Uncommon Early Pregnancy Signs

We’re usually taught to believe the early signs of pregnancy are straightforward: a missed period, nausea, and feeling more tired. While those are some of the most common early pregnancy symptoms women experience, there are more unusual ones that we usually don’t hear of.

Other unusual but not so uncommon symptoms of early pregnancy include:

Nose bleeds

Due to fluctuating hormone levels, nose bleeds are surprisingly common during pregnancy. These usually don’t have a trigger and may happen while you’re asleep or resting.

Thankfully though, these bleeds are usually harmless and will resolve on their own in a minute or less. However, if you’re having a massive bleed that isn’t stopping with the usual methods, you should call your doctor or midwife.

Mood swings

Experiencing a change in usual emotions is common during pregnancy. This includes heightened emotions, anger outbursts, crying spells, and much more. It’s usually due to a change in your hormone levels.

Headaches

Due to an increased level of estrogen during pregnancy – some women may experience headaches. These are usually self-resolving and may go away by resting. It’s not advisable to take any medications without your health provider’s advice.

Strange Taste in the Mouth

Changes in your sense of taste, a metallic taste in the mouth, or increased production of saliva are all common during pregnancy. This is referred to as dysgeusia of pregnancy and is believed to be caused by hormonal changes.

Vaginal Discharge

You may experience a sticky, white-yellowish vaginal discharge throughout your pregnancy. Even though it’s not common, it’s usually benign and nothing to worry about.

However, if you want you can always ask your health provider about what this means.

Congestion

Pregnancy-associated nasal congestion is not exactly rare and happens with quite a few women. This again is related to hormone changes that cause the inner lining of your nose to dry out or get swollen, causing runny nose and congestion.

Use a humidifier or saline drops to ease the symptoms.

Constipation

Bloating and constipation are quite common in pregnancy. This can be due to hormonal changes and decreased water intake.

Your digestive system slows down during pregnancy to allow better nutrient absorption for your baby, and this may contribute to constipation as well.

Acne

Some women may develop new-onset acne during pregnancy or notice it getting worse during this time. Not all skincare ingredients are safe for pregnancy, so it’s best to consult your health provider before using anything.

Alternatively, you can try what ACOG suggests for pregnancy-related acne.

 

Remember that most of these conditions are harmless and will spontaneously resolve after a few weeks or months into your pregnancy. If you have been one of the lucky ones to experience any of these uncommon early pregnancy symptoms, you can rest assured that they are all normal parts of pregnancy as well!