Early Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy

I know what it's like when you have to wait to find out if you are pregnant. One day can seem like forever. Obsessing over all the different early pregnancy symptoms listed in your pregnancy book or online. Trying to convince yourself that you have even just one of them when you feel absolutely fine in reality. But then again, your toothpaste did taste funny this morning, didn't it? And you have been drinking coffee lately when you usually drink tea. And on it goes, day after day, until finally, you get your period.

You cry, you feel frustrated, maybe a little angry and still you know you will go through the whole painful routine again next month (that is if you are actually trying to conceive), torturing yourself with all the early signs of pregnancy known to man. It's not fair, it seems that everyone else you know is pregnant, everywhere you look are pregnant women and yet...

While there are only a few ways to definitively detect pregnancy, there are some signs that are a good indication of possible pregnancy. Without trying to provide false hope with this article, I would like to state that if you suspect that you are pregnant you should consult your medical professional. If you are waiting to find out please remember, it can take a long time for a healthy couple to conceive and the signs and symptoms below are just that, possible signs. Every pregnancy is different, you may be pregnant and have no symptoms, you may have all the symptoms and not be pregnant yet.

There are so many variations in pregnancy signs that one alone can not determine a positive result. In fact, you may experience all of the symptoms below and still not be pregnant. On the other hand, you may have completely different symptoms to the ones listed and be pregnant!

• A missed period - there are lots of reasons why this can occur other than pregnancy. For example, if you have recently come off the contraceptive pill then you may miss a period, but if you have been actively trying to conceive then this is a good indication that you are pregnant. Take a test and find out for sure or visit your doctor!
• Swollen, painful breasts - this is not uncommon and can be a symptom of ovulation or menstruation. It is, however, one of the earliest signs of pregnancy that many women report feeling.
• Tiredness and fatigue - during the first few weeks of pregnancy when a woman's body is producing HCG, the pregnancy hormone, she can feel completely exhausted.
• Nausea and vomiting - this is common in pregnancy and is caused by the presence of HCG combined with a heightened sense of smell. It's not a sure sign of pregnancy, but it is an early one!

Feeling like you have the flu - many women very early in pregnancy say that they thought they had the flu, or generally felt unwell. During pregnancy a woman's temperature increases which may result in flu like symptoms.

Feeling overly emotional - are you crying at ads on the television, spilled milk, and so on? Feeling moody, irrational, and emotional are all early pregnancy symptoms.

Cravings and aversions - a woman's sense of smell increases with pregnancy and this can cause aversions to certain smells and tastes that she may previously have liked, likewise you can develop a taste for something that you didn't like before.

Feeling clumsy - not everyone experiences this but some women have reported dropping things more often, walking into things, and generally feeling slightly off balance at times in early pregnancy.

And finally, intuition - call it whatever you like, many women report just knowing or feeling different.