The signs of pregnancy vary from
woman to woman. Usually the most obvious sign is when a woman has a missed period.
But
some women continue to have bleeding even while pregnant. The following are the most
common first signs of pregnancy. Each woman may experience the signs of pregnancy
differently. These may include:

• Extreme tiredness

• Sore and swollen breasts

• Nausea or vomiting (also called morning sickness)

• Frequent urination

• Certain food cravings or aversions

• Bloating of the belly

• Darkening of the skin around
  the nipples (also called the areola)

These early signs may not mean a
woman is definitely pregnant. They may actually signal something else happening within
the body. A pregnancy test can provide more accurate results.

Pregnancy is confirmed with a
pregnancy test. A pregnancy test can be done on either urine or blood. Pregnancy tests
look for the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG). This hormone is made by the
placenta about 10 days after fertilization. Pregnancy tests that use the woman’s
blood
are done by a healthcare provider. They are often done to get a very early diagnosis
of
pregnancy or to confirm an at-home pregnancy test. Blood tests are very accurate.
They
can find pregnancy by the second week after conception.

Women can do an at-home pregnancy
test by testing a sample of urine about 2 weeks after conception, or about the time
a
period is due. Home pregnancy tests have become more accurate in the last decade.
If the
test is used correctly, most home pregnancy tests are 97% to 99% accurate.

Always talk with your healthcare
provider to confirm a positive at-home pregnancy test. Your provider will do a more
reliable pregnancy test and physical exam. If your at-home pregnancy test results
are
negative, and you think you are pregnant, you should also talk with your healthcare
provider.