Perhaps you’ve been trying for a baby for a while, or perhaps you weren’t trying and this may be a surprise, but you are sensing something different about your body. If you have not yet tested for pregnancy, but you suspect it, there is surely something you are considering as evidence of this. What are some possible early signs that you might be pregnant? While the experience varies for many women, here are some signs that you should probably buy that test:
1. Missed period
If you tend to have irregular periods, and this might be not a perfectly clear indicator of pregnancy for you, but it is certainly a reason to consider getting a test if you have a late period plus other different symptoms accompanying it. You could choose to wait a few days more and see if you have a period, but this may be an anxious wait, so an inexpensive test may be worth it.
2. Tender, swollen breasts.
Hormones can cause a pregnant woman to have tender, swollen breasts – although this can also happen to many women during their menstrual cycle, as well. Another change that may happen fairly early in pregnancy is that the areolas may appear to be darkening in color. Breast changes should be paid attention to in case there is anything unusual going on that may need to be treated.
That first pregnancy is a long sea journey to a country where you don’t know the language.
3. Nausea and/or vomiting
While they call it morning sickness, many women can experience feelings of nausea or even vomit at all hours of the day and night due to hormones or even hydration issues. This can start fairly early on in pregnancy and last throughout the entire pregnancy, although many women find relief sometime around the end of the first trimester.
4. Increased urination and / or headaches
Often associated with later pregnancy, increased urination can occur at the beginning of pregnancy, as your body increases its blood supply and can cause more fluids to need to pass through the kidneys and take away waste products. Headaches in early pregnancy are also associated with this increase of blood.
5. Fatigue
Due to the increase of the hormone progesterone, as well as any accompanying nausea and vomiting that may take a toll, an early symptom for some women may be unusual fatigue.
6. Food aversions or cravings
Raw chicken suddenly may smell unbearable strong – or you may have a craving related to something your body needs, but seems out of character for you. While many old wives’ tales are associated with what you crave indicating gender, there isn’t steady evidence for this. There is evidence that some cravings may indicate a real deficiency, however, so these things may be worth checking into, pregnant or not.
7. Nasal congestion
An often overlooked pregnancy symptom is nasal congestion, which is related yet again to hormone changes. You may have a runny nose and think it’s allergies or a little cold coming on – but accompanied by other signs, this may be an indication of pregnancy.
Being pregnant finally helped me understand what my true relationship was with my body.
8. Cramping or spotting
While this may be alarming to someone who is trying to conceive, some women experience light cramping or spotting due to implantation or changes in the uterus, and so this may be a sign of early pregnancy. Go ahead and plan to take a test about 4 weeks after your last period, and know that spotting doesn’t necessarily mean anything is wrong if you’ve been trying. For some, it’s hard to not panic about seeing any amount of blood, so ask your doctor or midwife questions.
9. Bloating and backaches
Another sign that is also associated with menstruation, bloating can be a sign of pregnancy, as well. Backaches may also be a period coming on – or hormone changes due to pregnancy. It’s a toss up, so you can either wait for a period, or opt to test.
10. Mood changes
Not to blame all moodiness on pregnancy, but hormones surely can play a huge role in how a woman feels, and while these hormones may be a regular time of the month surges, they also could be pregnancy indications.
If you have noticed several changes in your body, whether listed above or something else, you may want to take a test just to be sure. Hormones tend to be strongest first thing in the morning if you test at home – so take your test during your first urination of the morning. If you still have your suspicions, a blood test would be an accurate next step.