So, we’re all grown here and some of us are wanting to start families while some of us have already begun. Today I’d like to share with you how I knew I was pregnant before getting the big fat positive (BFP) on the test.
Let me preface this by saying that all women will have a different journey and can do all of these things and may have some of these symptoms month to month and still find it difficult to conceive. My journey is different and so is yours, remember that you are worthy and will have your opportunity to become a mother however that may look for you and your family. ❤️
I’d gotten my birth control implant removed in March 2019 because it was due to be removed or replaced and I’d decided that I’d go without birth control. I’d been on some form of birth control since I was 17 years old. I was almost 27 when I decided to quit. Geeshian and I were “trying not trying” to get pregnant by last fall. That just meant that if it happened we’d be thrilled and if not, we’d keep trying. By this time, my period was regular, and I’d been tracking my ovulation using a period tracking app on my phone.
I was tracking everything, my water intake, sex, ovulation, period start and end dates, mood swings, cervical mucus, discharge, etc. All of this was important to me to track when we were trying to conceive. It is also important to track if you’re using the natural family planning method to prevent pregnancy.
For context, my last period started November 9th and only lasted 3 days which was not usual for me. I have normal 5-7 day periods. I thought that this could be an indication of pregnancy, but the tests that I took after what I thought was implantation bleeding were all negative. I still have my suspension though because I got my positive test almost two weeks before my next period, which would be the “missed period” the doctors ask you about during the confirmation appointment.
So let me tell you about the symptoms I noticed before getting a positive on the pregnancy test. Note, some or all of these symptoms are related to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) as well. Knowing your body and tracking symptoms can help you differentiate the two.
Cramping
On November 21, 2019, I have listed in my period app “cramping on the right side.” Since we were trying to conceive I felt it was worth noting since I was never one to have cramping during a period. This was new and out of the ordinary for me and is known as an early sign of pregnancy. From my research, it is called implantation cramping.
Fatigue
Holy cow! I literally felt like I was hit by a train! I was in my 3rd or 4th month of teaching (new to the profession) and taking classes at night. Honestly, looking back, this could have played a large factor, but I’d been doing these things for months and hadn’t felt this type of tired at all. I would come home from work and crash on the couch for a nap almost immediately.
Cravings
During this time, I was not consuming much red meat and my diet consisted of chicken and fish as my main sources of animal protein. However, I started craving red meat, and when I say craving I mean, needing a burger at least twice per day. This definitely sent up red flags that something was going one with my body. Red meat cravings can be a sign of low iron as well.
Headaches
Headaches can be tricky for me since I can get a headache if I haven’t eaten, had my coffee, or haven’t had enough water for the day. However, headaches are known to be an early symptom of pregnancy as blood rushes to the uterus preparing for the growth of the baby.
I also noticed an increase in my cervical discharge, acne, and changes in my mood.
The Sunday before I got my positive pregnancy test, I was woken up at 5:30 am with heavy pressure in my stomach from my belly button down to the top of my vagina. I also had a large, and I mean large, air bubble in my chest that would not pop with a deep breath. If you’ve ever had an air bubble in your chest then you know how painful even the smallest one can be. I noted in the app that I’d had pizza for dinner the night before. 🍕
December 2, is when I got my BFP. I did not test with morning pee because I just thought it was way too early to test and all though I had my suspicions I know that the chances of getting any sort of result on a pregnancy test would be slim. On this day. I was only 6 DPO, or days past ovulation, and most tests, and experienced moms, would say to wait until you’ve missed your period to test. What prompted me to test in the first place was a YouTube video playing in the background and a woman was talking about how she knew she was pregnant before getting the BFP. I heard her mention lightning in her breasts and I thought, damn, that just happened to me earlier while in class. At this time it’s about 7:30 in the evening. I toyed with the idea of testing and decided to go for it.
Before I used the expensive tests, I used one from a box of Amazon test strips I purchased as a cheaper option to periodically check during our TTC journey. I took the test and saw a faint second line. In disbelief, I took three more, because duh. They all had the same faint line. I then took the expensive First Response Pregnancy Tests and sure enough it popped positive almost immediately.
I called my OBGYN the next day to set up an appointment to confirm the pregnancy, told Geeshian that he was going to be a dad, and the rest is history.
Looking back on these notes, I am happy that I had these symptoms and early experiences documented. Not only to share it here with you, but now I can compare it to the next pregnancy.
