What are the signs of pregnancy?

    Written by:
    Louie Neri

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Morgan Pfiffner, Graham Walker
    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    The signs of pregnancy are categorized into 3 types: presumptive signs (such as missed periods and nausea), probable signs (like abdominal enlargement and positive urine tests), and positive signs (including detection of a fetal heartbeat and ultrasound visualization). Each category indicates varying levels of certainty regarding pregnancy.

    The signs of pregnancy are broken up into three categories: presumptive, probable, and positive signs.

    • Presumptive signs, which means that an individual is possibly pregnant, include amenorrhea (absence of menses) nausea/vomiting, fatigue, increased urinary frequency, and breast changes.

    • Probable signs, which means that an individual is more than likely pregnant, include abdominal enlargement, Braxton-Hicks contractions (also known as false labor), cervical changes, and a positive urine pregnancy test.

    • Positive signs, which confirm pregnancy, include detection of a fetal heartbeat, fetal movement felt by a healthcare provider, and visualization of the fetus through ultrasound imaging.