Signs you may be pregnant

How can you tell if you're pregnant?

The earliest way to know for sure is through a blood test called an hCG test . hCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin which is a hormone produced approximately four days after fertilization. Few days later this hormone can be detected in a urine sample. However, some women may notice symptoms even before they take a test.

The following symptoms may be experienced by women:

1. Tender breasts:
Many women report increased sensitivity, fullness, or heaviness within a few days. By two weeks after conception, your areolas (the pinkish or brown skin surrounding the nipples) may start to enlarge.

2. Bloating:
Women may mistake this early sign of pregnancy for PMS; however when your period doesn't arrive you start wondering whether you are pregnant.

3. Nausea:
This is usually known as "morning sickness," however it can occur at any time of the day or night. It might feel like a slight case of seasickness or a full-fledged stomach virus. Some women may not experience it at all.

4. Increased urination:
You may find you are going to the bathroom more than usual, a symptom that will return during your last trimester.

5. Food cravings:
If you suddenly find yourself craving for sour foods such as citrus fruits, red meat (even if you're a vegetarian), or foods you would never eat before don't assume it's all in your head. Pregnant bodies may crave increased amounts of vitamin C, iron, and salt -- among other things -- even from the very beginning of pregnancy.

6. Spotting:
Some women notice they have a bleed that is scantier than a period and may be mixed with a yellowish discharge. This is called implantation bleeding as small amount of bleeding occurs when the developing egg implants itself in your uterine wall.

7. Fatigue:
Can't keep awake during the day or at work? Do you feel tired even after a good night's sleep? Your body may be going through the changes of early pregnancy.

8. Stretching of pelvic ligaments:
During the course of a normal pregnancy, the uterus will grow to about 1,000 times its prepregnant size (imagine a pear turning into a basketball). Some women feel their pelvic ligaments stretching to make room for this growth to occur.

Reference: The Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy and Baby's First Year (Morrow, 1994)