How to distinguish period vs pregnancy
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Have you ever found yourself wondering if those changes in your body are just PMS symptoms or signs of early pregnancy? You’re not alone. Period symptoms and early pregnancy symptoms can be so similar that it’s easy to mix them up. It can leave you stuck debating if it’s your period vs pregnancy…
Between the mood swings, breast tenderness, abdominal pain, and even unusual food cravings, both your menstrual cycle and the early stages of pregnancy can cause a variety of symptoms thanks to hormonal fluctuations. Especially, changes in the hormone progesterone and hormone levels, like human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
I learned this firsthand. My menstrual period was always irregular, so a missed period didn’t immediately raise red flags. In fact, after skipping three months, pregnancy was the last thing on my mind—until a few physical changes made me pause.
Subtle differences, like morning sickness and unusual mood changes, made me start wondering: is this my menstrual cycle acting up again, or could it be the early stages of pregnancy?
In this post, we’ll walk through the key signs that help distinguish between the two, like implantation bleeding vs. period bleeding, early pregnancy cramps vs. PMS symptoms, and when it’s a good idea to take a blood test or pregnancy test for the most accurate results.
We’ll also touch on why talking to your healthcare provider is always the best way to be sure.
This post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a commission if you click or make a purchase. This article is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See my full policy for more information.
Signs of period vs pregnancy (how to distinguish pregnancy from a period)
Frequent urination
Unless you have some sort of bladder condition, this can be a huge determining factor with pregnancy.
The reason you urinate frequently is because of your fluctuating hormones and an increase in the blood circulating through your body. (you can read more about this fascinating symptom here)
It also happens because your uterus is growing.
As your uterus grows, it applies pressure to your bladder causing frequent urination. (to learn more about pelvic floor health – check out this post!)
I remember being at the hair salon and talking with my stylist and telling her how I missed my period, but I didn’t think I was pregnant and she told me to just take a test.
She had also told me that what made her realize she was pregnant was that she had to constantly pee.
My stomach sank when she told me this because I was peeing quite frequently. I kept thinking it was because of my increase in water intake, but I was wrong. It was in fact a pregnancy symptom and I was pregnant!
Have you ever experienced this symptom before? Was it due to pregnancy or something else?
Food aversions
Unless I was feeling ill, I never got grossed out by any kind of food, ever.
One day, I decided to go get a burger at my favorite burger spot and as I was eating my burger I felt very nauseated and grossed out.
Almost like I could vomit just looking at the burger. I immediately left the restaurant and bought a pregnancy test.
Funny thing, your taste, and smell are amplified when you’re pregnant so it’s easy to experience food aversions.
Food aversions are basically psychological repulsions to food. So if you have a symptom like this, it could definitely be pregnancy-related. I don’t remember ever feeling this way about food before getting my period, so if you’re experiencing this, I’d highly encourage you to take a pregnancy test JUST IN CASE!
Spotting
This one may seem like it can be a sign of your period starting (because it kind of can be), but you’ll really have to pay attention to how much blood comes out.
One day, I went to the bathroom and noticed a tiny strip of blood and I thought “oh I just got my period”. I didn’t think twice about it and went about my day with my tampon and period (or so I thought).
A few hours later when I went to change it, I noticed it was completely free and clear of any blood.
I started to worry. This never happened to me before. It was really another indication that I was pregnant. After that day I never saw any more spotting and the arrival of my period was later and later.
Have a tingling instinct you may be pregnant? Try my favorite & reliable Labcorp OnDemand Pregnancy Test (because it’s the only direct to consumer — aka to YOU — test that provides a quantitative hCG level! All you do is purchase your test, go to one of 2,000 Labcorp locations to submit your sample, and get results online that you can share with your healthcare provider.
Urine smell
Ok, this one may sound a little crazy to some people, but trust me I’m not making this up.
After I peed, I smelled a baby. I know that sounds so strange and weird but I really did.
And if you’re wondering what I’m even talking about, it’s all thanks to that wonderful pregnancy hormone hCG. That wonderfully surging hormone can make your urine have a VERY STRONG odor (which is likely what I had experienced but just didn’t realize it at the time).
In fact, at this point, I thought I was hallucinating. But, it was really just another indication that I was pregnant. Here’s a great article about how your urine smell changes during early pregnancy!
This brings me to my next indicator.
A heightened sense of taste and smell
As mentioned earlier, your sense of taste and smell increases during pregnancy because of your hormones (more specifically, estrogen!).
It’s a pretty clear indicator that you could be in your early stage of pregnancy as many women tend to report this symptom as early as the first trimester.
In my personal experience, I never experienced this before starting my period, so I knew it was something unusual.
Should You Take a Pregnancy Test?
If you’ve noticed early signs of pregnancy like breast pain, unusual pregnancy cravings or food aversions, subtle emotional changes, or even light bleeding that could be implantation bleeding, it may be time to consider an at-home pregnancy test.
For some women with irregular periods or symptoms of premenstrual syndrome that mimic pregnancy, it can be hard to tell the difference without testing.
The first day of a missed period is often the recommended time to test, but if you’re experiencing heavy bleeding, persistent emotional symptoms, or anything else that feels a little more out of the norm, reaching out to your health care provider for a blood test can give you the most accurate results.
Blood tests detect pregnancy hormones earlier than urine tests, making them especially helpful for pregnant people with conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome or those concerned about early sign of pregnancy despite a negative result at home.
That’s why I really love the Labcorp OnDemand Pregnancy Test (because it’s the only direct-to-consumer, aka to YOU, and provides a quantitative hCG level! All you do is purchase your test, go to one of 2,000 Labcorp locations to submit your sample, and get results online that you can share with your healthcare provider.
Your provider can also guide you on the next steps once you have results. From lifestyle changes and prenatal care to treatment options for symptoms like hyperemesis gravidarum or changes in vaginal discharge.
Since every woman’s body is unique, getting medical advice from your healthcare provider ensures you understand what’s normal and when further evaluation may be needed.
Final thoughts on how to distinguish pregnancy from a period:
If you’re reading this and still unsure if you’re pregnant or about to start your period, then you should just take the plunge and take a pregnancy test.
I still can’t believe it took me about 3 months to know that I was pregnant but it all came down to these symptoms.
I even took 3 pregnancy tests just to make sure there wasn’t a mistake. And you know what, sometimes things happen when you least expect them to. And that’s how motherhood begins!
I hope you enjoyed this post. Feel free to comment below and let me know what you thought!
More pregnancy articles you’ll love:
I had all the above symptoms but I still didn’t know I was pregnant but one symptom stood out ,I always had a stomach upset. I was visiting the loo like at least 4 time in a day , all these while I was thinking I ate something that didn’t agree with my stomach.
I decided to check and there it was 🤭,I was pregnant.