are you pregnant?

i figured it is best to start with pregnancy because you can't have a baby without getting pregnant in the first place.

i first learned that I was pregnant when I missed my period which is usually the first sign that tells you to be ready because you will soon be carrying another human being inside you. my hubby and i waited for 3 three weeks before we decided to take a pregnancy test. and voila, we discovered that we are pregnant!

a missed period and a positive pregnancy test are generally sure signs telling you that it is time to give your ob-gynecologist a visit and have that first prenatal checkup. there are however other symptoms that you may observe during this period. among these are:

food cravings and altered sense of taste. i remember asking Ronald for strawberries during my first few months of pregnancy. I remember because he just teased me and never got me one. Bad Ronald! =p he reasoned that strawberries are rare in Cebu and he has nowhere to buy them from. as if! other than that, i craved for chocolates and ice cream which is not surprising as i usually get a helping of sweets and a scoop of two once a week. as for the sense of taste, you may find yourself saying "no" to certain foods that you used to love.

swollen breast and darkening of areolas. they say that the circles around your nipples get darker by the day when you are pregnant. supposedly it is to guide the baby when breastfeeding. if this is true or just a myth, i am unsure. what i am sure of is the tender and swollen breasts. you get swollen breast due to a hormonal surge which happens when you are pregnant. some women get swollen breast during periods so this may not be a very reasonable sign of pregnancy.

implantation bleeding or cramping. as the egg is burrowing into your endometrial lining, you might see spotting or stains of pink or brown. this bleeding may occur at the same time of your period. this is the reason why some women may dismiss that they are pregnant but take note that even with a slight bleed, you may still be pregnant.

fatigue. this i got a lot of. i used to miss work a lot because i felt dizzy and faint. fatigue is a surefire symptom that you are pregnant. your body gets high levels of hormone progesterone during this period so you might feel all exhausted and would love to stay in bed all day.

and with fatigue comes morning sickness. and do not be deceived. this is a misnomer. the sickness can occur anytime.

so there you have it, some of the tell-tale signs that you might be staring at your very own bundle of joy come nine months. sure it may sound scary at first and you may think that you are not prepared. but believe me, giving birth is the best fulfillment ever! we are talking about the miracle of life nonetheless! it is however best to know it early so you have time to think things through and of course, prepare for the big day. so goodluck and think positive!