How I Know I Am Pregnant

Pregnancy symptoms vary from woman to woman. For me, I know I am pregnant before a positive pregnancy test. Here’s how I know I am pregnant.

Whether it’s a heightened sense of smell or a sudden need to vomit, every woman has different pregnancy symptoms. One year ago this week, I knew I was pregnant. Not because my period was late, but because I just knew I was pregnant.

How I Know I Am Pregnant

On my way to work I realized I felt strange and stopped at the store to buy a test. I waited until my pregnant best friend arrived at school to take the test. I laughed while I peed on the stick as I struggled to squat over the tiny toilets in her Kindergarten classroom bathroom. We stared at the test anxiously waiting for results to appear.

I took six tests before I was confident in the result that I saw. The positive plus sign was always very faint. My best friend and I even took a test apart and held the middle up to the sunlight because we were sure there were two lines instead of just one. I hinted to Brandon that I thought I could be pregnant, but I didn’t want to get our hopes up. I read too many posts about false positive pregnancy tests. Finally, I decided to call the OBGYN to confirm what we prayed was true.

The day before Christmas we learned I was either newly pregnant or the pregnancy would not be viable. It was too early to see a fetal pole. The doctor asked us to come back right after the New Year to perform another ultrasound. It was a very stressful two weeks, paying attention to every symptom and hoping my hormones were strengthening instead of fading.

Thankfully all was well. We saw Baby Ailey for the first time on the big screen. She was a teeny tiny speck and there with a heart beat. However, my doctor’s office would not confirm my pregnancy was safe (no chance of miscarriage) for another few weeks. But I knew. I just knew within a few short weeks of conceiving that I was actually pregnant.

2021 UPDATE: Did you hear the news? We are having a baby!!! Read all about my third pregnancy here!

So how do I know I am pregnant? 

Every single one of my pregnancies has been detected within the first three weeks of conception. My body is so sensitive to the surge of hormones. Some of my symptoms are textbook pregnancy symptoms: nausea, swollen breasts, and excessive saliva. My body also tends to hurt like I have the flu when I am pregnant.

The most telling sign of pregnancy is when I randomly pass out. I will feel the sudden onset of exhaustion and then fall asleep where ever I am sitting. Hard. And I always wake up covered in drool. My exhaustion lasts for months and pregnancy naps become a daily occurrence. From the first unavoidable midday nap, I always suspect I am pregnant.

Another early sign of pregnancy is an aversion to alcohol and a beef craving. I rarely turn down a glass of wine and even more rarely eat a cheeseburger. However, I’ve found myself gagging after a sip of my favorite adult beverage and salivating over the smell of burgers on a grill before I know I’m pregnant.

When do you tell people you know you are pregnant?

If I want, I can hide my pregnancy from others for quite a long time. I don’t actually start to show in my midsection for months. My breasts seem to grow overnight, but that’s easy to hide. My upset stomach is also common as I’ve lived with pre-existing GI issues for year. What I can’t hide is the exhaustion, avoidance of wine, and frequent trips to the bathroom. Every time I am pregnant my Mom or sister suspects it before I tell her; they have a great pregnancy sense.

Since I am terrible at lying to my loved ones, we tell our families pretty early on when we are expecting a baby. For the rest of the world, we wait until the recommended 12-16 weeks. Miscarriage is an unfortunate occurrence, so I always wait to announce a pregnancy.

Will you have more children?

Who knows if we will have a third child. Some days I totally think I want another baby, but other days I wonder if we are all set with two children. What do I know is that I will probably have a feeling I’m pregnant before I see the plus sign on the test.

SPOILER ALERT: Did you hear the news? We are having a third baby!!!

Read more PREGNANCY posts here