Am I pregnant?

How many of these you experience varies from person to person and if you don't have any it doesn't necessarily follow that you're not pregnant.

• Spotting and cramps that feel similar to period pains though probably milder. Even before you miss a period you may have implantation bleeding - about seven days after fertilisation, the egg implants itself into the wall of the uterus and as a result you might get some dark spotting
• Breast changes very early in pregnancy you may feel a soreness or tingling in the breasts. Your breasts might also feel heavy and the areolas, the skin around the nipples, may darken
• Feeling nauseaus morning sickness is the classic but misnamed symptom, you might have nausea and may even vomit at any time of the day. You could also have a heightened sensitivity to smells and travel
• Mood swings and heightened emotions it's very common to feel emotionally out of kilter when pregnant and to swing from feeling intensely happy to confused and troubled
• A metallic taste in your mouth
• A need to pee more frequently because of pregnancy hormones, if you are pregnant then you'd better get used to it!
• Feeling tired for no obvious reason, perhaps even nodding off at unusual times
• Feeling dizzy or faint
• An aversion to some foods, often alcohol or coffee
• An interest in certain foods, in its strongest form a craving - usually a symptom that appears later in pregnancy

The time when you suspect you may be pregnant is often an anxious one, whether you're desperate to have a child or desperate to avoid having one, and it's easy to convince yourself that one or more of the symptoms are there - we know it's difficult, but try not to get too excited or to worry too much until you've taken a home pregnancy test and had your suspicions confirmed.