~ Fatigue and Feeling Tired - With a new, rapidly growing baby, and changes to your body you may find yourself feeling drained. For many women, this decrease in stamina and feeling of exhaustion can be the first clue of being pregnant.
~ Nausea and Vomiting - Some women find themselves actually sick to their stomach, while others just have a nagging feeling of flu-like stomach upset. Either way, these early "morning sickness" feelings aren't much fun and are the result of early pregnancy hormone increases.
~ Spotting - Oftentimes implantation bleeding is mistaken as a light period, but it is common for some women to have light bleeding or spotting early in their pregnancies. If this is the case for you be sure you get accurate dating to avoid confusion about your true due date later in your pregnancy.
~ Food and Smell Aversion - Hormonal changes may make you suddenly dislike certain foods, tastes or odors that never bothered you before; caffeine, cigarettes, meat or certain perfumes for example may literally make you feel sick.
~ Unusual Cravings - The flip side of the coin above is that you may suddenly notice big changes in your tastes and food desires. If ginger ale and applesauce is suddenly gourmet dining to you, this could be an early sign of pregnancy.
~ Abdominal Upsets or Cramping - Many women mistake the feeling of bloating, gassiness or mild cramping as PMS, or the beginning of the flu, when in reality they are pregnant. If the pains are severe or one-sided this is not normal and you should seek medical attention right away.
~ Breast Tenderness or Swelling - For many women this seems to be the first, strong symptom of pregnancy. Your breasts may feel sore, tender, tingly, achy or more sensitive to touch or pressure because of the early surge in pregnancy hormones.
It is normal for women to have only one or two, or perhaps even none, of these signs of symptoms of early pregnancy. More than one mother-to-be has been surprised by a trip to the doctor's office for the flu, only to be told she is expecting!
Sometimes the first sign of pregnancy is a missed period but, if you are prone to irregular cycles, even that can be an inaccurate clue to when you get pregnant. The range of normal is very wide.
Please stop by the forums and tell us about when you first knew you were pregnant!
Pregnant? These resources will be a great help! Be sure to sign up for the Free Pregnancy Newsletter as well. The Pregnancy Book by Dr. Sears
