Am I Still Pregnant?

Let me start this post by saying: your first trimester of pregnancy can be brutal. The waiting, the not knowing, the nausea, the stress... whoever says pregnancy is beautiful is probably not referring to the first trimester (or the third, but that's a story for another post). 

At some point or another, most of us in the first trimester question, "Am I still pregnant?" Without obvious signs like feeling baby kick, it can be difficult to know if you are, in fact, still pregnant -- or rather, if baby is safe and healthy. The most conclusive way of finding out is to have an ultrasound done by your doctor or midwife to see baby's heartbeat. I say "most" conclusive, because even with an ultrasound, if you are early in your pregnancy, it can be difficult to see or detect a heartbeat with 100% accuracy. Plus, it's not exactly convenient, possible, or a good idea to go in and see your care provider for an ultrasound any time you feel worried about baby. 

Thankfully, there are other signs that can help you feel reassured about your pregnancy. 

Early Signs That You're Still Pregnant

• Nausea 
• Tiredness/fatigue
• Tender breasts
• Mild cramping
• Frequent urination
• Absence of bleeding (except for perhaps some spotting)
• Other pregnancy symptoms like mood swings, dizziness/lightheadedness, constipation, and headaches
• Positive home pregnancy test (though this can sometimes be falsely positive)
• Gut intuition; this is a big one - don't dismiss it!

It's important to know that the presence or absence of any of the above symptoms does not necessarily mean for sure that you are pregnant or that you are not pregnant or are going to miscarry. They are, however, the most common symptoms that people report when they go on to have a successful pregnancy. Likewise, when people are about to experience a miscarriage, they report a lack of many pregnancy symptoms, or a gut feeling that something wasn't right. It can be hard sometimes to tease out your gut feelings from fear and anxiety, but often, the voice of your intuition feels "louder."

What about you? I'd love to know what was you knew you were still pregnant? Did you wrestle with this worry often early in your pregnancy? What did you do to soothe your fears?