If you think you might be pregnant, the only way to know for sure is to take a test. Some women seem to just know instinctively that they are pregnant, especially if they have already had a child and may have gone through similar symptoms before. Here are the 10 most common early signs of pregnancy. However, not all of them may be present; you may find that you only have one or two of the symptoms. So always take a test to be sure.
1. Tingling nipples: You may start to experience this symptom around a week after conception. Your nipples might feel tingly or prickly.
2. Spotting and cramping: You may experience cramps in your lower abdomen that feel similar to period cramps. You may also notice a pink or brown discharge in your underwear or when you use the restroom, which could be a sign of implantation bleeding. This can happen anywhere from a week after conception to around the time your period would be due.
3. Feeling unwell: ‘Morning sickness’ is a term used to describe the nausea and vomiting that can happen at any time during the day – not just in the morning. Most women will find that it goes away later on in the pregnancy. You may also get headaches more often than usual.
4. Tender breasts: Your breasts may feel tender to the touch, or you may wake up to find that they’re sore in the morning if you’ve been sleeping on your front or side.
5. Fatigue and tiredness: Feeling exhausted all the time can be frustrating, especially if you feel like you’re getting enough sleep. If you’re pregnant, fatigue is normal and usually happens early on in pregnancy. It might feel like you have the flu, but without other symptoms. Some women also report feeling more tired than usual in the weeks leading up to their period.
6. Regular needs to urinate: If you find that you need to urinate more frequently than usual and there is a burning sensation during urination, book an appointment with your doctor – you may have a urinary tract infection.
7. Darkening of nipples: The areola (the area of skin around the nipples) may be darker than usual and the bumps around the nipples may become more pronounced.
8. An alter in taste & smell: Many women notice changes in their sense of taste and smell during pregnancy. It’s not uncommon for previously unappealing foods to suddenly become appealing, or for cravings to develop for strange items such as chalk or talcum powder. Additionally, you may find that your sense of smell is much more sensitive than it was before you were pregnant. This can make previously tolerable smells become overwhelming, and may even cause nausea.
9. A missed period: One of the most common signs of early pregnancy is a missed period. Although this isn’t always an indicator that you are pregnant, it’s not uncommon for some women to skip a period without any explanation. If you think you might be pregnant, it’s important to track your symptoms and take a pregnancy test as soon as possible to confirm.
10. A positive pregnancy test is pretty much proof that you’re pregnant! If you take a test too early, it might give you a false negative, so if you get a negative result, wait a week and test again.
