Early pregnancy may be accompanied by following symptoms: breast tenderness, lower backaches, mood swings, cramping, nausea, and headache. They often mimic PMS symptoms.

Some women, however, do not have any symptoms other than the absence of the period. If you missed yours, take a pregnancy test.

Many home pregnancy tests have a high sensitivity for human chorionic gonadatropin (hCG). This hormone is secreted by the embryo and detectable in the urine as early as the first day of your missed period. It is best to take a pregnancy test early in the morning upon waking up when urine is most concentrated.