Signs of Pregnancy

How did I find out that I was pregnant?

Well, I found out I was pregnant by doing a home test and although my period was only 2 days late I was anxious to know whether I was pregnant or not.

At first I was surprised as I had stopped the pill for only 2 months and wasn’t expecting it to happen so quickly; especially knowing that some women try to get pregnant for months, sometimes years, before it actually happens. So as you can imagine, I looked at that test hundreds of times and finally thought: maybe that’s why my breasts are so tender and I’m craving red meat as I never did before…

After a couple of weeks the morning sickness started together with the frequent visits to the loo and constant fatigue. I have to say that at some point I thought: this is not fair with us women! I wanted to feel great, I was so happy inside but had no energy to express anything really, all I wanted was my bed by 8pm.

But there is hope, believe me, what they say is true and for most women, by the end of the first trimester, these symptoms are gone and you start to feel great…. I hope so…

Most common signs or symptoms of pregnancy

  • A positive home pregnancy test. If like me, you’ve waited to do the test until the first days of a missed period and a blue line appears in the test window, you’re most likely to be pregnant. Call your GP to make an appointment and confirm the good news.
  • Bleeding or cramping. I didn’t have this I must say, but it’s very common that at about eight days after conceiving you may experience what they call “implantation bleeding” or spotting, which is a small staining of a pink or brown colour that can come together with some cramping. This is caused by the egg attaching itself to the wall of the womb. For more detailed information go to: askbaby.com or babycentre.
  • Swollen and tender breasts. If you’re pregnant, your breasts will probably become tender to the touch, similar to the way they feel just before your period, maybe a bit more.
  • Fatigue. Do you feel tired? No energy? This is caused by the high levels of the hormone progesterone. Fatigue is a “trademark” of early pregnancy, the best thing I did was to listen to my body and sleep whenever possible.
  • Frequent urination. Once the embryo implants and begins producing the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), you will find yourself going to the bathroom much more often than before (I still wake up every night for a quick visit to the loo…). But don’t think you should reduce your liquid intake to avoid the bathroom visits, instead you will need to drink plenty of fluid to keep you hydrated during pregnancy.
  • Morning sickness. If you are one of the lucky ones, the famous “morning sickness” won’t hit you until a few weeks after conception. But as early as a couple of days following conception, you may start feeling nauseated and sick. And I have to say that it doesn’t happen only in the morning – pregnancy-related nausea can occur morning, noon, or night.
  • Food cravings. Yes, it’s true! Pregnant women have cravings! We shouldn’t rely on them as a sure symptom but if cravings come together with some of the other symptoms above,  start counting the days from your last period, you might be pregnant!!