I am just curious what your early pregnancy signs were, if you had any (meaning before you were able to test). I am TTC, and for the past 4 days I have had cramping and my chest is sore and swollen (that is actually common for me before TOM) but it is too early for TOM, so I am mostly curious if anyone experienced cramping or anything else. Thanks!

For me I had an odd taste in my mouth - often described in pregnancy books as metallic. Any yes, the sore boobs but that was around the time I took the tests.

Fingers crossed for you.

Kitty

Wow, my memory is becoming blurry on this but I remember having some signs. With my first, I was very very constipated the week before I was able to test. The morning of the positive test (about a day before my period was due) I almost didn't bother because I felt exactly like I had PMS. I was exhausted, on the verge of tears, that sort of thing.

With my second, I remember getting SO pissed at DH about 4 days before the test over nothing, really. But I was out of control pissed, thanks to hormones. I couldn't explain it at the time, I knew I was unreasonable, but I also couldn't bring myself to apologize. Then later that day I was so scatterbrained. I remember trying to activate a credit card I got in the mail and I couldn't answer the most basic questions they were asking me. I felt so bad for the woman I was talking to. Then the day after that I must have had a very early nesting instinct because I decided I just HAD to paint the living room and we had to get new furniture. The day after the painting was done, I had my positive.

With my first:

sore, swollen breasts started very early-soon after conception. Nausea and food aversions started soon afterwards (I could only eat fresh fruit, Gatorade, cold cereal, and spaghetti for a few MONTHS with her...I couldn't stand to smell anything else, either. )

With my second:

Nothing. No sickness, no sore breasts, nothing. I didn't feel pregnant. The only reason I tested was because I was late...and I didn't even really believe it until the doctor confirmed it-because I had no early symptoms.

With my third:

I woke up in bed the night of conception-a couple of hours after-and KNEW. I woke straight up out of bed. It was probably the second the egg got fertilized. I felt nausea IMMEDIATELY at that moment. Soon after, the sickness/nausea started, and the other symptoms.

I never really got crampy with my kids...but I did have light spotting in the first month or two with them both. (Around when my normal TOM would have been.)

I definitely had the sore, swollen breasts, but I get that during PMS anyway. I had a little bit of cramping and I had two incidents of spotting (the first one had me convinced I'd started my period, but obviously I hadn't). I didn't have nausea, but I did start having some aversions to foods that I ate frequently. My biggest sign was the "feeling" that my husband got. He was convinced I was pregnant, even though we hadn't officially been trying and we'd tried for about 7 years with no success before that.

With #1-didn't know what to expect, hadn't been pregnant before so I didn't know what I was supposed to feel or maybe I was in denial.

#2-no normal symptoms until after i took the test. i went to the dr. because of heartburn and fatique. she asked me if I was trying to get pregnant and I said yes. And she said to take a blood test to see if I was. Later that day I was on a rampage with DH...over something dumb. The dr called and said the test came back positive. I was so excited I forgot what I was mad at DH for. After that is when I got nausea, headaches, mild cramping, etc.

#3-I definately knew exactly when I got pregnant. I just felt it. I knew I was. About a week to two weeks later I got crampy. But that's it. Oh and very very tired. After about a month after I took the test is when symptoms all started (this was my best pregnancy out of all of them).

#4-I just knew I was with this one also. I knew in my heart I was. This one I was crampy too. No period so I took the test and it was positive. Very mild symptoms. Probably my easiest pregnancy.

My DH also knew before I did that I was pregnant. No question, he just knew. Other than that, pretty extreme fatigue set in right away. I was sleeping 12 hours per day, I was just exhausted all the time.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the fatigue! That was probably the biggest sign. I started falling asleep on the couch around 6:30 or 7:00 every night!

I was totally constipated for the first 8 weeks I was pregnant. I mean the kind where I'd break out into a cold sweat because I needed to go so bad (sorry for TMI). I couldn't really eat a lot the whole time I was pregnant, although it did get slightly better toward the end--food aversion started around week 3 (before I took the test).

Modkittn, do you have anything to report?

Well the cramping I had was EXTREMELY painful, so I doubted that it was because I was pregnant. My OB/GYN confirmed that, but since I'm not having it anymore she can't really do any tests to see what had caused it. And even though TOM isn't due for at least 4 days, I started light spotting today with cramping.

Because of a medical condition I have, it is extremely important to know ASAP about being pregnant though because I have to go off of one of my meds immediately. I have a blood test I am supposed to get done every 4 weeks, and tomorrow is the day. I should have the results on Friday, but things aren't looking that way

I felt pretty much like I was about to start any day and just kept waiting for AF to come and she never did. Besides being exhausted and slightly sore boobs - none of my symptoms really kicked in until I was about 7-8 weeks.

Good luck to you!

Well there is no question about it now. I don't need a test to tell me I'm not pregnant Here's to another month of trying!

Hello people,
I've been going through infinite sites reading about conception and pregnancy and how ealry one can know they are indeed pregnant. I understand it requires min 10 days for any sort of pregnancy test to show a hormonal rise however, I have been having cramps- I feel a 'weight' lower down and perhaps the need to go to the toilet for no.2 (which I dont need)- kind of bloated though I havent been constipated at all. My next period is due end of the month (2 weeks to go) - I dont feel my breast sore nor can I identify a change in colour round my nipples. I know that when I had sex I was at the right time to conceive... my husband and I didnt use protection. What I am wondering is, if cramping the following day after intercourse (and still cramping after 5 days) could mean an early stage of pregnancy?

I would really appreciate any input

Anita-

It is really going to be too early to tell at this point. Cramping CAN mean pregnancy...but it can also mean other things as well-that you are ovulating, that you ate something that disagreed with you at dinner, or a myriad of other things.

Also, the change of color around the nipples usually happens later in the pregnancy-rather than being one of the first signs. Even if you were/are...that wouldn't be a sign that would show up a couple of days after intercourse.

If you are not due to start your period until the end of the month, just try to be patient. Just don't drink alcohol or take medications or anything to be on the safe side.