You won’t notice any pregnancy symptoms until implantation occurs. Implantation is when the fertilised egg implants itself in the lining of your uterus. This usually occurs between seven and 10 days after conception. Once the embryo is implanted in your womb, it will start producing pregnancy hormones, and you will begin to notice changes in your body. If you suspect you may be pregnant, look out for the following early symptoms of pregnancy:

A missed period This is considered to be one of the most reliable early symptoms of pregnancy. If you have a regular menstrual cycle, and your period is late, it could be the first clue that you may be pregnant.

Spotting Some women notice spotting (light bleeding) around the time of implantation. Spotting is much lighter than a menstrual period, often little more than a few spots of blood, and tends to be brown or pink in colour.

Nausea Once your body starts producing pregnancy hormones, you may begin to suffer from nausea and morning sickness. Unlike the name suggests, morning sickness can happen at any time during the day. Try to avoid low blood sugar by eating little and often.

Increased discharge This thick, odourless, milky discharge is nothing to worry about, but you can wear a panty liner if you prefer.

Breast changes Breast changes are often considered to be one of the give-aways of early pregnancy. You may notice that your breasts appear bigger and feel tender. Your nipples may darken, and you may notice small bumps appearing on the areola.

Feeling tired Not just I-watched-too-much-Greys-Anatomy-last-night-tired, the tiredness of early pregnancy is experienced by many as a fatigue. If you’re finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning, yawning your way through client meetings, and falling asleep on the sofa before dinner, you may be experience pregnancy fatigue.

Heightened sense of smell Some women notice they are extra sensitive to smells during pregnancy, and this can kick in even before the pregnancy is confirmed. Some women report aversions to smells including petrol (gasoline), laundry detergent and cigarettes.

Feeling emotional As your body begins rapidly producing hormones, you may notice yourself feeling more emotional than usual. If you find yourself sobbing over commercials, and screaming at your partner for using the wrong washing up sponge, it could be pregnancy hormones at play.

Not all women experience all of the symptoms above. You may experience some and not others, you may not notice any symptoms, or you might hit the jackpot and be able to tick each one off your pregnancy bingo scratch card. Each pregnancy is unique, and your symptoms will differ to those of other women. If you have more than one pregnancy, you may notice different early symptoms of pregnancy for each.

If you think you may be pregnant, the most accurate way to find out for sure is to take a home pregnancy test. Wait until the day your period is due, because this increases the accuracy of the test. Read the instructions carefully, and follow them exactly when performing the test. Good luck!

What first made you wonder whether you were pregnant?

Written by Fiona, proud owner of a toddler, @fiona_peacock

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

The holidays are undoubtedly a stressful time. Of course, it’s great to spend time with loved ones, share presents and eat good food while watching nostalgic movies. But along with all of that, comes spending time with people you’d rather avoid, eating too much, and – perhaps –  family rows. So how do you go about surviving the holidays during pregnancy?

1. Be realistic – you need to know your limitations. If you usually travel across the country to spend Christmas with your folks, but your baby is due on New Years, you’ll probably prefer to stay closer to home this year. If you’re suffering with backache or general discomfort, you should try to avoid unnecessary, long-distance travel over the festive period. If you’re feeling tired, you may want to leave your social calendar a little emptier this year, and give yourself time to recover after big events.
2. Take it easy – whether you’re in the throes of the first trimester nausea, or exhaustedly lugging around a full term bump, you should try to take it easy this holiday season. Make sure you get enough rest, drink plenty of water, eat healthily and try to get some exercise each day.
3. Staying sober – if you usually enjoy Christmas over the limit, you may feel left out sitting soberly on the sidelines this year. Just because you can’t drink alcohol, doesn’t mean you just have to drink tap water, though. Why not whip up some exotic mocktails for the occasion, and indulge yourself in a variety of fruit juices, flavoured waters and soft drinks? If you’re worried about feeling left out while everyone indulges, ask your partner to join you on your temporary wagon, and enjoy your last holiday together before the new baby arrives.
4. Emotional turmoil – with the nostalgic Christmas films, emotion-fuelled television adverts, and countless family memories, Christmas has the potential to become a sob fest. Add to that the hormones, sleepless nights and anxiety of pregnancy, and you may just have a recipe for disaster. You may end up sobbing into your sprouts or even screaming across the spuds. Try to remember that the holidays are a time for heightened emotions, and so it’s easy for things to get out of hand. Stay calm, and try to enjoy your festive period.
5. Eat healthily – don’t worry, you can have the odd treat, but do try to stick to a healthy diet over Christmas. Gobble up the occasional mince pie, but be sure to also eat your fair share of fresh fruit, nuts and vegetables. Eating little and often can help to reduce dizziness during pregnancy, so try to keep healthy snacks in the house for this.

Are you dreading the holidays with a bump, or looking forward to them?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.