Am I Pregnant? A Few Possible Signs

Multiple choice-Which of these are signs of pregnancy?

a. Your period is late.

b. You've just eaten an entire box of those chalk-like 'Conversation Hearts' you normally hate.

c. Your breasts feel bigger and you don't know why.

d. You threw something wet and squishy at your neighbor when she let her dog poop in your yard.

Answer-All of them.

A lot of people know all about the first one-the missed or irregular period. While there are other possibilities, this is a major indicator of pregnancy. Ditto breast enlargement. But what about the others? Not all pregnancies are created equal, but a lot of pregnant women do experience some of the more subtle changes in their bodies at some point during pregnancy. For example:

-heightened sense of smell. Scents that didn't bother you before (or didn't notice at all) are suddenly overwhelming. My friend couldn't stand the smell of pizza when she was pregnant with her son. This presented a major problem because she and her husband liked to join the rest of us for team trivia at a local pizza parlor. She stayed home and was fine at first but, as her pregnancy went on, her sense of smell was strong enough to where she would get nauseated if her husband came home with the smell on his clothes! That's amazingly strong by 'normal' standards, but not unusual for a pregnant woman.

-Nausea. The excess nausea pregnant women may experience is called 'morning sickness', but it can happen at any time of the day.

-fatigue. More than usual, that is. It's natural that you'd be tired and short of breath (another sign) after doing 30 minutes of cardio or making a Thanksgiving dinner. However, if the trip to the mailbox has you wiped out, it's time to see the doctor. Even if you turn out not to be pregnant, there could be something else going on.

-mood swings. This is where the 'throwing things at your neighbor' can come in. Things that wouldn't bother you suddenly seem insurmountable, and things that are mildly amusing have you rolling on the floor. If your moods change more often than normal and/or are as marked a change as these, you might be pregnant.

-weird cravings. You start having cravings for things you either wouldn't eat before or were 'neutral' on. Cravings often come when your body needs a greater supply of particular nutrients. Most cravings aren't serious but, if you find yourself craving non-food items such as dirt or clay, see your doctor.

-spotting. Bleeding outside of your normal cycle can be a signal of pregnancy.

-swollen breasts. As your breasts prepare to provide nutrition to your baby, it's not uncommon for them to feel tender and swollen. They're definitely going to get bigger, although by how much varies from woman to woman. Your husband will like it, that's for sure.

-You're in the bathroom so much that you're thinking of having it wired for cable. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but the point is that hormone levels can cause an increase in urination. Ironically, they can also cause constipation because the hormone progesterone slows down your digestive system. Whichever happens, its a change that should be noted.

If you have these 'symptoms' and/or they start to bother you, check with your doctor. You could also take a home pregnancy test, but it's only your doctor who can tell you for sure and where to go from there. Good luck!