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By Sara Keli
Are you pregnant, or aren’t you? Sometimes even before a result will show on a pregnancy test, you might start to have some early signs of pregnancy. Here are some symptoms to check for.
Feeling fatigued
That first trimester of pregnancy hits hard in the fatigue department, and it can start almost immediately once you are pregnant. There are a few things at play that cause fatigue in early pregnancy, namely the soaring levels of progesterone that your body is producing.
If you are, in fact, pregnant, the good news is that in the second trimester you will get your energy levels back … before they drop off again in the third trimester, never to be seen again (sorry to be the bearer of bad news!).
Late period
A period that doesn’t arrive can be one of the early signs of pregnancy that first alert women to the fact that they are pregnant. If your period is late, pregnancy tests are the best way to check if you are pregnant or not before having to go to the doctor. Some tests will be more accurate than others at giving an early pregnancy result, so check out parent reviews of the best pregnancy tests before you hit the supermarket.
Sore breasts
If you have tender, sore or swollen breasts, that can be an early pregnancy symptom. When you are pregnant, it is the rush of hormones in your body that cause the change in your breasts. They might feel sore, tingly or they may just feel fuller than normal. It may just be part of your cycle, as sore breasts can be normal at different stages of the menstrual cycle, but it may well be one of those early signs of pregnancy. Eventually a properly fitted maternity bra will help.
Nausea
They call it morning sickness, but it doesn’t just happen in the morning. The nausea associated with pregnancy can hit any time of the day or night. Some people have nausea with vomiting, while others just have nausea. This nausea and vomiting can start very early on in the pregnancy and thankfully, in most cases, usually only lasts for the first trimester.
Some women find relief with ginger (try biscuit or lolly form). You can also try pregnancy supplements that have been especially designed to help morning sickness.
If you are suffering from extreme, prolonged vomiting, you may have a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, which is a lot more severe than morning sickness. See your doctor if you have any concerns at any time.
Cravings
The food cravings of pregnancy are totally inexplicable. If you are feeling like you could eat a whole watermelon for each and every meal, you might be pregnant. Similarly, you might find that the smell or taste of some foods is actually quite repulsive to you now and this can carry on throughout your whole pregnancy.
Mood swings
Have you been feeling moodier than normal? It could be the hormones of early pregnancy causing you to feel the highs and lows of the emotional rollercoaster of life more than normal. If you are already quite an emotional person, you might not notice this as much as others. And those early pregnancy moods may not be in full swing yet … but trust us, they will get there!
Other early signs of pregnancy
Early pregnancy symptoms are different for every woman. Some will have all of the symptoms from very early on in their pregnancy, while others might not know until they realise that they have skipped two periods. Other early signs of pregnancy that you might experience include:
And some women just know they are pregnant from very early on … it’s women’s intuition!
So take a pregnancy test, go see your doctor to confirm the result and good luck – you are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime!
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