Early signs of pregnancy

…could I be, pregnant? You might have asked yourself this little question in the quiet recesses of your mind. Our instincts are still a little understood factor in pregnancy prediction. But that first little question may in fact itself be an early sign of pregnancy. Perhaps you’ve been on high alert for the slightest changes. Or it could be that even the idea of it is a surprise! For some women, intuition tells them before their body ever does. However you are alerted to it, there is no doubt that if you are pregnant, things will change quite a lot in that body you know so well.

I just knew. Having lost three pregnancies before, I picked it up very early on. Plus I was watching like a hawk! I also dreamt I was having twins the day before I had a scan at 8 weeks, and it was true! Poor husband nearly fell off his chair though! -Pip

Early signs of Pregnancy

• Tiredness
• Frequent urination
• Nausea
• Bloating
• Heightened sense of smell
• Metallic Taste in mouth
• Breast changes
• Unexplained emotional outbursts

Early signs of pregnancy: The Crash

I just had tiredness like I had never felt before. I was like a zombie! My partner had to help me off the sofa and into bed each night. It wasn’t until we knew I was pregnant, that the tiredness made sense -Jess

You might find that you are suddenly exhausted. Unplanned lunch hour kips? Face-planted and drooling on the couch at 7pm? Going to the gym might be harder work than last week. And when you wake from your naps, you might feel like you haven’t slept at all. If you are really tired, listen to your body and nap as much as you can!

Early signs of pregnancy: The Dash

“I was going to the loo what felt like every five minutes and getting up at least twice every night. It’s one way to get you used to sleep deprivation!” -Kylie

Very early on, your body will surge with hormones. HCG, a hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropic, begins to proliferate in your system. HCG is the reason you might feel the need to pee far more often than normal, but it is also the hormone that identifies pregnancy on that little test strip. Needing to pee more often is a normal early sign of pregnancy. It doesn’t mean there is anything different about your bladder, you’re just getting signals to pee more frequently from the changing hormones. Many women report frequent urination as one of their earliest pregnancy signs, so, if you are you suddenly finding yourself getting up at night to pee… you might be “up the duff”!

Early signs of pregnancy: The Retch

 I became very nauseous pretty much from the day after conception. Both times I went to my GP and said I think I’m pregnant. Both times my GP said I had gastro. Both times I was right. -Sara

Nausea can be one of the early signs of pregnancy, but is far more common after six weeks. This is because, for the first six weeks after baby nestles in, all of the nutrition s/he needs is provided by the sac that surrounds the embryo. After that and for the entire first trimester, your body is working overtime making a placenta to take over the job of feeding your growing baby. Building a placenta is a massive job for your body and will draw on your own nutritional resources. You might feel nauseous in the mornings only, but some women report nausea at all times of the day and night. Small, nutritious meals and snacks might help. Here are some other pregnancy nausea remedies that might help you if you are not one of the lucky mums to escape this early sign of pregnancy.

Early signs of pregnancy: The Stretch

It was trying to do up my work pants but the fastener wouldn’t meet the other side! That made me think twice. I racked my brains to see if I could remember when I had my last period, and that is when it began to dawn on me. -Nina

It might not seem possible that this could be such an early pregnancy sign, maybe you’ve only been pregnant for what seems like five minutes, but you can’t do up your pants! What is going on? That little bean in your tummy is minuscule, so why do you feel so suddenly …huge? When your pregnancy begins, your body might slow down the transit of food through your gastrointestinal system, allowing more time for the nutrients to be absorbed. Slower transit can mean more gas production and bloating after meals. You can try smaller more frequent meals, but this uncomfortable early sign of pregnancy might just be your body telling you, you’re “preggers”. It is never too early to find clothes that will stretch to fit. Being comfortable can make a big difference to how you manage early pregnancy. See our guide to maternity clothing. Might be time to find some stretchy relief!

Early signs of pregnancy: The Smell

I was in Nepal, and one day everything smelt ok (well, ok for Nepal) and the next I was dry retching. My husband just laughed and said “You’re pregnant” -Clare

Have you suddenly “gone off” foods you loved? Do you notice that your sense of smell and/or taste has become highly sensitive? Were you an avid coffee drinker and now, just the smell of it makes you retch? Can you smell the kitchen rubbish contents from your bedroom? Changes in these senses are also a common early sign of pregnancy. Your body is on high alert for things to avoid that might be a threat to your system. Eating well during pregnancy is essential for your wellbeing, and the baby’s. Want to know what to eat for both of you?

Early signs of pregnancy: The Taste

I was hoping I was pregnant just before my period was due and got a negative pregnancy test result, so I decided to have a drink to cheer myself up… THANKFULLY, for some strange reason, the bubbles didn’t taste any good! I got a positive test as soon as my period was late. -Julie

This early sign of pregnancy is very common. A strange taste in the mouth that won’t go away, described by some as a ‘metallic’ taste; this early warning sign can actually be noticed within days of conception, long before anything shows up on a pregnancy test strip. Have you noticed a different taste in your mouth that won’t go away when you eat or drink? Might be an early sign that you are expecting.

Early signs of pregnancy: The Boobs

My nipples resembled small tea cups from about the day after. By the second pregnancy, my husband just noticed and said, ‘Well, last night obviously worked!. -Sarah

The hormone storm that is racing around your body might have an immediate effect on your breasts. They will have a very important role to play down the track, so mother nature wastes no time making the adjustments that will be needed; while these changes are happening your boobs might ache, become sensitive to the touch, and the areola often becomes darker as your breast tissue enlarges. Sometimes even within days of conception, your nipples might become swollen and sensitive to the touch.

Early signs of pregnancy: The Tears

I burst into tears for absolutely no reason a few days after conception. I remember crying and saying, I don’t know why I’m crying, I’m not even sad! -Dawn 

With so much going on inside that body of yours; hormones and tiredness and nausea and all the biological changes, becoming extremely emotional is more rational that it seems. However, if you are pregnant and don’t know it, your tearfulness might make no sense to you and those around you. Are you dissolving into tears during the news or adverts on TV? Do you sometimes cry without being able to put your finger on why that is? Congratulations mum. Might be an early sign that you have a “bun in the oven.”