How To Know If You Are Pregnant - The 18 First Signs Of Pregnancy

Are you pregnant? Check out the 18 pregnancy symptoms below to see if you have been experiencing any of them.      

1. Nausea or morning sickness: Morning sickness is term to describe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. This occurs in approximately 50% to 95% of all pregnant women as early as the first week of pregnancy. Morning sickness probably got it's name due to the fact that most of the nauseating symptoms start in the morning right after you get out of bed when your blood sugar levels are low. However, it may happen at any time of the day.

2. Headaches: If you have never experienced regular headaches before pregnancy, be prepared for some throbbing pain in your head and neck during pregnancy. Changes in your body's hormonal patterns is the primary cause of headaches during pregnancy. Other conditions like lack of sleep, poor posture, stress, dehydration and low blood sugar levels may also worsen of cause headaches.

3. Dizziness and fainting spells: Due to the lowered blood pressure in your body during pregnancy, blood flow to the brain may cause dizziness and fainting spells in serious cases.

4. Mood swings: With your hormones raging, it is common for women to feel moody during their pregnancy. All women have to go through a period of adjustment to settle into their new roles as a pregnant women and that takes time.

5. Fatigue: If you feel tired and experience some or all of the symptoms mentioned in this article, you have a good chance of being pregnant. Hormonal changes are usually the main cause of fatigue followed by the additional weight you have to carry around.

6. Food cravings: Craving for food that you normally would not eat could be a sign that you are pregnant. Normally, women report cravings for salty and sweet food during pregnancy while others report a uncommon desire for spicy or starchy food.

7. Weight gain and bloating: The combination of your baby's growth and your increased food intake will cause you to put on weight and your clothes to fit tighter than usual. An inexplicable increase in size of your stomach is also a definitive sign that you may be pregnant.

8. Heartburn: Hormones created during pregnancy may relax the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which opens the valve to allow stomach acids to flow up into the esophagus causing a burning sensation.

9. Lower back pain: As your baby grows in size, the additional weight pulls your spine to the front of your body and causes you to experience some back pain from time to time.

10. Constipation: Hormonal changes during pregnancy slows down the movement of food through your digestive system which results in constipation. This could be a sign of pregnancy if you do not experience constipation frequently.

11. Constant urination: Your growing baby in the uterus puts a lot of pressure on your bladder and you may find yourself visiting the toilet more frequently than usual.

12. High Basal Body Temperature (BBT): If your BTT stays in the high temperature range for 18 days or more, you have a good chance of being pregnant.

13. Cramping: As the uterus grows and stretches, it is normal to feel cramps that feel similar to menstrual cramps.

14. Spotting: Slight bleeding occurs when the fertilized egg begins to implant itself into the uterus any time from 3 to 6 days after fertilization. This usually happens outside of a normal menstruation cycle so it should not be confused with a normal period.

15. Darkening of the areolas: Your areolas could darken and increase in diameter during pregnancy. This is caused by your body's preparation for your breasts to produce milk.

16. Tender or swollen breasts: A lot of women experience sore, swollen, tingly or tender breasts during pregnancy due to the increasing hormones that are used to prepare a woman for breastfeeding. This feels like a amplified version of how your breast feels before your period.

17. Missed periods: If you have been sexually active and you missed a period, it is a good indication that are you are pregnant. A pregnancy test should be taken to confirm if the missed period is really caused by your pregnancy.

18. Positive pregnancy tests: Only a positive urine test or blood test can give you solid indication that you are pregnant. The problem is, they may not be fool proof. Remember to visit a doctor to conduct further tests to confirm the results.

It is important to remember that not all of the symptoms above can confirm a pregnancy. When you have a positive pregnancy test, visit a doctor to get more tests done to confirm your pregnancy. That's the only way to find out if you are truly pregnant.