The most effective way to know if you're pregnant is to take a blood test or home pregnancy test -- both detect the presence of human chorionic gonadtropin, a hormone only pregnant women produce. If you're not ready to take a test, consider whether you're experiencing any of the classic signs of pregnancy such as nausea and sensitive breasts. None of the signs, however, definitively mean you're pregnant. Paradoxically, pregnancy symptoms and premenstrual symptoms are often very similar.
Missed Menstrual Period
One of the earliest signs of pregnancy is a missed menstrual period. Pregnant women miss their periods because when a fertilized egg implants in the womb the uterus does not shed its bloody lining, because that is where the egg develops. However, although most pregnant women miss their periods, a missed period does not always mean pregnancy. According to the American Pregnancy Association, a missed period can have a variety of other causes including stress, hormonal changes, excessive weight loss or weight gain -- or stopping birth control pills.
Heightened Sensitivity to Smell
Many pregnant women become extremely sensitive to certain smells. This sensitivity manifests in different ways -- some women, for example, are suddenly unable to tolerate particular smells that ordinarily don't bother them, while other women experience an enhanced smell of everything. Babyzone.com says this heightened sense of smell is attributed to hormonal changes.
Breast Changes
Due to increased levels of estrogen and progesterone, it is common for pregnant women to have heavy, swollen or extremely tender breasts. Some women may also experience tingling nipples and notice the aureoles are darker than usual. However, these symptoms may also be due to hormonal changes associated with an impending menstrual period.
Nausea
Nausea or "morning sickness" is the most traditional sign of pregnancy. Like most symptoms, nausea is caused by heightened amounts of hormones flooding the body. Nausea can begin as early as a week or two after conception -- according to BabyCenter.com it usually begins around the sixth week. Of course, feelings of nausea may have a variety of other causes other than pregnancy including stress, food poisoning and other stomach ailments.
Frequent Urination
Pregnant women often find themselves dashing to the bathroom to urinate more frequently than usual. BabyCenter.com reports that this symptom is mostly due to the increased amount of blood in your body, which translates into extra fluid to be processed by the kidneys. Other causes of frequent urination may be a urinary tract infection, increased liquid intake or drinking diuretics such as coffee or tea.
