Thinking you might be pregnant and wondering what the most common signs of pregnancy are. Well, we got them for you. We’ve included all the common symptoms as well as some the less common ones. Examine the symptoms to your heart’s content, but remember your doctor is the only one who can confirm pregnancy.
Common Signs of Pregnancy
Food Cravings
Yes, it’s a cliche, but food cravings sometimes can be a sign of pregnancy. Don’t rely on them as a sure symptom (it may be all in your head, or even a sign that your body is low on a particular nutrient), but if cravings are accompanied by some of the other symptoms on this list, start counting the days from your last period.
Darkening of Your Areolas
If the skin around your nipples gets darker, you may have successfully conceived, though this may also signal a hormonal imbalance unrelated to pregnancy or be a leftover effect from a previous pregnancy.
Implantation Bleeding or Cramping
About eight days after ovulation, you may experience implantation spotting, a slight staining of a pink or brown colour, as well as some cramping. You might also see some spotting around the time you expect your period; this is caused by the egg burrowing into the endometrial lining.
Frequent Urination
Once the embryo implants and begins producing the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), you may find yourself going to the bathroom more often.
Fatigue
Feeling tired? No, make that exhausted. High levels of the hormone progesterone can make you feel as if you’ve run a marathon when all you’ve done is put in a day at the office. Fatigue is a hallmark of early pregnancy, though probably not a surefire symptom on its own.
Tender, Swollen Breasts
If you’re pregnant, your breasts will probably become increasingly tender to the touch, similar to the way they feel before your period, only more so. Once your body grows accustomed to the hormone surge, the pain will subside.
Altered Sense of Taste
You may notice that your sense of taste changes. Some women say they have a metallic taste in their mouth, others that they cannot stand the taste of coffee, tea, or a food they usually like.
Morning Sickness
If you’re lucky, morning sickness won’t hit you until a few weeks after conception. (A lucky few escape it altogether.) But as early as a couple of days following conception, you may begin feeling nauseated and queasy. And not just in the morning, either – pregnancy-related nausea can be a problem morning, noon, or night.
A Missed Period
If you’re usually pretty regular and your period is late, it’s worth trying a pregnancy test. A missed period is the surest sign of pregnancy in a woman of childbearing age who usually has regular periods.
A Positive Home Pregnancy Test
If you’ve waited to test until at least the first day of a missed period and a blue line appears in the test window, you’re most likely to be in the family way. Make an appointment with your doctor to confirm the good news, and head on over to our pregnancy area. Congratulations!