Signs of Being Pregnant - How to Know If You're "With Child"

What to Expect When You're Expecting:
4th Edition

Women have heard for generations that a missed period that occurs after being sexually active is a sure sign of pregnancy. So you do the pregnancy test and get an answer. Simple, right? Not for some women.

What fools them is the spotting that can happen as the fertilized egg tries to find a cozy place to implant itself inside the uterus. That seems like a period and for women who usually have light periods, this seems like the real deal. But it's not. It could be one of the 1st signs of being pregnant!

Another problem is for women who don't regularly track their periods or get careless in taking birth control pills. They see the bleeding and convince themselves that all is well since it looks like a period.

The Everything Getting Pregnant Book:
Professional, Reassuring Advice to Help You Conceive
(Everything Series)

Of course a few other signs are happening at the same time that are different that regular periods. That swollen or tender feeling in the breasts that can occur just before a period will be even more noticeable and won't go away when the light bleeding stops. This is one of the very early signs of being pregnant.

Then there are the cramps that won't go away either - one of the top signs that you are pregnant. Your usual remedies for cramping don't work and may be harmful to the developing fetus that you don't know is there. Bloating and feeling fat occurs for a few days around your period, but continues if you are pregnant.

Even if you don't gain weight rapidly, there's the overall feeling of not being comfortable inside your clothes. The food binge for sweet, spicy or salty treats becomes more than overdoing it for a weekend, the cravings take over until you have to take notice and admit that you're showing all the signs of being pregnant.

Early-Detection Pregnancy Tests:
Pack of 5 Tests

If you're wondering whether or not you're pregnant, take a look at the 3-H's:

Headaches - Women who are not prone to headaches can suddenly get hit with throbbing pains so severe that you think you are getting migraines. If you have a history of headaches, then your pain gets kicked up a notch...

As the body is adjusting to pregnancy, the hormones are making all the body systems crazy. Those hormonal swings are driving the headaches. When your head hurts for hours and you don't feel like eating, and your blood sugar level drops, which makes the headaches worse. This is a common symptom of pregnancy in its early stages.

First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test, 3 tests

Heartburn - You were the woman who couldn't get enough of curry, jalapeno or kimchi and suddenly you gag when you smell the aromas coming from Thai take-out. What happened? During pregnancy the lower part of your esophagus opens slightly more and that lets acids back up into your esophagus.

Think of it as pregnancy-induced acid reflux. Or maybe it's nature's way of making you stop feeding hot, spicy foods to a developing baby who is stuck with the leftovers of your food choices. It's one of those pregnancy signs that gets worse as time goes on.

Hot Mama - Actually, it's a higher basal body temperature. All the internal activity at the start of a pregnancy raises your internal body temperature. When that happens for more than 3 weeks, you better buy the pregnancy test and check it out.

Monitoring body temperature changes to predict cycles is a technique that's used to find the best conditions for getting pregnant. It can also give a clue that you are having a baby!

A hand held fetal heart rate monitor

This handy portable fetal doppler detects the fetal heart rate quickly from about 10-12 weeks through labor, and it's safe and simple to use. The new Hi Bebe BT200 hand held fetal heart rate monitor has been designed to be small and lightweight, yet robust, making it ideal for midwives, doctors and of course, pregnant women.

The Hi Bebe fetal doppler features an audio speaker, plus a clear LCD display of the fetal heart rate. Not only will the sound of your baby reassure you, but you can bond with your baby from the very beginning. With the built in loudspeaker, you can share the miracle with family and friends. Or use the audio output for earphones to lull yourself to sleep with the sound of your baby's heart beating.

The Hi Bebe BT-200 baby fetal monitors come complete with attached probe, batteries and ultrasound transmission gel (everything you need to start monitoring).

Hear your baby's heartbeat -- and view the results from the clear LCD display with backlight-- from as early as 10 weeks