It is important for you to know the PMS vs pregnancy symptoms to find out if you are actually pregnant or if you are just going through signs of menstruation. True enough, symptoms for both conditions are very similar. You can easily mistake one for the other if you don’t know your body that well.
It is understandable why women get so anxious as they wait for their period to arrive, especially if some symptoms start to show. There is a lot of overlapping when it comes to signs of pregnancy vs PMS, and the cause for the overlap is due to the changing hormones in the woman’s body.
Although many women believe that a missed period is a clear indication of pregnancy, this is not the case all the time. A pregnancy test will easily answer your question but it pays to know the difference between these symptoms, too.
Bleeding is a manifestation of a monthly menstrual period and is not a symptom of PMS. On the other hand, minor bleeding is among the earliest pregnancy signs.
Breast tenderness is one of the confusing PMS VS pregnancy symptoms because it can happen when either of these conditions arrive. It is one of the normal signs of PMS but it is also among the pregnancy symptoms early signs. If your breast remains tender and your period has not arrived yet, you might be pregnant.
Fatigue can be a symptom for both pregnancy and PMS. Although it may be hard to determine the cause if you are just feeling more tired than usual, it will help to get your much needed rest. As the body relaxes, the reproductive system will function better.
Cramping happens during PMS and pregnancy. However, this is a more common symptom of PMS since cramping mostly happens during the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
Food cravings is a very common symptom for both PMS and pregnancy. Women usually see this symptom as a sign that their period is coming. How will you know if it’s not a pregnancy sign? For many women, odd food cravings are well known early pregnancy symptoms.
However, if your food cravings are more related to comfort foods, it means you are going to have your period pretty soon. If you have peculiar and unusual food cravings, on the other hand, then you are most likely pregnant.
Pain in the lower back. This is another overlapping symptom. However, you will know if it’s PMS if you feel lower back pain before your menstruation date arrives. The lower back pain for PMS is a result of pelvic pain, as the uterus is getting ready to shed your eggs. Lower back pain during pregnancy often happens in the 2nd and 3rd trimester when the fetus gets heavier.
The overlapping of symptoms is confusing but if you know your body, you can easily tell if it is pregnancy or PMS. Nevertheless, if you want to be sure, it is always helpful to differentiate between PMS VS pregnancy symptoms.
