Is Being Tired an Early Pregnancy Symptom?

Women who have had children will tell you that fatigue is usually one of the early pregnancy symptoms they felt. It's extremely common to feel tired in the first weeks of pregnancy, and most moms with kids will tell you that feeling sleepy or tired during the day is typically a common first pregnancy symptom. However, if you're trying to conceive (TTC) and will become a first time mom, you may miss one of the first signs that you may be growing a baby in your belly!Of course, many ladies say the very first sign they had that indicated a pregnancy was missing their period. That is definitely one of the more prominent ways one can tell they are with child, but fatigue or tiredness can begin even before you miss your period!

Why Am I So Tired?

During the first phase of your menstrual cycle (the follicular phase), estrogen is the dominant hormone. It helps prepare the egg for releasing and to being fertilized. It also helps prepare the uterine lining to sustain a pregnancy. After ovulation (when the egg is released from the fallopian tube in preparation to be fertilized), the hormone progesterone takes over. This is what causes your temperature to rise after ovulation. It's also the 'feel good' hormone, the hormone which can help with sexual arousal in women, and a hormone that brings about a peaceful, sleepy feeling.

If you do not conceive a baby, progesterone drops sharply about 12-14 days past ovulation, which triggers your body to release it's uterine lining, which is your period. If you do conceive a baby and become pregnant, progesterone remains the primary hormone throughout your pregnancy. It causes sleepiness, tiredness, fatigue in pregnancy. Because of this surge of progesterone, you may find it difficult to make it through the day without a nap. Often, before you even miss a period, you'll feel sleepy and wonder if early pregnancy fatigue is the culprit.

Other Reasons For Fatigue

While being tired is an early pregnancy symptom, there are many other reasons you may feel fatigued or sleepy. Stress, depression, illness, lack of sleep, anemia (low iron stores), premenstrual syndrome, and dehydration can all be legitimate causes of fatigue.

As mentioned, feeling tired can be one of the first signs of pregnancy, but in addition to early pregnancy fatigue, you will also experience other symptoms such as a missed period. Always back up any pregnancy suspicions with a home pregnancy test (HPT). I recommend First Response Early Result (FRER). You can also visit your health care provider or midwife for a blood test, which is 100% accurate at detecting early pregnancy.