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The information presented on this website has been developed and reviewed by Besins Healthcare. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional.

Getting Pregnant

Take your time with this information

"Is This Normal?" - Symptom Patterns

When becoming pregnant, your body experiences a huge hormonal shift to help support the growing needs of the baby and your body. Because of this, almost all women experience some form of pregnancy-related symptom. Symptoms can start at any stage of pregnancy, but they can begin as early as week 4 of pregnancy (two weeks after conception) and usually persist throughout the first trimester.1

So, what is normal and what should you expect?

During the early stages of pregnancy, there are some common pregnancy symptoms, but it is normal for these to fluctuate in intensity and duration as hormones fluctuate:

Up to 85% of pregnant women experience lower abdominal cramping. This can cause alarm because it often feels like mild menstrual cramping.2 However, some cramping can be normal due to the uterus growing and expanding.3
Nausea and vomiting, known as 'morning sickness' is common in early pregnancy, with nearly half of women experiencing some form of nausea with or without vomiting.2 Although it is termed morning sickness, it can occur at any time of the day.
Breast tenderness is usually experienced from 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy. Breasts or nipples may feel more tender, sensitive, or even swollen. You may also find that the areas around your nipples, the areola, darkens or appear larger.1
Fatigue is a common early pregnancy symptom in over 90% of women.4
Vaginal spotting or bleeding occurs in up to 25% of women in the first trimester.5,6 The most likely cause is implantation bleeding where the fertilised egg attaches to the lining of the uterus.1 It usually occurs as early as 3 or 4 week gestation, or around the same time of an expected menstrual period.1 Light spotting itself is not necessarily a cause for concern, but any form of bleeding within the first trimester should be reported to your healthcare provider for further evaluation.1

Symptoms may change, stop or start at any time during pregnancy. Although it is important to note, that some women go throughout their pregnancy with no symptoms. This can be a relief but also cause some anxiety in the early weeks. However, a lack of symptoms is not a reliable predictor of how successful a pregnancy will be. Every body, and every pregnancy is different, and some people may experience different symptoms with different pregnancies.1

You can learn more about what to expect in Early Pregnancy here.

Next: When to seek medical care