Pregnancy symptoms

Could I Be Pregnant?

Look carefully: Your body may be telling you that you’re pregnant.

By Judith A. Lothian, RN, PhD, LCCE, FACCE, and Charlotte De Vries

Adapted from The Offical Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence

Early on in pregnancy, symptoms can be subtle. Is it a missed period? Does your belly just feel sort of “busy?” Or have you been a little more emotional lately? Eventually, you ask yourself, “Could I be pregnant?”

Many women pick up on an early sign of pregnancy before they head to the clinic or the drugstore for a test. They simply know by observing their bodies closely and noticing that something is different. It’s just the first of the many opportunities that pregnancy offers you to be mindful and pay close attention to your body, your environment and your instincts.

During early pregnancy, symptoms you experience are your body’s way of alerting you to the drama that is happening inside. From the very moment of conception (when egg and sperm join), your body undergoes an avalanche of change in a very short time. Even before the embryo (what your baby is called through 8 weeks gestation) implants in your uterus, HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin, the hormone detected by pregnancy tests) levels rise. This is the beginning of hormonal changes that continue through out pregnancy and breastfeeding. These shifts, and your growing baby, change your body in amazing ways.

Take a quiet moment to stand before the mirror after a bath and you might note some changes in your breasts: They might be darker or bigger; your nipples may be bumpier; there could be some blood vessels you don’t remember seeing before; or you may feel a tenderness or heaviness. This early sign of pregnancy is the first of many developments your breasts will make in preparation for milk production.

Of all the pregnancy symptoms, nausea can be the most unpleasant. It varies from woman to woman, and you may be experiencing “morning sickness” when you wake up, at mealtimes or more often throughout the day. Eat and drink whatever you think might help you deal with it. Try small, regular snacks that seem comforting and digestible, and take note of what goes down easily. For many women it’s carbohydrates.

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