What Are the Early Symptoms of Pregnancy?

Early pregnancy can be a tough, confusing time — especially for first time parents. Sometimes, early pregnancy symptoms, miscarriage symptoms, and period symptoms can all seem to overlap, leaving you wondering what’s actually going on in your body. And if you’re actively trying to conceive, these questions might begin before you’ve even gotten a positive pregnancy test. It’s a lot to take in!

But if you’re wondering if what you’re feeling are early pregnancy symptoms, menstrual cycle weirdness, or something else entirely, keep reading. Let’s demystify exactly how you might be feeling in those first few weeks of pregnancy — and what you can do to feel better ASAP.

How early pregnancy symptoms might start

How to cope with early pregnancy symptoms

If pregnancy already has you feeling run down, remember to take care of yourself! Dealing with pregnancy pains can be overwhelming, so be kind to yourself — and try to resist the urge to Google absolutely everything as you wait to see a doctor to officially confirm your pregnancy and find out your due date.

If you’re feeling tired, take a nap when you can and be sure to get adequate sleep at night. If you’re nauseous, eating the right foods for morning sickness can help, and so can eating small meals throughout the day and snacking on ginger candy. And if you’re uncomfortable, well… remember it’s never too early to invest in a pregnancy pillow!

“I knew I was pregnant — thank goodness for those early pregnancy tests — but the news still seemed surreal. The symptoms, though, those seemed to be reenforcing the fact of my impending little one quite forcefully,” mom Gretchen Bossio wrote for Mom.com. “Baby might be small, but they — and my pregnancy hormones — are quite mighty.”

Early pregnancy symptoms are a lot, so give yourself some grace. You’re creating human life!