Like some women, I had no idea I was pregnant until the signs added up to one undeniable gut-feeling that urged me to buy a pregnancy test as fast as possible. Human bodies are so mysterious so, honestly, how would I have known such small clues meant there was a fetus growing inside of me? There were definitely some subtle ways my body was trying to tell me I was pregnant, but I pretty much just shrugged them off thinking I'd caught a flu bug, or that within a few days all those weird feelings would pass. Yeah, I was wrong.
With my first pregnancy I remember feeling a little "off," but nothing severe enough to make me pay munch attention. I was a tad feverish, tired, and slightly nauseated, but I leaned towards a "flu" self-diagnosis and went on with life hoping it'd pass soon. A lot of what I felt happened monthly with PMS, so I didn't know it wasn't PMS until the morning I was so suddenly nauseated my partner had to pull the car over for me to dry heave. That was the first time I thought "uh-oh." I took a test a few hours later and bam: pregnant with my daughter.
My second pregnancy went way differently. Though my partner and I had been trying to conceive for years to no avail (aside from miscarriages), I had absolutely no reason to think I was pregnant. I was on my period with no cramping, nausea, or other typical pregnancy signs. The only thing that semi-alerted me was a vague taste of metal in my mouth. I don't know what made me take a pregnancy test that day, but I did and it was positive.
With two kids now, I still freak out over the slightest pregnancy symptom. My partner and I practice safe sex and we're not actively trying to create another baby, but if I'm suddenly avoiding eggs or feel more bloated than normal I internally freak out. Here's some of the incredibly subtle ways my body tried to tell me I was pregnant that I absolutely ignored. Whoops.
When I Couldn't Smell Eggs
Before I ever had a hint of nausea, my daily breakfast of eggs and toast went to the wayside. Not only did I develop an aversion the the taste and smell, but also the sight.
I had no idea it was because I was pregnant, though. I honestly thought I was just eating them too frequently and my preferences changed as a result. It didn't occur to me the growing fetus and changing hormones hated eggs. Honestly, I'm still not fully recovered.
When My Breasts Hurt
Aching breasts come with the PMS program, so of course I didn't know it was a pregnancy symptom. It was no different than any other month and, if anything, I anxiously awaited the monthly visitor that usually followed breast tenderness. It never came because, you know, I was pregnant.
When I Felt More Tired Than Usual
Way back in the day I could easily get by on a couple hours sleep day after day. I was used to working, going out on the weekends, and having a full social life — all the things that should add up to exhaustion. Ah, youth. I miss those days sometimes.
However, once I started feeling extremely tired — as in taking naps when I never did before kind of tired — that was my body saying, "Hey,k you have a baby growing!"
When I Couldn't Hold My Breakfast In
OK, so a big pregnancy red flag was that day I had my head in a McDonald's parking lot trash can, dry heaving. Although I had a tug in my gut alerting me something was seriously up, I pushed it aside.
At work though, I spent the morning hovering over a toilet. After that, I couldn't ignore the instinct any more so I asked to leave work, got the pregnancy test, and went home to take it. Can you guess the results?
When I Began Picking Fights For No Reason
I've always been a little feisty, but when my arguments became more frequent and more ridiculous, I should've known my hormones were awry and for good reason. Instead, I once again blamed PMS and went on as if nothing major was about to happen.
When I Tasted Copper
As I said before, I'm pretty sure it's not a totally normal thing to have a hint of metal taste in my mouth, but for a few hours I put off going through the Google search. It could've been any number of things, like a disorder, food allergy, prescription, or, well, pregnancy.
When Vertigo Hit
I've suffered from low blood sugar and anemia for years, so when I started experiencing small bouts of dizziness I didn't think much of it. Maybe I'd worked too hard, or hadn't paid close enough attention to my nutrition and hydration, or really did have the start of the flu. Either way, pregnancy didn't cross my mind even once (though I now know, it should have).
When My Period Came & I Still Felt "Off"
Having a period during the discovery of the pregnancy with my son meant all my intuition was clouded by regular, monthly symptoms. It's hard to differentiate period cramps from pregnancy cramps as well as any other menstrual side effect that also accompanies pregnancy.
When I look back at these subtle ways my body was trying to tell me I was pregnant, it came down to how well I knew my body. I realized after two pregnancies, I didn't really know my body well at all. Now, whenever there's the slightest difference in my body's mechanics, I listen — something I should've done all along.
