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Am I Pregnant?

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Whether this question was posed with a twittering nervousness or with joyous anticipation, women have to undergo the same waiting period in trying to figure out if they're pregnant or not. Not all women experience the same kind of symptoms that one usually experiences at the early onset of pregnancy. Some may experience more, some may experience less and some even hardly feel anything abnormal until they actually start feeling morning sickness. So, what are the general signs and symptoms that you may be pregnant?

  • •  Missed period - This is the most common sign of pregnancy that all women can relate to. It is usually the first time that the thought occurs to women that they may be pregnant, especially for those who have regular period intervals. A missed period is most often than not a sure sign that they're pregnant.
  • •  Soreness and enlargement of the breasts - Once a woman feels that her breasts are more swollen than normal and that they feel some soreness or tenderness in them, it's usually a sign that you're pregnant. Of course, it's also natural to feel this way as a pre-menstrual symptom but if your period doesn't come and you're still sore and your breasts still feel larger, then there may be a possibility that you are pregnant.
  • •  Strange Food cravings - Though this isn't normally a defining symptom of pregnancy, it will still probably occur to women that they may be pregnant because they wouldn't normally want the type of foods that they're craving for. It may involve a weird combination of foods that, under normal conditions, you would probably not think to eat. It can also be related to the changes in your sense of taste that makes you want food that you didn't like before.
  • •  Frequent urination - If you experience having the need to frequently urinate without the normal requisite of having drunk too much water or liquids, then it's a good sign that you may be pregnant. When pregnant, the body produces the hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) which results in your going to the bathroom on a regular basis.
  • •  Morning sickness - Nausea is a common feeling when in the first stages of pregnancy and for some, it can continue even after that. Most women experience their nausea during the morning, hence the term, morning sickness, but some can experience it anytime of the day. If there are no other reasons or other causes for your nausea then it is highly likely that you are pregnant.

These signs and symptoms taken singularly may not mean that you're pregnant. However, if you put them together, then it will be most likely be leading to a pregnancy conclusion. The best thing to do is to take a home pregnancy test for a more definitive but temporary answer. If the test shows positive, then there's a high probability that you are pregnant. Just to be sure, a visit to the doctor will make everything clearer. There will be other tests, like blood work and possibly ultrasound, to confirm whether you really are pregnant or not.