Are you Pregnant? Here are 8 Early Signs of Pregnancy

Morning Sickness

A common sign that you may be pregnant is getting sick unexpectedly. Morning Sickness affects a lot of pregnant women, and usually at the beginning of the first trimester. This can result in not being able to eat anything at all, then suddenly feeling fine, or it can lead to days of only being able to eat very specific things. Sometimes, women will think they came down with a stomach virus or had some food poisoning, but if your think there’s a chance you could be pregnant, you may want to start watching for other signs. Whether you’re pregnant or not, you should make sure to stay hydrated if you’re vomiting or having trouble eating. Hydration can help relieve Morning Sickness or stomach illnesses and will keep you from becoming dehydrated as a result.

Breast Changes

Women’s breasts are affected by hormonal changes a lot. Many women will notice differences in their breasts when they become pregnant as well. This can range from tenderness to tingling, to their areoles darkening. Sometimes there will be multiple changes happening at once. Swelling is another common result of the hormonal changes from pregnancy. Your body is preparing your mammary glands and your nipples for breastfeeding. Nipples get tougher and breasts swell as you get further along. In the last trimester, you may even start to leak as your body changes to accommodate an infant. If you notice your breasts are changing and you find out you’re expecting, you should reach out to someone you trust or to a doctor for some pregnancy help.

Smell Sensitivity

Something that isn’t thought of as much is the sensitivity to smell that a lot of women experience while they’re pregnant. If you’ve conceived, you’ll likely begin to smell things far stronger than you’re used to. You may even begin to have issues with certain smells that never bothered you before. This often connects with Morning Sickness, and many women will become sick from smells alone, even if they’re normal scents that they’ve been around often. Sometimes, chewing on peppermint gum or using something with a minty scent can help alleviate the sensitivity.

Fatigue

If you notice yourself falling asleep on the bus ride home or lacking the energy to do anything, you may be pregnant. As soon as you’ve conceived, your body begins to change. It takes a lot of energy to grow a human, and even in the very beginning, there’s a lot that you will go through. Hormonal shifts don’t help either. Fatigue is a very common result of pregnancy, and unfortunately, it usually only gets worse the farther along you are. If you find out you’re not pregnant and are experiencing high levels of fatigue, you should talk to a doctor. It can be a sign of hidden health condition.

Strange Cravings or Aversions

Everyone jokes about pregnancy cravings. Women who are expecting will want to eat some strange foods, but something that is less known is the aversion to some foods women will experience. Suddenly, and with no warning, many women will no longer want those same things they used to have all the time. This aversion doesn’t always result in Morning Sickness. Sometimes it’s simply having no desire to have a particular food or drink anymore. If you notice yourself no longer wanting something you used to love or having a strong desire to eat something that you normally wouldn’t even think of as an option, there may be a bun in the oven.

Frequent Urination

Having to pee all the time isn’t just something that happens in the later stages of pregnancy when the baby is squishing your bladder. It also can start happening right away. Many women will suddenly find themselves needing to use the restroom far more often than they should. You may be running to the bathroom multiple times even though you haven’t been drinking more and you haven’t changed anything else in your daily habits, you may want to look for some pregnancy help to determine if that’s the cause.

Missed Period

This is probably the most obvious one on this list. Everyone knows that missing a period is the biggest of the signs of pregnancy. However, while the number of women who don’t have regular periods rises and there’s more doubt as to whether it’s just a late period due to a fluctuation in your cycle or a missed period due to pregnancy, this can be just as hard to read as the other signs of pregnancy on this list. If you have missed your period by a few weeks or more, you should definitely take a home pregnancy test. If it comes back negative, then you should make an appointment. An unusual menstrual cycle can be a sign of other issues that should be addressed.

Moodiness

When you conceive, your hormones begin to change. Because of this, many women will experience moodiness at the beginning of their pregnancy. It can be similar to premenstrual syndrome. You may get unusually happy and energetic, or you may want to cry at the drop of a hat. You may even find yourself lashing out at others and not know why. Usually, this will be different than your usual PMS, since there are different hormones at play. If you notice it happening, but you never start your period, which is an indicator that this time it might be pregnancy and not your regular cycle causing you problems.

Pregnancy can be both scary and exciting at the same time. If you weren’t planning for it, you may be uncertain of how you want to proceed. Seek out the support of those around you to offer any pregnancy help you need. If this is something you’ve been hoping for, you still may feel fear and uncertainty. This is normal. You should do the same and reach out to those who love you. Pregnancy is a big deal. It causes all sorts of changes to our bodies and will completely alter our lives. It can also be one of the most incredible things we can go through. You are literally growing another person inside you. What could be more amazing than that? With modern home test accuracy and paying attention to your body for signs of pregnancy, you can get the confirmation that you’re expecting sooner. With the support and medical advice from professionals, you can make the right decisions for your family.