signs of pregnancy

[ductapefaerie]

so, I figured this would be the best place to ask this, since most people who have had children/been pregnant were/are in long term relationships.

very recently, my biological clock started ticking, hardcore. really young, I know (only 18). and I'm not planning on having kids for probably 6 or 7 years. however, I know that I will want to know, when the time comes, what to look for. and I'm sure this will come in handy as reassurance that I and probably others are not actually pregnant. also, the 6 or 7 years between now and when I'll probably have kids will give this topic plenty of time to circulate and gather comments.

so, the actual question is what are some of the signs, preferably noticed early on, of pregnancy, and when are they generally noticed?

thanks all!!

[neverdiplomatic]

I noticed a lot of fatigue starting about 3 weeks in. For me as well, my nipples darked very early on, and all my pms symptoms were missing. Added to that is the usual dizziness, nausea, etc. I also noticed more headaches than usual in the first month.
Hope this helps a bit.

[clare33]

Your biological clock won't start ticking when you're 18 unless you have a serious hormone imbalance.

Babies shouldn't have babies.

[ductapefaerie]

when I say biological clock, I mean...it's like I have baby fever. I don't want kids, I really don't, but every time I see a happy couple on tv with a baby, I'm all...I want one!! I know I don't want one now...but I just feel so...I don't know...like I want one...like, my body is ready...I'm not mentally...but my body is like...mmm...baby

[neverdiplomatic]

K. Let me clue you in to the reality behind all those happy couples on tv with babies.
1. tv is a fantasy
2. networks show us what we would like to see, not what is actually real. Even so-called reality shows are edited.

A baby does not bring happiness. Joy, yes. Love, yes. But babies also bring exhaustion, disagreements, financial strain, and endless worry. A baby isn't going to make you happy, and in all honesty, that's a lot of pressure to put on such a tiny person. Enjoy other people's babies. They are just as cute, just as much fun, and you can hand them back to Mommy or Daddy when you've had enough.

[ductapefaerie]

Don't get me wrong, I know that comes with a baby, I'm not naive. But the way I see it, even if a child does bring all the exhaustion and frustration, it also brings the joy and happiness and love, and in my opinion, those far outweigh the less positive emotions. So in my opinion, a baby brings the good things more than the bad. And also, if that happy footage was taped in the first place, it actually happened (and I was talking about like...the shows on TLC and stuff...), which means that a baby brings that good stuff. Also, it's not like I'm planning on having kids anytime soon. It'll be at least 5 years, probably more...

[canoestripper]

Hi ductapefaerie,

There are a multitude of books on the subject. Try an Amazon search for pregnancy...

Here are a couple we read before our child was born:

The Mother Of All Pregnancy Books
What To Expect When You're Expecting

And one that looks interesting, although I haven't read it:

The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy

Hope this helps you.

[kitty_robyn]

clare-- easy does it... this is about being constructive and helpful, not just spouting off some nasty little comment.

i think that the poster was well aware of all that, just curious.

never been pregnant so i can't help much there. i do understand your feelings of baby-fever though. it's not that you realistically want one, it's just something you fantasize about a lot. and television inundates you with all the beautiful people and the beautiful babies, so it's easy to get wrapped up.

i don't want to lecture, but i'm going to throw this out there-- even though you want a baby, wait until it's right. don't go out there and do some unchangeable damage on a whim. the most beautiful things come to those who wait.