First Trimester Symptoms

Months 1, 2 and 3 of Pregnancy

Usually the first symptom that indicates pregnancy is a missed period. Whether it's one day or three weeks late, you can confirm your pregnancy with an over-the-counter urine test (this detects the hormone hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin in the urine), or with a urine test, blood test or medical exam given in your doctor's office. Weight gain is one of the key first trimester symptoms, and a pregnant woman should expect to gain an average of three to four pounds during the first three months of pregnancy. Every woman is different and her first trimester symptoms may not include everything described below. Even if you've had other children, one pregnancy can be very different from the next.

Other first trimester symptoms include morning sickness, frequent urination, tingling, tender or swollen breasts, darkening of the areola, lines on skin and breasts, food cravings and even a darkening line that appears from the navel to the pubis.

Below, we've divided first trimester symptoms and signs into months to assist you through your pregnancy:

Month 1 of Pregnancy

During the first month of pregnancy, symptoms may incude:

• fatigue


• morning sickness


• excess saliva


• frequent urination


• lower abdominal pressure


• depression

A woman may crave certain foods and become completely adverse to others that didn't bother her before. She may become very irritable, cry a lot or be overjoyed.

Month 2 of Pregnancy

First trimester symptoms that usually appear during the second month of pregnancy may include:

• swelling of hands and feet


• varicose veins


• constipation


• heartburn


• indigestion


• flatulence


• bloating


• heavier breasts


• goose bumps on the areola


• slight whitish vaginal discharge


• waistline expansion


• change in the size of the uterus

Month 3 of Pregnancy

During the 9th to the 13th week, the nausea and vomiting have should have eased or ceased. First trimester symptoms that usually occur during the third month include:

• more energy


• less urination time


• a slight increase in vaginal discharge


• additional visible veins on the body


• faintness


• dizziness


• stretch marks


• change in sex drive (feeling sexier or not wanting to participate at all)


• cramping after an orgasm


• a corpus luteum cyst


• inability to urinate


• a new sense of calmness

Any of the previously mentioned symptoms in month one and two can remain present or may cease in the following months.

more symptoms:

Second trimester
Final trimester