baby's First Foods