I really didn’t think I was pregnant. You could have knocked me down with a feather when the test came back positive. If I didn’t feel pregnant – why did I take a test? 

Well, call it intuition if you like – but not on my part! My partner said, “Why don’t you take a pregnancy test?” And I did, the rest is history. Looking back, I did have symptoms; I just was not looking for them. My areola had the got bigger, and the ‘Montgomery’s tubercules’ – bumps on my nipples – were more obvious.

Some people know they are pregnant, others don’t know until late into the pregnancy. Most people look for signs. One or two on their own might not mean a pregnancy. You might be craving a particular food because your body needs it. You might feel really tired because you’ve been burning the candle at both ends. A pregnancy test is the sure way to find out if you are pregnant.

Here are some of the most common symptoms that you are pregnant.

1.  Morning sickness.

Ok so anyone who has experienced this will tell you it’s not morning sickness, but can be morning or noon or night sickness. It is often the symptom that alerts a woman that she is pregnant and can start from 2 weeks after conception. Most sickness will stop or greatly lessen by the end of the first trimester. For a few women – unfortunately sickness does carry on.

2. Fatigue.

This was the symptom I suffered most with in my pregnancy. I didn’t just feel tired – I was exhausted, wiped out, worn out, shattered, done in, drained, wearied, sleepy, drowsy, tired out and slept for much of the day – thoughout the first trimester.

Fatigue can be noticed very soon after conception.

3. Food

Food cravings. Many women experience food cravings during pregnancy. It can happen once or throughout the whole pregnancy. It doesn’t have to be coal and firewood, – like you hear old wives tales about – it can just be sugar in your tea when you never liked sugar before, or lots of pickled onions. Some women experience to opposite of food cravings, and go off certain foods or drinks that they liked before pregnancy. Some women experience a metallic taste in their mouth.

4. Breasts

Darkening or largening of your areolas.( The coloured part of your breast around the nipple) The small bumps – ‘Montgomery’s tubercules’ – on your nipples can become more obvious

Breast can feel tender, be swollen, tingly or enlarged. (This could be that your period id due)

5. Urination

Frequent urination can start early in your pregnancy. At first it is due to your body producing more fluid thus once processed – hey presto – you need the loo. Later in pregnancy, your growing baby presses on the bladder and the problem continues!. As you go into the second trimester, the problem does lessen as your uterus moves upwards and away from your bladder.

6. Body discomforts

• Implantation bleeding or cramping.

When the embryo implants itself in the wall of your uterus, some women experience cramping or spotting. This can be mistaken for their period, or can result from other medical issues like infection.

Due to the many physical and hormonal changes associated with pregnancy you may also experience any of the following – all of course can be due to other reasons:

• headaches
• backaches
• acne
• constipation
• heartburn
• mood swings
• constipation
• diarrhoea
• bloating
• indigestion
• abdominal cramps

7. A missed period.

This is the one I think of  first when writing about how to tell if I’m pregnant. It stands to reason. If you are late or miss a period – you could be pregnant. Don’t presume though, there are a whole host of other reasons why you haven’t come on when you expect to.

8. A positive pregnancy test.

Generally you need to wait until the first day of your missed period to take a home pregnancy test. Read the label to check when you can test. A test too soon can show up as negative when you are actually pregnant. Pregnancy tests performed by your doctor are much more reliable.

9. Other symptoms

• Increased vaginal discharge
• Hormones can play havoc with your emotions at the best of times – doubly so during pregnancy!
• Abdominal bloating
• If you’ve been charting your basal body temperature and you notice that your temperature has been higher for 18 days in a row, you’re likely to be pregnant.
• Intuition – sometimes you “just know”

It is possible to experience some of the signs and symptoms of pregnancy, yet still not be pregnant. Or experience few symptoms – yet be pregnant. If you think there is even a small chance you are pregnant it is better to be safe than sorry – see your GP.

Oh and if you are pregnant (and you want to be) – CONGRATULATIONS!!!