How Did You Know You Were Pregnant?

[Jessica at Parenting.com]

I hear stories from friends who say they "just knew" they were pregnant, and I wonder how it's so.

Personally, I had no clue. Not a one. It was a total surprise. (The best one of my life, but still, a surprise.)

Let's hear it from you: other than missing a period, how did you know you were pregnant? What were your symptoms? Did you tell anyone your suspicions, or did you wait to take a test?

[jenn_0629]

My periods were always irregular, but I was hit with the most awful morning sickness ever. I thought I seriously had the flu because it was so bad, and so constant. I actually didn't know I was pregnant, my hubby figured it out before me. I was also on the pill, so that was a huge surprise for me!

[chilegz]

I was late only a few days. But I felt kind of weird, my stomach was a bit upset. I didn't have morning sickeness. The feeling you get when you have butterflies in your stomach. I suspected I was pregnant, as weird as it sounds, even before I took the test I knew. Deep down I knew.

[lholland]

I'm usually a pretty mellow person - not very emotional and I tend to think before I get really upset about anything. So one day I was at work in mid December and the song "The Little Drummer Boy" came on the radio - it was all I could do to keep from bawling!!! I just thought it was so sweet that the baby Jesus smiled at him! I'm frantically trying to dry my eyes before someone walks into my office and asks if I'm ok! Then two weeks later I was at church for Christmas mass - my husband was not with me (he practices another religion). I cried the entire time! I was SO upset that he wasn't there. I couldn't understand why it bothered me so much - I go to mass alone all the time but this time I couldn't get over it. By the time I got home, I was a wreck and cried in front of my husband for 15 minutes, who sat there bewildered and somewhat in shock of my emotional state. A week later I took the test and it came out positive. Unfortunately, we lost the baby at 9 weeks but I always smile everytime I hear the Little Drummer Boy song. And my husband has come to Christmas mass every year since then. :)

[gostomskiart]

I was on b/c pills for ages and in Jan I switched to a generic brand as I was changing insurance (from mine to my hubby's). With the new pill I didn't get a period at all so five months later still no period. I'm thinking it is the pill I am on and didn't worry too much (as dr. was not worried, even had a neg. pregnancy test at dr.s office). Then, much like lholland, I became an emotional wreck, crying all the time! My poor hubby had no idea what was going on. Then one day at work I felt like I was getting the flu and my back ached so bad I thought I had a kidney problem! A lady I was talking to suggested another preg. test. I bought one on the way home from work thinking I was not pregnant because I had the blood test only a couple weeks before. Well, I took the hpt test and the little line appeared within seconds and was very bright! It was a huge suprise! I remember telling my dh to come into the bathroom and read the results because maybe I was seeing things. I will always remember him standing there in shock looking at the hpt test and holding the directions to it in his hand...he looked so confused!! LOL. Needless to say we became very excited once the initial shock wore off!!

[hs201600]

My husband and I were trying to get pregnant so I paid attention to my body more than usual. I had a missed period and sore breasts, but actually had 3 negative tests at first. I was convinced I was pregnant so finally with the 4th test it was positive...just like I had suspected. I didn't get any morning sickness but I was so tired and exhausted for about 6 weeks in the first trimester.

[julipickle]

My husband and I rented a movie, and had to pause it about 6 or 7 times so I could use the bathroom. I figured I was either pregnant or something was seriously wrong with me. The next day I took the test and it was positive!

[easyasbreathing]

I really thought I was just having really bad PMS (I got implantation cramps, weird but not unheard of). My period, however, has always been very regular, and it was a whole day late, and I felt terrible. My husband told me to go take the test, and there it was. I wasn't surprised, really, but it was somewhat shocking nonetheless.

[craftyashley]

My boobs are always the first ones to signal the alert. I swear I can feel every fiber in my bra. That's my confirmation!

[lindseyh911]

The first time around I was exhausted, I slept 12 hours at night and still needed a nap to get through the day and I was queasy. The 2nd time I was driving in the car and all of the sudden I realized I was 2 weeks late and I just knew. Took the test and it was positive.

[dlsmith0812]

I am pregnant with baby number 11... Ok so I've had 4 children, and lost 6. Anyway with my first child I swore i had the stomache flue! I was never so sick in all of my life! I called the dr and the receptionest suggested I take a pregnancy test sure enough it was positive. With each of the others I just knew the quesy stomache, the sore breast...and for me the mood changes. I find myself snapping at everyone for everything and don't even realize I did it until after I have done it. This is not like me.... generally I am a very mellow person! And now since I have had so many my otherwise flat stomache starts to bulge by about 5 weeks!

[brandie1127]

We went camping and I had 2 cups of a mixed drink and felt aweful. I woke in the middle of the night crawled out of tent and threw up everywhere like I had drank gallons of liquor. We left the next day and I just felt so HOT all over like I had a fever but I didn't. The next day I took a test. I hadn't even missed my period yet. I was due for it in a few days. I almost fell over when it said positive!

[kellbellb]

I remember I felt pregnant (haha it's true), I woke up one morning and I thought to myself "oh dear, I'm pregnant". A few days later the thought was still in my head so I took a test and it was + so I took another test and it was + so I took another test two days later and it was also + SO I told my husband. It was unplanned and unexpected but a blessing non the less and I wouldn't in a million years change it.

[little_happy_B]

We were planing this one, but tried only once, so my hubby was 100% sure that this time nothing. Then we went on holiday and stayed at our friends, so how were they eating we were as well and that was veryyyy irregular. I had nausea all the time and was sooo hungry, would it anything! My hubby was joking with me that I'm pregnant, but I was sure that the sun hit me... 'till we got home my period was late about week (it is regular always) so we took the home test and it came positive. Although we tried to get this baby I was completely in shock "Me? Mommy to someone???", but the joy we felt and my hubby's enthusiasm made me feel so special! :)

[redheadmom]

I hear stories from friends who say they "just knew" they were pregnant, and I wonder how it's so.

Personally, I had no clue. Not a one. It was a total surprise. (The best one of my life, but still, a surprise.)

Let's hear it from you: other than missing a period, how did you know you were pregnant? What were your symptoms? Did you tell anyone your suspicions, or did you wait to take a test?

I am one of the ones who "just knew" that I was pregnant. My periods usually show up either at the very beginning of the month, or right near the end...depending on the mood it's in. I know, it's rather annoying. I'd get cramps well in advance to tell me which, and when the 5th went by without so much as a muscle ache in April for some reason I just...knew. We had just celebrated our 1 year together the month before, and when I'd realized that my period hadn't shown up I had a feeling that there was a definite reason why.

I was terrified to tell my then boyfriend (now fiance!) and I ended up going right past the 26th of April as well when it would have hit without so much a little spotting. Then, I was for sure...and I just had to tell him. We weren't ready for it, but now we're both terribly excited with a baby boy on the way on December 10th with a house being built and finished in November. Our life was set into fast forward, and we couldn't be happier.

[kburke]

since we did IVF there wasn't any guessing - I tested 14 days after the HCG shot, got a positive. went to my first basal test 14 days after the transfer. considering how difficult it was to actually get pregnant it's nice to know super-early. of course then you get to start worrying super-early too!

[jmbabylove224]

did anyone who was actually trying to conceive (and was successful!) experience cramping after sex (if you generally didn't prior to that)?

[myspacemommy08]

Well With my first pregnancy...I didnt offically find out till i was 15 weeks...but i knew at about 10 weeks gest.
With my 2nd (Now) i had implantation cramps and sore breasts..but i didnt get those till after i had taken and gotten a positive test.With this baby I worked at a nursing home and a resident told me i was pregnant!!! so I went to the store and boutght a box of tampons(cuz it was rite around "That Time") and a pack of 2 pregnancy test's ...i took the tests and put the box of tampons away for awhile lol...I'm going to breast feed ,and i am very hopeful that i will be one of those breastfeeding moms who still dont get aperiod till like 3-5 months after their baby's birth!!!
~BoBBiE~

[fldsjf]

I have never had a regular period. I go months at a time without one and usually neet to take provera in order to have one. When I got pregnant with my son it was a total shock. I took a pregnancy test before I started the provera and it was negative. I took the provera for 10 days and was supposed to cycle within 10 after. Nothing. Just for the heck of it I took another test....positive! I was in total shock! At first I panicked because I thought the provera would hurt the baby but the doc reassured me that it was harmless.

Because of my lack of periods we needed help getting pregnant with our daughter. I went to the doctor and she prescribed clomid for me. It took 2 months of trying, but we did it! I just kept taking tests until one came back positive.

[Saphira]

When I knew I was pregnant, it must've been when the baby was like 3 days old inside me. I didn't have any pains, I didn't get any morning sickness at all. I just knew, honestly. Which always sounds crazy to everyone. When I was two weeks along, I told my mom I was pregnant, she didn't wanna believe it 'til I got a pregnancy test. But the hormone didn't show I was positive 'til a week before my period would hit. The one thing, however, that did strengthen my belief in being pregnant was the fact that I had to pee SO BAD, ALL THE TIME. Lol. Me and Charles would be laying in bed and I'd have to jump up and run to the bathroom every fifteen minutes. By then, I didn't need the test, I was absolutely positive I was right.

[eldyahna]

I knew because we had been kind of trying, and about six months after I stopped the depo shot my cat was so far up my butt I thought there had to be a reason. Before she had always been my husbands lap cat but out of no where she hated my husband and loved me. I had read in many placed animals' reactions to pregnant women so I went about a week later to get a home pregnancy test and it came back positive. A complete shock for my hubby but because of my cat not so much of a surprise for me... thats how I knew...

[Bria]

The first thing I noticed was that I was so tired after exercising like I normally would. My whole body was sore, and my muscles didn't seem to recover. I felt a little off balance too. The next "red light" was that my boobs felt like they were being used and a punching bag. I then went to Target and bought a test and bam I was preggo.

[H.Starr]

I was sitting on the couch with my husband and said "I'm going to start my period Monday." then thought, checked a calendar, and it was actually the PREVIOUS Monday.
So I took three tests. :)
As it turned out though, my period the month before was a fake, I was already pregnant then.
I was almost 9 weeks when I found out.

[Aquarius68]

I was almost 9 weeks when I found out.

Wow. That's almost as long as it took me to find out but I'm the dad :-) Surely you noticed something ... no?

[Airforce020106@yahoo.com]

While my husband was deployed we decided to try when he got home so I got off the pill in January. He got home April 17th. Soon after he got home I was super tired, nauseous, and my boobs hurt. I thought it was from all the stay "up" late. But I started craving nothing but Pop corn and nothing else not even my daily ice cream. I never eat pop corn not even when we go to the movies. So he said I was pregnant I said no thinking there was no way I was pregnant so soon after him getting home. But the week before my period I decided to humor him and take a test and sure enough I was pregnant. I took 2 more test that weekend and got a blood test Monday. I'm now 15 weeks 2 days.
I guess it was just meant to be. Now I'm most likely not going to reenlist this coming January so I can go to school be a mommy and not have to deal with us both getting deployed and worrying about taking the baby to my mom in Florida.(We're stationed in Cali)

[H.Starr]

Wow. That's almost as long as it took me to find out but I'm the dad :-) Surely you noticed something ... no?

Nope, I sure didn't. I hadn't missed a period. I didn't have morning sickness. Hadn't gained any weight. There were no signs at all, until I missed my period at 8 1/2 weeks.

[Jill_at_StorkRadio]

I knew at 5 weeks because all of a sudden I woke up in the middle of the night and my nipples hurt, which has never happened and then I just knew.

[j-love]

I knew because I had missed my period and had 2 positive tests at home, 2 postitive tests at work and 1 positive test at the Doctor's.

[Zack_Jenn]

With my 1st I got an extremely sore throat and ear ache. I went to the doctor and they wanted to put me on high doses of ibuprofen & sudafed. In order to write the prescription they had to do a pregnancy test because I was married and there was a possibility I could be pregnant although I insisted I wasn't. They sent me to the lab for a pregnancy test and I was shocked when the nurse came out to congratulate me!

With my 2nd I knew in my heart that we were supposed to have another one though I wouldn't tell anyone because our 1st was only 7 months old. I was at my grandparents house and my grandpa asked me if I was pregnant and I felt really offended because I was obviously still carrying around the baby weight. I went home and took a test even though I wasn't expecting my period yet and it was positive.

With our 3rd I had a very vivid dream and sat up in the middle of the night "I'm pregnant" I had to wait until I missed my period to know for sure because the tests came out negative til then.

[Zack_Jenn]

Women in our family frequently find out they are pregnant when my Aunt Janet confronts them. She gets sympathy morning sickness.

[hardworkinmama]

I was sitting at a bar getting sh*tfaced with my cousin after a particularly bad day at work when it hit me. I was supposed to start my period the day before and hadn't. I looked at my cousin and blurted out that I was pregnant She asked how far along I was and I told her I hadn't taken a test yet since I was only a day late. She ordered me another beer since that was going to be the last time for a very long time that I would get to drink! (I was already pretty tanked when everything hit) :) I waited 2 more days before saying anything to my husband and then took a test the following day. We got the good news the day after my birthday. I didn't get any "symptoms" for another 4 or 5 weeks and even then it was just sore boobs.

[tmrivera05]

With my first, I just knew I was pregnant. My second, I knew because we took our daughter to the park and I was swinging on the swing and almost threw up. I have never gotten sick just by swinging.

[fluffe1232002]

this is going to sound a bit odd but i just had this feeling that i was, and then that night i dreamed i was holding my baby. when i woke up i went to the pharmacy and bought a 2 pack of tests both of which came back positive. which was kinda strange cause i was still about 2 weeks until i had my first missed period.

[shabang]

Well, my periods were always irregular anyway, so I thought nothing of it when I was late. However, towards the end of December/early January (due in August) I started feeling different. Hard to explain, but the feeling was just there. I tested, and sure enough it was positive. The morning sickness started a couple weeks after that.

[bkushner]

The very fist thing was my boobs were really tender probaby two weeks after my last period. Then I got on this kick to get really healthy, bought a pilates kit, eating healthy foods, ESPECIALLY protein, tons and tons and tons of protein, i went through a dozen eggs every couple days and a lot of fish and meant. Well the first time I went to work out, I only did some squats and I nearly passed out! I got dizzy, light headed, hot and nauseas. Something wasn't right. So I started doing the math...My periods would come every 26-30 days, it had been 34 days. So I went to the store, bought tests, they were buy a pack of two and get another free. I took all four tests and they were all positive, lol. I conceived while my boyfriend and I were on a carribean cruise to Grand Cayman. They say that being relaxed increases your chances of getting pregnant, well I can definitely say that it seems to be true!!

[redheadedtexan]

I guess you could say I had a feeling, I remember the exact date we concieved eventhough my husband probably doesn't. I remember thinking after that night that I am probably pregnant but thinking maybe not. I didn't let it effect me so I had gone to dinner with a bunch of friends and my husband the night before my birthday and had quite a bit to drink. Exactly 1 week after my birthday (the day I was supposed to start), I took the test which was 1 week from the date I was supposed to start, remembering that you could pretty much set a clock by my period and I hadn't had any of the pre-period symptoms and it came back positive. I laughed, cryed, panicked and took another test the next morning just to be sure. lol...

[melanie1991]

Well I kind of knew because we were trying for one. It was an on purpose accident lets just say that ha.
I didn't have pregnancy symptoms until a couple months after conception which was just fatigue, missed period and tender breasts and the fact my bra's didn't fit anymore!
I never got sick, nauseated, or cramps. I have been feeling fantastic this whole pregnancy. I have been healthy, lots of energy and have gained 20 pounds and I'm 9 months pregnant. I think I'm doing well.

[imasillyone]

I knew way before i had to take a test or miss a period cause ihad the WORST acid reflux Ive ever experienced and my boobs hurt sooooooo bad!! We had only tried once so i didnt expect it but i knew...

[MommaDavis]

I was usually pretty good about tracking my cycles, but lost track from going to school 15 hours and working 40 hours a week. My husband and I had had a lot of sex around the time that I was ovulating, so just by looking at the internet, I knew that we had played a game of "Roulette." I didn't have any symptoms at all. Just a hunch. I took a pregnancy test the day before my missed period, and it gave me a very faint positive. My husband wanted me to take another test, so a couple of days later, I went to Walmart to get Clear Blue Easy digital test, 2 in a box. I took one that night and the other the very next morning with my first urine, and both spelled out "pregnant." I never imagined that it would be "just like that," but it was kind of nice that it was. Now I am suffering for constant hunger and thirst, exhaustion, occasional nausea, depression, and EXTREMELY sore breasts.

[clnrc88]

With my first born my mother-in-law knew before me, for two weeks before I missed my period she kept telling my your pregnant. I just kept brushing her off till I missed. I didnt have an signs of being pregnant nothing. Now with this one I knew just cause my husband drinks beer and the smell never bothered me before and since I didnt have normal periods I decided to go ahead and take the test to my surprise when I went to the hospital I was already 12 weeks. See after I had my son I had hit and miss monthes so I didnt worry to much if I missed a month or so at a time.

[GreenPixie]

My husband and I had been trying for a year and a half so I had become more familiar with my cycles in a way that I never was before we had been trying. One week after ovulation my period cramps started and they were very different from normal. Normally I have little tiny cramps a week out warning me and then really bad cramps for about 5 hours the day before my period starts. But this time these cramps were medium and went on continually day and night for the whole week. Also The whole week I had to get up and pee in the middle of the night, like 3 to 4 times. Before I got pregnant I never remember getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Ever! You would think I would not have waited a whole week to take the test with weird symptoms like that but I had been taking tests for a year and a half and they were always negative. I was kind of Pavlovianly conditioned that peeing on a stick would mean I'm not pregnant. So I waited until I missed my period to take the test and I remember looking at it and thinking why is it so blue and why so many lines? I had so many negatives that it took my brain a few seconds to register a positive. Looking back on that week I also had to buy a new bra and I even told my husband the new coffee he ordered smell like dog cr@p just to be told it was the same coffee he always drank. If next time is anything like this time I will defiantly be able to tell with out a test just one week after conception.

[Newmom!]

We were charting in order to conceive. Basically you take your temperature every morning. Your temp spikes when you ovulate and goes back down the day of your period. My temp went down the day I thought it would, but the next day it went back up and stayed up! I experienced an "Implantation dip". Knew I was pregnant then, although it took a few days for a pregnancy test to confirm.

[Cassagc]

I couldn't drink Diet Coke and I'm a diet coke fiend. Even just a couple of sips would make me sick to my stomach. It wasn't until two weeks later that the pregnancy test confirmed what I had been thinking.