Not everyone’s pregnancy symptoms are the same. While some people complain of severe morning sickness, for example, others say their pregnancy did not feature any morning sickness. The surest way to determine if a person is pregnant is to get an ultrasound or do a pregnancy test.
That said, certain symptoms accompany pregnancy. Most people know that missing a period is a sign of pregnancy, but this is far from the only symptom. Judging based on a missing period alone may also be misleading. Many things other than pregnancy can cause you to miss your period. Read on to find out more symptoms that may be signs that you are pregnant.
Cramping and Spotting
Between the first and fourth week of your pregnancy, you may experience cramping and light bleeding that may be mistaken as period stains. This happens because the blastocyst formed by the newly fertilized egg is lodging itself into the endometrium or mucosal lining of the uterus. The resulting bleeding is called implantation bleeding.
Implantation bleeding typically lasts less than three days. It may be present as spots that you only notice on your underwear or when you swipe. The bleeding may also resemble your regular period. Implantation may occur with pain or without pain. A study involving over 4,500 women found that only 28 percent of them associated their implantation bleeding with pain. [1]