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How will I know I’m pregnant?

The only way to know for sure if you’re pregnant is to take a test. But there are some other strong signs your body will give you to let you know that things are starting to change:

Changes in your periods and bladder control

A missed period

If your periods are normally regular, a missed period is the surest sign there is that you’re pregnant. Use a pregnancy test for confirmation.

Implantation bleeding or cramping

When you conceive, the fertilised egg will burrow itself into the endometrial lining. This can cause some blood spotting around eight days after ovulation. You may also experience some cramping. The same symptoms may also occur around the time you’d normally expect your period.

More frequent visits to the toilet

If you’ve noticed that you’re going to the toilet far more often than usual this could be another sign of early pregnancy. It’s caused by the production of the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) the newly implanted embryo will be producing.

Changes in your reaction to food

Morning sickness

Morning sickness can start almost straight away after conception, and it can be a more general queasiness and nausea that affects you at all times of day and night, not just in the morning! If you’re really lucky, you won’t experience it at all, but very few women go through their pregnancy without some nausea and sickness.

A metallic taste

Some women report a metallic taste in the mouth, and an unpleasant change to the taste of tea, coffee or other food and drinks they normally like.

Food cravings

Some women do experience food cravings really early on. They aren’t a sure sign, and may just mean that your body is low on a certain nutrient. But if the cravings arrive in combination with some other symptoms, you might want to get a pregnancy test.

Changes to your breasts

Darkening of the areolas

The dark areas of skin around your nipples are known as areolas. They may be quite dark already, but if they darken further this could be a sign of pregnancy.

Swelling and tenderness

You’re probably familiar with the feelings of swollen and tender breasts that happen during your monthly periods. If you’re pregnant they will start to feel this way, only more so. Don’t worry; they won’t stay this tender throughout your pregnancy. The symptoms will subside when your body gets used to the surge in hormones.

Other physical changes

Fatigue

Many women note that early pregnancy can make them feel exhausted. This is due to the sudden high levels of progesterone that will be circulating in your system.

Your body temperature stays high

You may have been tracking your basal body temperature so that you’ll know when you’re ovulating. If you notice that your temperature has stayed above the coverline for 18 days in a row you’re probably pregnant.