Whether you’re trying very hard to conceive or you are nowhere near ready to have a baby, understanding early pregnancy symptoms is of the utmost importance. Often women are told not to trust their intuition, unfortunately even sometimes by the medical community.
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When I got pregnant with my son, I swear I “felt” pregnant a few days after he was conceived. And believe it or not, my mother even looked at me at one point and thought to herself, “Oh my God, she’s pregnant.” I guess I had that early pregnancy glow about me or something like that.
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Obviously both of our intuitions turned out to be spot-on, so there really must be some truth to the idea that some women “just know” they’re pregnant right from the get-go. It’s true – there has got to be some sort of ESP that moms have right at the moment of conception. But there’s also a heck a lot of stuff going on physically that no one can deny. Don’t believe me?
Here are 11 very early signs of pregnancy to look out for. (And no, none of us are crazy for noticing them.)
Breast Tenderness
This is a tricky one, because your boobs could also be hurting due to where you are in your cycle. But having sore tatas also could very well mean you’ve got a bun in the oven.
Unexplained Mood Swings
And when I say mood swings, I mean mood swings. About two weeks after my son was conceived, my husband picked up barbecue takeout on his way home from work, and he forgot the potato salad. (How DARE he?) Normally I wouldn’t have cared about it at all, but for some reason, I threw a full-blown temper tantrum about that potato salad, to the point where he finally broke down and went and got it for me. (Two weeks later, I had a very good excuse for my little fit.)
Feeling 'Funny'
I know this one sounds pretty general, but that’s because the definition of “feeling funny” varies from woman to woman. Immediately after I got pregnant, I just felt “off” – and not like myself at all. If something doesn’t feel quite right to you, it’s not your imagination: You might be pregnant.
Weird Abdominal Pain
This is likely due to implantation, and I know I experienced it for sure. For me, it felt different than menstrual cramps – almost like really, really bad gas. I couldn’t explain it at the time, but obviously there were changes happening in my belly.
Vaginal Discharge
Again, this happens to a lot of women anyway during their menstrual cycles, but a white, milky discharge could be a result of your vagina’s walls thickening because of conception.
Extreme Fatigue
Feeling tired all of a sudden even though you got plenty of sleep? Well, your body is going through a lot of hormone changes right after you conceive, and it’s forming all those new cells, so feeling tired makes total sense.
Food Aversions or Cravings
Back to the potato salad incident. I HAD to have that potato salad, so I’m guessing this was my earliest pregnancy craving. Also, the smell of certain foods, such as eggs, made me gag, when they hadn’t ever before.
Dizziness
Get the feeling that you can’t stand up straight or that your head is spinning? It’s not just random. Dizziness is actually a very common symptom that could be explained by pregnancy.
Stuffiness and Headaches
It might not be just allergies or your average cold if you are feeling stuffed up. Stuffiness and headaches are common and are actually officially called “rhinitis of pregnancy.”
Upset Stomach and Indigestion
No matter what you do or eat, your stomach is unhappy. It’s not your imagination. In fact, an upset stomach and never-ending indigestion are two of the first symptoms of pregnancy.
Bloating
Before you even start showing, the gassy, bloating feeling will be ever so present in your life. Get used to it, because there’s a good chance it’ll be there up until delivery day.
