Am I Pregnant?

Some women don’t realise they’re pregnant until they have missed a period, and some say they ‘just know’ the minute it happens. There are a few classic signs that can make you suspect you’re pregnant even before you do a Home Pregnancy Test.

Breast changes Your breasts may feel tender, sore or even lumpy to touch, your nipples become more sensitive and may deepen in colour and veins in your breasts may look more obvious.

Needing the loo more often As soon as the embryo starts to produce HCG levels (the pregnancy hormone) blood supply to your pelvic area increases, which can lead to pelvic congestion. The bladder deals with this by trying to expel even tiny amounts of urine. This is why you might feel like you’re running to the loo all the time, but hardly anything is coming out.

Tiredness Your body is under a huge amount of pressure in early pregnancy, as it has to support your developing baby and all of your vital organs.  It’s no surprise that you feel absolutely whacked and can think only of your bed. It can be even more frustrating if no one knows you’re pregnant, and you have to hide just how tired you really feel.

Mum’s tip – it might be worth telling one close (and discreet) colleague at work that you’re pregnant so that they can help you out with your work load, or make excuses for you when everyone is heading for an after work drink.

Tastes and cravings Many women experience a slight metallic taste in their mouths as their hormone levels rise. Food may also taste strange and you might find you go off things like tea and coffee. Some women develop early food cravings, so if you suddenly find yourself dreaming of hot dogs even though you’re a vegetarian you may be pregnant. Cravings are thought to be your body’s way of making up for a deficiency in certain minerals, but this doesn’t explain why some women are drawn to inedible substances like dirt or washing powder.  Try to control the stranger food cravings, or the high-calorie kind, but most cravings are perfectly fine for your body and baby. See our video on Cravings during pregnancy where real mums chat about their early food cravings.

Smell If you can suddenly smell your work colleagues perfumes (or worse) it may be an indication that you are pregnant. Most smells will become more acute once you are pregnant, and you may find some smells make you nauseous.

Watch our video Pregnancy affecting your senses to hear about the changes for other expectant mums.

Morning Sickness Some people sail through with no sickness, but for around fifty percent of women it’s a frustrating part of early pregnancy. It’s not confined to the morning either and can happen at any time. Studies show that there is a connection between having an empty stomach and feeling nauseous, which is why it is most common when you wake up before you have had breakfast. See seven ways to beat morning sickness. Or watch our video on coping with morning sickness.

Missed period Although pregnancy is an obvious reason for missing a period, it is not the only one, so don’t assume you’re pregnant until you have taken a Home Pregnancy Test. Some women continue to have periods even though they are pregnant, and this can is sometimes called a hormonal bleed, in rare cases this can occur all the way through pregnancy.

Watch our video with a step by step guide on how to carry out a home pregancy test. Also, watch to hear how other women found out they were pregnant.