Is it your period or pregnancy? While some of the symptoms are the same, there are a few key ways to tell the difference.
Are you at the beginning of your pregnancy journey, or is it the start of another period? During the two-week wait , trying to pinpoint the difference between pregnancy vs. period symptoms can be frustrating, confusing, and overall emotional. If you’re not trying to conceive, figuring out the difference might be stressful and anxiety-producing, too. No matter what your fertility journey is and what emotions you’re going through, luckily there are a few ways to tell the difference between pregnancy vs. period symptoms.
Understanding period symptoms While periods are a natural part of a healthy reproductive system, they can come with a rollercoaster of symptoms. These symptoms are caused by hormonal fluctuations that happen at the ending of your menstrual cycle. If the egg released during ovulation has not been fertilized, your progesterone and estrogen levels will decrease as you don’t need high levels to support pregnancy. This drop in progesterone and estrogen can lead to a variety of period symptoms.
Cramping When your uterus tightens and releases to shed the uterine lining, you might feel pain commonly known as period cramps. Period cramps often feel like a dull ache or throbbing deep in your lower abdomen, sometimes radiating to your lower back. Some people find these cramps mildly annoying, while others may find they need a heating pad to find relief.
>>MORE: Period Cramps vs. Early Pregnancy Cramps: What's the Difference?
Bloating During your period, you might feel tight and uncomfortable in your abdominal area. This bloating is caused by fluid retention and increased gas production during your period.
Mood swings As your hormones fluctuate, your emotions might, too. One minute you might feel upset and irritable, while the next you’re feeling light and happy. Mood changes that come around your period might feel completely unpredictable, even if they’re completely normal.
Breast tenderness About 70% of people with breasts will experience pain during their lifetime, with 60% of these people experiencing cyclical breast pain that occurs typically during the last week of the menstrual cycle.
Breast tenderness during your period typically feels like sensitivity and swollenness, which may feel uncomfortable to the touch. Sometimes, you might experience a shooting pain that radiates throughout your chest.
Headaches Period headaches typically will feel like throbbing or pulsating pain. Usually this pain is concentrated around your temples or forehead.
Skin changes “Hormonal acne” gets its name for a reason. As estrogen and progesterone decline, you might break out along your chin and jawline.
Understanding pregnancy symptoms Once the embryo has implanted, you also produce more of the hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), which leads to a rise in estrogen and progesterone. As all of these hormones rise, they can lead to a variety of symptoms.
Nausea and vomiting It’s not just morning sickness; nausea can strike at any time in early pregnancy, and it doesn’t always lead to vomiting. Intensity can vary from mild queasiness to gut-wrenching spinning.
Bloating As progesterone increases, it helps relax smooth muscles, including those in your digestive system. As those muscles relax, food moves your gut more slowly which can lead to feelings of fullness and bloating.
Increased estrogen can also contribute to fluid retention, which can manifest as bloating, too.
Cramps There are two main types of early pregnancy cramps: a dull pain and an intense pain. Both of these cramps typically occur because of changes in your uterus as it expands to support the pregnancy.
The dull pain is achy and might feel like a slight twinge. It shouldn’t last more than a few hours, and often will go away if you change what position you’re in.
The intense pain is often referred to as “lightning crotch,” as it’s a sudden pain that’s located in the vagina.
Breast changes As your breasts start to prepare for milk production, they may feel fuller, heavier, and a little tingly. You may also experience tenderness and a darkening of the areolas.
Fatigue Early pregnancy fatigue is often described as bone-deep tiredness, like you haven't slept in a week even after a full night's rest. Your body is working hard to prepare for and support your pregnancy, and you might feel exhausted as a result.
Frequent urination As your uterus grows, it puts pressure on your bladder, which makes bathroom trips more frequent, especially at night. In early pregnancy and throughout, it’s normal to feel urges to go to the bathroom often, even after you just peed.
Food cravings and aversions Some people report odd food cravings as one of their first signs of pregnancy. These specific and intense desires are triggered a surge in pregnancy hormones. Common food cravings for pregnant women include sweets like chocolate and candy, high-calorie carbohydrates like pizza and chips, and animal protein, like steak and chicken.
Change in taste Hormonal changes can also impact your taste perception, leading to a metallic taste, like you’ve licked a penny. Usually, this condition is worse at the beginning of pregnancy, and improves by the time you’re in your second or third trimester.
The difference between pregnancy vs. period symptoms Now that you know the different pregnancy vs. period symptoms, what’s the difference between the symptoms that overlap?
Fatigue Both hormonal shifts from pregnancy and periods can cause exhaustion. However, pregnancy fatigue is typically more intense and persistent, often described as “bone-deep tiredness.” Period fatigue is still exhausting, yet is typically not as extreme.
Breast tenderness Breast tenderness in pregnancy vs. period symptoms involves increased sensitivity and sometimes swelling. However, in pregnancy, your breasts might feel heavier and your nipples might feel tingly. Sometimes, you might experience darkened areolas.
Period-related breast tenderness is localized and typically less intense.
Bloating Again, hormonal fluctuations that cause bloating is normal in both cases. Period bloating usually happens just before or during your period, and subsides afterward. If you feel nausea, however, it could be a sign that this is pregnancy bloating instead.
Cramping The best way to differentiate between period vs. pregnancy cramps is to figure out where the pain is located. Period cramps tend to come from a specific spot on your lower abdomen, and may be on one side of your body. Dull early pregnancy cramps will affect your entire lower abdomen. If you experience cramping in your vagina, that’s likely pregnancy cramps.
There’s a difference in timing of these cramps, too: period cramps tend to last for multiple hours or even days, while early pregnancy cramps are shorter, lasting a few minutes to hours.
Overall, pregnancy symptoms, especially early pregnancy symptoms in the first trimester, tend to be more intense and persistent than those associated with periods.
How to deal with period symptoms Period symptoms can range from mild to bothersome. You can often manage these symptoms with lifestyle changes and over-the-counter relievers. To alleviate period symptoms, you might try:
Heat therapy, like a warm compress to the abdomen to help with cramps Rest and relaxation to get enough sleep, reduce stress, and improve your mood Nutritious foods to satisfy cravings and improve energy Adequate water intake to avoid dehydration and help with bloating Regular physical activity to boost your mood and reduce cramps Over-the-counter pain relievers to ease cramps and headaches How to deal with pregnancy symptoms To navigate pregnancy symptoms, you might need more interventions to adequate alleviate discomfort and support your pregnancy:
Eating small, infrequent meals to manage nausea Sucking on ginger candy or sipping ginger tea to combat nausea Getting adequate sleep to support your body working overtime to your pregnancy! Prenatal vitamins to provide additional nutrients for you and the baby Staying hydrated to prevent dehydration and constipation Joining support groups to promote emotional well-being Period symptoms vs. pregnancy symptoms: the bottom line Period symptoms and pregnancy symptoms have some overlap, but there are also some distinctions on what to expect within the early stages. Symptoms like nausea and vomiting, food cravings and aversions, changes in taste, and frequent urination are generally early pregnancy symptoms vs. period symptoms.
Symptoms like cramps, fatigue, breast changes, and bloating are common to both periods and early pregnancy. In most cases, the biggest difference between period vs. pregnancy symptoms is the intensity: if your body is preparing to support a pregnancy, symptoms are likely to be more intense and last longer.
Of course, the best way to confirm if you’re experiencing period symptoms vs. pregnancy symptoms is to take a pregnancy test; for the most accurate results, you’ll want to wait a few days after you miss your period.
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