One of the biggest things aspiring moms want to know about is what pregnancy signs they should be watching out for when they are trying to get pregnant.
The simple answer is that there is no single answer for you because every woman will experience different symptoms of pregnancy.
However, there are some very common signs and symptoms that to know to watch for, so if you listen to your body and know what the common signs and symptoms to watch for are, you should have no problem recognizing that you may be pregnant.
Chances are pretty good that you will experience 1 or more of the following 10 early pregnancy signs when you are pregnant. However, for the surest test, you will want to take an over the counter pregnancy test and/or make a visit to your doctor.
Related: False Positive Pregnancy Test
Experiencing these pregnancy symptoms are a good indicator that it is actually time to take one of those next steps.
Now, on with the list! (in no particular order):
1) Tiredness
If you are pregnant, your body is now working overtime to prepare itself for the next 9 months of pregnancy. Your body is without a doubt using up more energy and there is a good chance you will feel tired and not really know why.
This could be a telltale sign that you are pregnant when coupled with 1 or 2 of the other common pregnancy signs.
2) Nausea
The added stress on the body, increase in hormones and estrogen, a keener sense of smell and other body changes all seem to create a cocktail of misfortune for many pregnant women.
Morning sickness is the most common form of nausea that is experienced, but it could be a certain smell or taste that sets it off as well. Nobody is exactly sure what causes nausea and some women are lucky enough to not even get it.
But the bottom line is if you do experience it, it could be an early symptom of your pregnancy.
3) Frequent Urination
Due to the increase in size of your uterus, it may already be putting added pressure on your bladder which would cause a more frequent need to urinate, or even just the sensation that you need to urinate. This is one symptom that you will likely have during your entire pregnancy.
4) Swelling and Tenderness of the Breasts
The moment you become pregnant your body begins preparing itself for breastfeeding. Your breasts may become swollen or very tender. Your nipples may also become very sensitive to the touch. This is often one of the first pregnancy symptoms you will notice.
5) Backaches
Lower back pains usually are dull and come and go as an early sign of pregnancy. Sometimes it may not be a sign at all, but experiencing dull lower back pains coupled with one or two other of the common symptoms listed here will often be a sign that you are pregnant.
6) Missed Menstrual Cycle
There are many reasons a woman may miss a menstrual cycle such as stress or a change in birth control or other medications, but one of the biggest reasons is that she is pregnant.
If you miss a period, you will definitely want to watch for other pregnancy symptoms that your body may be experiencing.
Read also: Haven’t Got My Period But Pregnancy Test is Negative!
7) Weight Gain
This can be a tough pregnancy symptom to notice due to the fact that most people’s weight tends to fluctuate a lot anyway. Noticeable to some, the weight gain will mostly be due to water retention as the body prepares for the additional fluids it will need for the oncoming pregnancy.
Related: Weight Gain During Pregnancy
Weight gain on it’s own is not a great indicator of pregnancy but coupled with other pregnancy symptoms, is a definite tell tale sign.
8) Headaches
An increase in headaches is a very common pregnancy symptom for women. The increase is most during the first and third trimesters.
The headaches are believed to be caused by the sudden increase in hormones due to pregnancy as well as the increase in blood in the body. If you start to notice you are having headaches or more frequent headaches, then it may be a sign of pregnancy.
9) Darkening of Areolas
In addition to tenderness and enlarging of the breasts, you may also see the areas around your nipples darkening and in some cases even tingling.
The color change can start to happen as early as the first or second week after conception. If you notice this as well as tenderness of the breasts, it is a very good sign that you may be pregnant.
10) Food Cravings or Aversions
For many women, the increase in hormones due to pregnancy brings with it some seemingly very strange food cravings and food aversions. In many cases it may follow the idea that your body craves what it needs, but there sometimes there really is no good explanation for the cravings or aversions you may experience.
Sometimes something as simple as a smell may be enough to give you a massive hunger attack or on the flip side make you nauseous for no particular reason.
So if you find yourself craving a peanut butter and pickle sandwich or some food that you have never craved before, then it may be a sign that you are pregnant.
I hope you enjoyed our top 10 list of early pregnancy signs. If you experience just one of these, then it is not likely a clear sign that you are pregnant, but if you are experiencing 2, 3, or more of these symptoms, there is a good chance that you may in fact be pregnant. But that leads me to my bonus symptom number 11!
11) A Positive Pregnancy Test
You don’t really have a reason to take a home pregnancy test unless you are experiencing some of these symptoms, which is why I saved this for last.
It isn’t really a symptom, but it is a pretty darn good indicator. If you notice some symptoms and decide to take a home pregnancy test, it is a very exciting experience. Especially if it comes back positive! If you do take a home pregnancy test and get a positive result, the next step is to see your doctor and get an official answer that you are pregnant.
In the meantime, you may want to drop any bad eating, drinking or smoking habits and start preparing yourself for the next 9 months, just in case.
