You’ve probably heard of the most common symptoms of pregnancy, like nausea and vomiting. These aren’t the only symptoms of pregnancy, however!
How many of these do you know?
1. Heartburn
Your pregnancy hormones relax the valve between your stomach and esophagus, allowing stomach acid to leak up. This is called acid reflux, which causes the burning sensation in your throat.
If you have a preexisting tendency toward heartburn, this can be an early sign of pregnancy.
- Tip: Try cutting back on acidic foods (like tomato-based meals), consuming milk or yogurt, and talking to your doctor about acid-reducing medications.
2. Lower back and abdomen cramping
You might feel this early in pregnancy as the fertilized egg implants in your uterus. It feels similar to a low-grade menstrual cramp. Implantation cramping usually lasts a few days, around the time you miss your period.
3. Constipation
Your body’s digestion slows down as the pregnancy hormones increase. This usually happens later in pregnancy, but it can happen in early pregnancy as well. If you’ve started taking a prenatal vitamin, the extra iron in your body can also slow down digestion.
- Tip: Try eating more fiber to get things moving. Drink more water than you think—about 8-12 cups of water per day. Try to move regularly, like taking a walk every day. Talk to your doctor about what laxative medications are safe for you!
If your period is late and you’re experiencing these symptoms, we suggest taking a pregnancy test.
Some women don’t experience symptoms at all, so you should still take a test if you’ve missed your period.
Go deeper: More early pregnancy symptoms
Adrienne Bergmeier
Adrienne Bergmeier is a Communications Coordinator at The Pregnancy Network.