The First Pregnancy Symptoms

Q: What are the very first pregnancy symptoms I can expect?

A: Nausea and tiredness are among the first typical pregnancy symptoms, though for most women, missing a menstrual period is usually the very first sign that they are pregnant. Typical pregnancy symptoms are related to the pregnancy hormone hCG. They usually do not appear until later on in pregnancy, often weeks after implantation, when hCG is high enough to induce these symptoms.

The first appearance of the pregnancy hormone hCg depends on implantation, the attachement of the fertilized egg in the uterus. Implantation occurs on average 8-10 days after ovulation (range 6-12 days). HCG first appears in the blood about 3-4 days after implantation, or at the earliest 9-10 days after ovulation. Before you miss your period, and before a positive pregnancy test, it's difficult to assume that certain physical symptoms are pregnancy-related.