What are the signs of pregnancy? Are you pregnant, could you be pregnant, how will you know!?
Wondering if you've gotten pregnant can leave you up all night (and the next night, and the next night…)
What are some signs of pregnancy that help you decide if you should go buy a pregnancy test?
- Fatigue: this is one of the first things you'll notice – and it's strong! If you find yourself feeling very, very tired, almost like you can't drag yourself out of bed in the morning, pregnancy could be the cause.
- Nausea: Though morning sickness doesn't tend to get strong until after the first few weeks of pregnancy, some women do start to feel that queasy stomach. You may initially think it's a stomach bug but if it's persistent, buy a test. It's considered the hallmark of the signs of pregnancy!
- Tender Breasts: Many women notice breast tenderness before they start their period. You may think nothing of soreness if this is usual for you. But if you're noticing it with a few other signs of pregnancy, or if this is the first time you've experienced it, it could indicate a baby on the way!
- Darkening of your Nipples: The pink or brown area around your nipples is called the areola. It often grows darker during pregnancy. Pink will turn to light brown and light brown will turn to dark brown. You may notice this occurring in the early weeks of pregnancy.
- Needing to Pee: If you find yourself running to the bathroom more often than usual you should consider a pregnancy test! This is the other hallmark of the signs of pregnancy!
- Backache or Headaches: Some women experience these early in pregnancy. If you don't have backaches or headaches and begin noticing them with other pregnancy signs it could indicate you're pregnant!
- Cravings: Pickles and Ice Cream anyone? Many women have food cravings near their period or when they're stressed. Strong cravings are one of the signs of pregnancy, so pay attention to them!
- Light spotting: Implantation spotting can occur when your tiny embryo embeds into the lining of your uterus. Some women notice this symptom of pregnancy – others do not.
- A Missed Period: Though you can miss a period for many reasons (or have a late period) pregnancy is a big cause of a missed period! If your period is over a week late run out and buy a test girl! It's time to find out for sure if you're pregnant or not!
If you're noticing several of these signs of pregnancy, go get a pregnancy test! Even if you have no symptoms or have only noticed a missed period you might feel strongly that you're pregnant. Pay attention to this! Some women just know.
Pregnancy tests are reliable and pretty inexpensive to purchase. If you're trying to conceive you can keep some around the house. Or you can make a quick visit to the midwife or doctor's office for a test. Follow your own intuition! The best way to know if you are pregnant or not is to go get that test.
Are you feeling a lot of the signs of pregnancy? Click to learn about early pregnancy tests!
(NOTE: Trying to balance your pregnancy, life, and getting ready for baby? Use my checklist pack stay healthy (naturally), organized, and confident throughout your pregnancy! Get them here.)
Photo by Karyn Christner