Pregnancy symptoms differ from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy; however, pretty much no matter who you are, one of the most significant pregnancy symptoms is a delayed or missed menstrual cycle. Knowing what the symptoms of pregnancy are can help you distinguish whether or not you are pregnant, or suffering from some illness. For some women, symptoms start within a week of conception, for others, it may take several weeks before symptoms start to manifest.

While a missed period is one of the most obvious signs of pregnancy, it is not always the first. In fact, by the time you realize you have missed your period you could already be 2-3 weeks pregnant. Some early symptoms of pregnancy begin even before a missed period. These signs usually are those of morning sickness, which include flu like symptoms, as well as other symptoms such as fatigue, headache, implantation bleeding, mood swings, nausea, changes in your breasts, frequent urination, and odd food cravings. Many of these symptoms mimic pre-menstrual symptoms and may start just a few days after conception occurs. Because they are similar to symptoms found in other things, many women mistake their symptoms for the flu, or PMS, and do not realize they are pregnant.

Most of these symptoms, including fatigue, swollen and tender breasts, headaches, flu like symptoms, and mood swings can begin as early as one to two weeks into your pregnancy. As you get further along, many symptoms stop and new ones take their place. For example, your breasts may be less tender, but then your areolas will darken and swell. The symptoms of pregnancy change as your pregnancy progresses, a prime example of this is that many women report feeling severe fatigue very early in their pregnancy, but toward the middle they have extra energy, and feel great until late in the pregnancy.

While a missed period is typically the first sign of pregnancy, some women do not experience a missed period during the first few weeks of pregnancy; in fact, many women still have a period. A period that occurs during the first weeks of pregnancy may be either normal or abnormal. Abnormal periods that occur during the first few weeks of a pregnancy can include a lighter than normal period, spotting, or a very short period. This may be perfectly find, but anytime you bleed during pregnancy you want to talk to your doctor about it.

If you experience any pregnancy symptoms it is wise to get checked out as soon as possible. The best thing you can do is take a pregnancy test. However, in some cases this may not be accurate, depending on how early you are in your pregnancy. So, if you are worried, and want to make sure, start with the over the counter urine tests, and follow that up with a blood test performed by your health care provider. Both of these tests detect levels of human chorionic gonadotropin, (HCG), in your blood; this hormone is used to detect pregnancy because it is released by the developing placenta and begins to appear in the blood as little as 5 days after conception. Most over the counter urine tests are up to 97% accurate however these tests can't detect HCG in your urine until one week after your missed period, though some may be more advanced. Blood tests are up to 99% accurate, and these tests can detect HGC in your blood as soon as 7 days after your ovulation. Some wonder why they should even care if they find out they are pregnant early on, or later, but the fact is that prenatal care is essential to your health and your baby's health, and there are certain activities, medications, and foods that should be avoided when pregnant. The earlier you know and confirm your pregnant, the earlier you can begin to prepare your body to grow a healthy fetus.

So, if you are sexually active, and you experience any of the below listed symptoms, you may want to take a pregnancy test to confirm whether or not you are pregnant:

• Breast Pain
• Breast Swelling
  
• Breast Tenderness
  
• Constipation
  
• Discoloration Of Skin
  
• Dizziness
  
• Fainting
  
• Fatigue
  
• Frequent Urination
  
• Lightheadedness
  
• Loss of Appetite
  
• Missed Period
  
• Morning Sickness
  
• Nausea
  
• Nipple Discharge
  
• No Menstrual Period
  
• Pain
  
• Swollen Ankles
  
• Swollen Feet
  
• Tiredness

These are the most common symptoms of pregnancy, but not the only ones. Let's now take a closer look at why these symptoms occur, when to expect them in your pregnancy, and what else they might be if they are not an indicator of pregnancy.

Mood Swings:
This is one of the first signs you will have after you conceive. Many women tell stories of knowing they were pregnant when they cried while watching a commercial. Mood swings can be quite severe early in a pregnancy, and may include feelings of euphoria followed by depression or sadness. They differ for each person, although almost all women who are pregnant will experience them. They are very similar to the emotional changes you experience during PMS, though often a little more intense. Of course, if you are experiencing mood swings, and you are not actually pregnant, it probably is just PMS.

Implantation Bleeding:
Implantation bleeding can be one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms, but this is one that does not occur in every women. Usually if you are going to experience this symptoms it will occur about 6-12 days after conception. Basically it is light spotting, and possibly some cramping. This happens because as the embryo implants itself into the uterine wall, it can cause you to bleed some. Of course, even if you do have light spotting and cramping, it does not mean you are pregnant, it could be your menstrual cycle has changed some, that you have an infection in your uterus, or could be caused by rough sex.

Delay/Difference in Menstruation:
A delayed or missed menstruation is the most common pregnancy symptom. You have probably seen the television shows and movies where a girl is worried about being pregnant because her period is late. This is the most common reason women test for pregnancy, and it makes sense because if you get pregnant you should miss your next period. Some women do not, however, their period should be shorter or much lighter. It is important to note however that periods can be missed or delayed by other things as well including weight loss and fain, hormone imbalances, too much stress, fatigue, switching your birth control, etc.

Swollen/Tender Breasts:
This is a symptom that tends to start early, and usually goes away after a few weeks. Swollen or tender breasts can be an indicator of pregnancy as soon as 1-2 weeks after conception. Usually when women get pregnant, the hormone changes will cause their breasts to swell some, and will often make them tender to the touch. The thing to note is that the same thing can happen when you are on your period though, or during PMS. Sometimes having a hormonal imbalance, or starting or stopping a birth control pill can cause the same symptoms.

Fatigue/Tiredness:
This is another one of the symptoms of pregnancy that starts fairly early. You may start to feel fatigued or more tired as early as the first week after conception. Again, however, other things can cause fatigue, such as illness, stress, depression, etc. So, this symptom alone should not be enough to make you think you are pregnant.

Nausea/Morning Sickness:
Most people who experience this as their first pregnancy symptom mistake it for the stomach flu, that is until it does not go away. This is one of the best known symptoms of pregnancy, and while many women do not experience it, many do! It usually starts occurring between 2 and 8 weeks after conception, and will usually last until week 14-17, but can last much longer.

Backaches:
This is a symptom of pregnancy that while it may start early, generally does not go away. It typically starts in the lower back, but throughout the pregnancy you may experience backaches all over you back.

Headaches:
The sudden rise of hormones in your body can cause you to have headaches early in pregnancy. This is really normal, and can be an indicator of pregnancy, especially if you do not typically have headaches. It is important to note however that dehydration, eye strain, and other problems can cause headaches as well.

Frequent Urination:
This is one of the most complained about and inconvenient symptoms of pregnancy, and it usually starts to occur around 6-8 weeks after conception. You have to use the restroom far more often. After a while it starts to subside, and you may not be getting up in the night as often, etc. however, it returns near the end of pregnancy when your baby is larger and putting more pressure on the bladder.

Darkening of Areolas:
This is one of the most frustrating symptoms of pregnancy for many women, usually the skin around your nipples may get darker. Your nipples may also get larger. This does not always go away entirely after pregnancy. However, it can also be caused by hormonal imbalances.

Food Cravings:
Food cravings are often exaggerated in movies and shows about pregnancy, but the fact is, just because you do not want a weird combination of foods does not mean you won't experience some odd cravings. Many women experience this throughout their entire pregnancy.

There are many symptoms of pregnancy, some last longer than others, some stay throughout the pregnancy. It is different for everyone. If you have a sneaking suspicion you are pregnant, and you are experiencing some of these symptoms, it is worth it to spend the ten dollars on a home pregnancy test to make sure either way.