Spotting the early signs of pregnancy

Think you might be pregnant? Check out the early signs.

Missed a period

It’s the most obvious sign of pregnancy so if you’re unusually late it’s worth taking a pregnancy test.

The classic sign? Morning sickness!

Morning sickness affects everyone differently – it can be feelings of nausea or make you physically sick. It can start a few weeks after conception or even after just a few days. You may even be one of these pregnant women who won’t experience it at all.

It’s not a very well described symptom – it can strike at any time of day or night, not just in the mornings!

Going to the loo a lot!

If you notice you’re constantly running to the loo, this could be a good sign that you’re pregnant. All of the hormonal changes your body goes through during the first trimester can make toilet stops more frequent.

Feeling shattered? 

One of the most common early signs of pregnancy is a feeling of complete exhaustion. It happens as a side-effect of a rise in the levels of the hormone progesterone in your body. So if there’s no other real reason for you to be so tired, check the other symptoms here to see if you could be pregnant.

A funny taste in your mouth

Some mums say that when they first became pregnant they got a funny taste of metal in their mouth. Other women develop an unexpected dislike for something everyday and familiar, like tea or coffee.

Changes to your breasts

The skin around your nipples is called your areola and one sign of pregnancy can be that it becomes noticeably darker and bigger.

Unexpected bleeding or cramps

Your fertilised egg will travel from your fallopian tubes and settle in your uterus to grow. This is known as implantation and happens between weeks 3 and 4.

Implantation sometimes causes side effects, including cramps and some light spotting that’s red, pink or brown in colour.

Confirm your suspicions with a pregnancy test

Of course there’s only one real way to be sure you’re pregnant. You can get a reliable positive result using a home pregnancy test from the first day of your missed period.