What Are The Very First Signs That You Might Be Pregnant?
We cover everything pregnancy here on TalkMum; let’s start at the beginning, what are the very first signs that you might be expecting? We're talking the really early signs...the little things, the 'Am I? Could I be..?' symptoms before your period is even really late, the ones that spur you on to take that positive test.
So, from sore boobs to going off tea, here are 10 of the pregnancy clues you may or may not notice, with input from some of our favourite bloggers:
1. Changing Sleep Patterns
Sleep is a key sign; or lack of for some people. 'My earliest sign of pregnancy was insomnia. I sleep more with a newborn than I do pregnant', according to Amber, The Goblin Child. 'Both times I've had really disturbed sleep in the first few weeks', says mum of two Hannah from Make, Do and Push. 'That's when I knew I was pregnant for the second time as we were on honeymoon and there was no reason why I shouldn't be sleeping as we were child-free!!’ Those first rushes of hormones can also cause very intense and vivid dreams. TalkMum blogger Jenny said she was 'just really, really tired' and for Emma, it was the 'all-encompassing exhaustion.'
2. Feeling A Little Hotter And Bothered Than Normal
Your body temperature rises during ovulation, and if you are pregnant, it will stay high. Your body’s core temperature might also increase more easily during exercise or in hot weather, which is why you should take greater care during this time to exercise cautiously and drink more water.
3. Other Bodily Changes
Other noticeable changes in your body – including an increase in that most glamorous of things, cervical mucus – can be a very early symptom (if you aren’t pregnant, it usually dries up completely before your period arrives). And some people experience mild pain or spotting when the egg implants into the womb. 'Implantation bleeding was my earliest sign, although I didn't know that's what it was until later', says Clare from A Wee Bit of Cake, while Sam from Life of Mum had 'period-type pains.' Both Lisa and Emily experienced bloating, and for Becky, the big clue was a very early bump.
4. A More Sensitive Nose
‘My sense of smell went into overdrive and everything smelt awful (like the kitchen fridge!)', says Fritha from Tigerlilly Quinn. 'I always get a very specific smell in early pregnancy', says Hayley, Sparkles and Stretchmarks. And for Ali, a quite inconvenient problem: 'The smell of my new kitchen repulsed me! I couldn't go in there for at least the first 12 weeks.'
5. An Instinctive Feeling
There's a lot to be said for a mother's intuition. 'I had a 'feeling' something was different, it was very strange. I then began to dislike smells and the thought of food, especially meat', says Lisa from Leelee Loves. This is similar to the experience of Chelle from The Mumington Post: 'I just knew! Every time I took a test the day before my period was due: when people ask me why I took a test, I still can't answer with why!' And the same for Hana from Hi Baby: 'I just knew.'
6. Unusual Behaviour From Other People
Yep – as surprising as this may be, your first inkling of pregnancy might be other people noticing something different about you! 'My toddler daughter became obsessed with my belly and started wanting to lie her face on it at nap time and bedtime’, says Petra, A Mum Reviews. Same goes for Kate, who blogs at Family Fever; ‘My toddler became super-clingy!’
7. Different Attitudes To Food
While it might be too early for the cravings to set in just yet, aversions or taking a dislike to certain foods and drinks is a clue. 'I just couldn't stomach tea’, says Lauren of Belle Du Brighton. 'That's how I knew with my second pregnancy at just three weeks.' And have things started to taste funny? 'The copper taste in my mouth was the first sign', according to Dawn from Mummy's Little Peeps.
8. Crying At Adverts...?
'Even before my missed period, I was already feeling more emotional and crying more easily', says Petra. Pregnancy sends oestrogen and progesterone hormone levels sky-high, which can cause more emotional or reactive responses than usual. So, if you seem to have been experiencing wild mood swings lately – from euphoria to anxiety, to irritability and everything else in between – you may just know the cause...
9. Tender Or Sensitive Breasts
Changes in the breasts can be another symptom of early pregnancy. Laura from Life with Baby Kicks said: 'I was lying on Copacabana beach with the sorest boobs in the world and just knew. My Portuguese wasn't good enough to get a test, so we had to wait until we got home!' Laura’s experience is much like that of the many other mums to be who notice their breasts becoming larger or tenderer, the veins becoming more visible, and/or their nipples darkening and standing out.
10. And Sometimes, The Clues You'd Expect Are All There
'I knew as soon as I needed the loo at 3 am. Also with my fourth baby when I started randomly being sick at five weeks, it was a clear sign!' says Susanne, who blogs at Ghostwriter Mummy.
The above are far from the only possible signs that you are pregnant. With others including feeling the need to pee more often (especially during the night), constipation, greater vaginal discharge, headaches and dizziness, there are a lot of things you may notice before you take a pregnancy test to finally confirm whether or not you are expecting.
Below, we’ve come up with a list of frequent early pregnancy symptoms, to help you to track your own possible pregnancy. What were the earliest signs of pregnancy for you? Leave a comment and let us know.
Remember that early pregnancy symptoms are different for everyone. Not every woman will experience all these symptoms, or any of them at all, and early pregnancy signs may even differ with each pregnancy.
Common early pregnancy symptoms that you might experience can include the following:
- Cramping
- Very light spotting around the time of implantation
- (usually 6-12 days after ovulation)
- Morning sickness, which is pregnancy sickness that
- may occur at any time of the day (this usually starts when you are 4-6 weeks pregnant)
- Nausea, or the feeling of being seasick
- Feeling faint, dizzy or lightheaded
- Food cravings, or food aversions (where you can’t
- face certain foods)
- Increased sense of smell
- Increased thirst
- Disturbed sleep and intense dreams
- Mood swings, feeling a lot more emotional than usual,
- or crying for no reason
- Tender or aching breasts, and / or an increase in
- breast size, changes to your nipples
- Changes to your skin, and having more spots
- Going off tea, coffee or alcohol
- Heartburn
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Weight gain
- Faster heartbeat than normal
- Temperature changes, and feeling a lot more hot than
- usual
- A strange taste in your mouth, which might taste metallic
- Frequent urination, or needing to wee more often
- A late or missed period.
Every woman is different and not all women will notice all of these symptoms.
If you have any symptoms you're worried about, talk to a GP or your midwife.
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