For most of you the first you will be aware of is that late period followed by the two little blue lines on the pregnancy test. However when it came to my second pregnancy I knew immediately that I was pregnant before I even got to that stage due to one tell tale symptom. Not morning sickness but that disgusting metallic taste in my mouth. It was a dead giveaway for me and those of you who have experienced it will know exactly what I mean! Today I thought it would be good to talk about those little early signs and symptoms that may point towards a possible pregnancy.

Late Period

Without stating the obvious, if your period is late then it’s definitely worth doing a pregnancy test.

Sickness

Although it is called morning sickness it could just as easily be called morning, noon and night sickness as it can strike at any time. You will often find that the sickness symptoms start around 6 weeks and hopefully end sometime after your first trimester. You may not be physically sick but can feel queasy and have an unsettled stomach.

Tiredness

I don’t mean feeling a bit sleepy, I mean completely wiped out. In the early weeks I used to return home from work and collapse in bed at around 7pm. I just couldn’t keep awake. You might find your energy being zapped a little bit or not feel quite up to that early morning spin class but don’t worry, it is all fine and your energy levels do start to return.

Strange Tastes

As I mentioned before a lot of people say that they had a very odd taste in their mouth the whole time. I can only describe it as metallic and as soon as you have it you will know.

Heightened Sense Of Smell

Often you will find that you are more sensitive to smells than you were before. Certain foods or the smell of cooking are not always that appealing any more.

Breast Tenderness

This isn’t a symptom I experienced personally but it is a dead giveaway for a lot of people. You may have tingling or more prominent veins and a general feeling of tenderness. Your nipples may also be really sore and often start to change to a darker colour.

Cravings

You may not want to chow down on a lump of coal (although if you do that’s fine!) but your body might suddenly start wanting certain types of food. For a lot of people, including me, that was stodge or all the beige foods. Basically potatoes and bread were high on my meal time agenda. Equally you may find foods and drinks you loved suddenly loose all their appeal. You can read more about the teams random cravings here.

Increased Toilet Stops

Yep, the excessive need to pee starts early on!

Constipation

Sorry for the not so pleasant side effect but this can in fact be one of the early pregnancy symptoms caused by changes in your hormones.

Stomach Cramps

Quite a few women experience cramps or period style pains around the time you would normally expect to get your period. This can be down to the ligaments in your uterus stretching and contracting to accommodate the baby. If you are ever worried about stomach pains during pregnancy please contact your doctor or midwife.

Vivid Dreams

Finally, those early pregnancy hormones play havoc with your brain and can result in all sorts of weird and wonderful night time stories occurring!

 
Did anyone know before they took the test or did you have any other symptoms that were dead giveaways?

{Pin The Symptoms}

Early Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms

Image by Little Beanies.