How Did You Know You Were Pregnant?

[DoperChic]

I am especially interested in those who had little or no symptoms early on.

I myself have been quite sluggish and bloated for the past week or so. More alarmingly, my boobs hurt like they've never hurt before and it only seems to be getting worse. I actually told my fiancee they were broken and not to touch them. :p

I'm due for my period any day now, so I'm not technically late yet and all three pregnancy tests I've taken have shown up negative. I also haven't had a bit of nausea, one of the more "classic" pregnancy symptoms. I'm calling my gyno tomorrow for an appointment so we can figure this whole thing out. If I'm not preggers, I'll actually be more concerned because of the whole broken boobs thing.

[Alice The Goon]

My first symptom was horrific breast pain. And tastes and smells were different.
There was always a period in very early pregnancy with no nausea. The nausea started for me at around 6 weeks, lasting until the first trimester was over.

[DoperChic]

My first symptom was horrific breast pain. And tastes and smells were different.
There was always a period in very early pregnancy with no nausea. The nausea started for me at around 6 weeks, lasting until the first trimester was over.

How long before the pregnancy tests turned up positive?

[Stainz]

I have always slept on my side. Before I knew I was pregnant, I started sleeping on my front ... kinda weird.

But I really had no idea I was pregnant until I did a pregnancy test - mainly because I was off the pill, and I was going to my birthday party that weekend and wanted to make sure I was okay to drink.

I drank water & cranberry juice for my b/day. :)

[Martha Medea]

When the doctor told me the result of the test.

I had no idea. As I'd just had surgery a couple of weeks previously, I put down the absence of my period and the suddenly acquired uncharacteristic capacity to fall asleep at any time of day as well as night to post-op effects. I mentioned all this to the doctor as an afterthought, and she said, do you want to wait another week, see if your period arrives, or shall we do a pregnancy test now?
Turns out I'd had the surgery (total anaesthetic, post-op antibiotics etc.) when I was a few days pregnant. Oops! Luckily there were no ill effects.

[Alice The Goon]

With my last pregnancy, I knew 2 full weeks before my period was even due! I really don't think, out of 4 pregnancies, that I ever really needed a test. I just knew. I'm very sensitive to subtle changes in my body, and also I was a smoker and when you start gagging on every draw of a cigarette, you know something's up.

I believe that at least one home pregnancy test can detect HCG even before your period is due. If you take that one and it's negative, I'd say there's a good chance that you're not pregnant, but by no means 100% chance.

[DoperChic]

I believe that at least one home pregnancy test can detect HCG even before your period is due. If you take that one and it's negative, I'd say there's a good chance that you're not pregnant, but by no means 100% chance.

I've done two of the Clear Blue Easy Digital Tests and one store brand test. All negative so far.

[AuntiePam]

I'm totally out of touch with my body. Missed periods were my only clues.

And you know how the baby "drops" some days or weeks before delivery? I didn't feel that.

If it wasn't for getting a tummy, a slight backache, peeing all the time, and feeling the babies' movements, I didn't feel any different pregnant than not pregnant (four times).

Insensitive, definitely.

[DoperChic]

For those who noticed a difference in the taste of foods, did everything seem to taste different, or just certain things? I noticed today that Devil Dogs - my favorite junky snack food - tastes really odd. Everything else seems to taste pretty much the same.

[carlotta]

Well, this last time around, I should've taken the clue when I looked at my fertility chart (which I keep for avoiding pregnancy usually) and thought, "Oh, isn't that funny, the way my temperature bumped up a second time after the initial post-ovulatory surge looks just like the "classic" triphasic pregancy chart."

Duh.

.....looks over at sleeping, drooling, 2 1/2 mos old outcome.....

:) :) :) :)

(my main early pregnancy symptom is extreme fatigue. Nausea does not usually kick in until 6 weeks or so for me)

[Large Marge]

I craved Drumsticks. You know, those ice cream cones with the chocolate at the bottom and the nuts on the top?

It was uncontrollable.

[Shirley Ujest]

I craved Drumsticks. You know, those ice cream cones with the chocolate at the bottom and the nuts on the top?

It was uncontrollable.


Then I've been pregnant since I was a wee lass.


I never had the barfing or nausea. Boobs hurt like a mofo.

For me it was exhaustion, my feet hurt like nobody's business and my sinuses were stopped up from the moment of conception ( probably) until the day after I delivered. With both pregnancies.

[Long Time First Time]

I had terrible morning sickness with my pregnancies- started at day 7 and lasted through week 20. So my first inkling that I was pregnant was feeling simultaneously sick to my stomach and hungry. I "knew" I was pregnant the second I felt that way. The first time with my first baby it occured about 7-10 days after I concieved (by guess, it wasn't planned) when I smelled a beer.

[Marlitharn]

The two main things I remember are my boobs hurting like hell and being very sleepy. I didn't really have any nausea problems, except for one time when I was pregnant with my 1st and my biology teacher announced it was Frog Dissecting Time. Blech. Ended up with a D in that class.

Keep us posted!

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

For those who noticed a difference in the taste of foods, did everything seem to taste different, or just certain things? I noticed today that Devil Dogs - my favorite junky snack food - tastes really odd. Everything else seems to taste pretty much the same.


Coffee. I couldn't stand the smell or taste of coffee. That's how I knew I pregnant the second time- my husband kissed me good morning and I almost lost it on the coffee smell on his breath.

Oh, drugstore preg tests can come back positive very early- within 1-2 weeks of conception, but a neg result isn't reliable until later- you might just not be making a lot of the hormone yet.

[Alice The Goon]

The smell of bacon was stomach-churning. For my best friend, it was the sight of raw hamburger.

Have you taken any/all of the tests first thing in the morning? Maybe when you call the doctor, you can ask that he/she order a blood test at a lab without you having to go in.

[MizGrand]

I just "knew" I was pregnant almost immediately, I kid you not. It's like right after having done the naughty I thought "hmm, that one's gonna take".

Painful breasts and a kind of tiny undulating feeling in my abdomen were my first clues. I researched pg tests online to find the one that registered the smallest amount of hormone and did the test days before my period was due.

I just knew.

[DianaG]

RSSchen, I know what you mean. I know it sounds crazy, but I pretty much rolled over, started to doze, and then was wide awake and thinking "Uh-oh." I can't explain it other than that I felt this tiny, tiny shift in my body.

When I told my daughter's father I was pregnant, he wasn't terribly surprised since I'd completely and inexplicably stopped drinking and smoking, developed a nearly uncontrollable craving for onion rings, and a powerful aversion to the smell of the bakery across the street.

[Elza B]

I got a positive test three days before my period was due, but I pretty much suspected it for about three days before that - my major symptom was sore breasts. They HURT like a mofo, and my nipples felt like they were on fire. I also had a slight bit of heartburn, and this weird underlying nausea - I wasn't very nauseous at all, but I could feel it simmering underneath (and it may have been related to the heartburn) - but I ended up having very little morning sickness. I did have cravings, too - I basically MADE ElzaHub take me to Bob Evans for biscuits and honey.

Oh, and cramps - but not like regular period cramps. These were LOW in my back and they were so painful, I was freaked. I continued to have those through much of my first trimester, though.

E.

[Kalhoun]

I've got two words for you: Knockers Nuclear.

[WhyNot]

I'm another one that "just knew", both times. The first was a definite "OH SHIT!" just knew, and the second was an excited, happy just knew.

With my second, I was also FAMing and it was on purpose. We decided to try for a girl, and since it was the first month, there was no pressure. We timed intercourse WAY before ovulation (6 days, longer than sperm usually live.) and got our girl! I had a week of uncertainty, then felt that "shift" on day 6 when the conception happened. Of course, my temps stayed high, so that just confirmed what I felt.

My husband couldn't quite believe it, though. So at 7 weeks I got a test just to have a blue line to show him! ;)

[Renee]

Okay, quick question: I've never been pregnant, and quite frankly the experience sounds horrid. Did your breasts ache the entire time? Were you vomiting constantly? My god, why does anyone do this?

[Poysyn]

I was a freak. I literally knew the morning after we conceived. It was weird, just a complete and total awareness of being pregnant.

It was almost two weeks before a test would test positive.

[Missy2U]

(Snip)Did your breasts ache the entire time? Were you vomiting constantly? My god, why does anyone do this?

No, mine didn't hurt the entire time. No, the vomiting stopped after about the first three months or so. The fantastic clothing options. :D

Seriously, Renee, I'm not trying to make light of your questions - I can't TELL you why I did. I know HOW it happened of course, but it certainly wasn't planned. It HAPPENED. And when I think of my son, I'm so very glad it did. :)

[Elret]

I had no idea (but was hoping!) until I was late. I had done one test before my period was due, and it was negative, so I forced myself to wait until I was late to test again. The day after my period was due, I got my positive.

My early symptoms were the boobs so sore that wearing a shirt hurt, very slight nausea when I was hungry that lasted maybe three weeks, utter exhaustion, and skin and hair that couldn’t decide whether to be ultra-dry or ultra-greasy.

To answer Renee, the sore boobs thing lasted only about a month for me, and the nausea even less. The exhaustion went away after the first trimester, though has returned with a vengeance the last few weeks (I am 33 weeks right now). There are definite moments of discomfort (sleeping is pretty hard, and I am SO absolutely bored to death of peeing) but there are also those incredibly cool moments too – feeling and seeing my stomach wiggle and move is pretty amazing. Getting a seat on the bus is nice too.

[lorene]

With my first, it was the tiredness. After a lifetime of insomnia, I started falling asleep watching TV after dinner and sleeping through the night. Also, I was so emotional---PMS to the 100th degree. And hungry. Like, me who usually skipped breakfast and sometimes even lunch, eating 2 sandwiches at 10:30am.

But the most unusual symptom I developed was really strong smelling urine. Totally disgusting, TMI, I know. But when I developed that fun symptom a few years ago, I knew I was pregnant again.

[Elza B]

Okay, quick question: I've never been pregnant, and quite frankly the experience sounds horrid. Did your breasts ache the entire time? Were you vomiting constantly? My god, why does anyone do this?

I'm a little over 25 weeks, and my boobs are still sore every once in awhile. Nothing like the first 12 weeks or so, though.

And I never vomited - I had a little nausea every once in awhile, but no 'real' morning sickness compared to a lot of other people.

I was asking myself why we did this just this morning when he decided to do jumping jacks on my bladder and send me to the bathroom every five minutes. But then he starts kicking me when I'm talking or when I play something from "Kiss Me Kate" or "RENT" in the car for him (those seem to be his favorites), and I'm realizing it's definitely worth doing:).

E.

[MrsMonkey]

I've done two of the Clear Blue Easy Digital Tests and one store brand test. All negative so far.


FYI - The Digital tests are far less sensitive than some of the others (only test positive at 50 HcG and above). Early on you want to try the most sensitive you can (20 HcG is the least amount I've seen).

Also, I've heard of some people that drink a lot of water daily have trouble getting the tests to show up because the urine is diluted. If you think this could be the case try taking it easy the night before and test again first thing in the morning.

[Iris]

I woke up one morning with terrible menstrual-like cramps. They were so bad that I could hardly get out of bed. I called my OB/Gyn and she suggested taking a pregnancy test. I was surprisingly pregnant and the cramps were caused by the egg attaching to the uterus. Other than that and painful boobs, I didn't really have any other early signs of pregnancy. It wasn't long though until I became increasingly sensitive to smells - especially the smell of alcohol. I could smell it a mile away and it made me nauseas.