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There's a lot that changes over the course of your pregnant, but unless you're trying to conceive or meticulously track your period, you might not realize right away that you're even pregnant. That means that some of the first signs that you might be pregnant could be some of the physical and emotional changes, not a missed period. If you have these surprising changes in behavior, you might be pregnant and not even know it, but because many of these changes could be due to a number of reasons, even they might not be enough to clue you in to what's going on in your body. Still, if you've noticed some curious behavioral changes lately and have missed a period, you probably want to take a pregnancy test or schedule an appointment with your doctor because there might be more to it than you initially thought.
You're probably well-aware that there are a lot of physical changes that go along with the early stages of pregnancy, from nausea to sore and swollen breasts, bloating, and more. And while the fact that pregnant women can experience big-time mood swings probably comes as no surprise at all whatsoever, some of these behavior changes are a little bit more subtle. But these early-pregnancy changes in behavior just might be a red flag that there could be a baby on the way.
1
You Have An Increased Sex Drive
You might not think that you'll feel all that sexy when you're pregnant, but some pregnant women definitely experience an increased sex drive. Kidspot Australia noted that an increased sex drive during pregnancy can be due to higher levels of hormones like estrogen and progesterone.
2
You're Tired All The Time
Fatigue can be a symptom of so many things and needing more naps, sleep at night, or general rest obviously doesn't mean that you're definitely pregnant. That being said, many women are exhausted while pregnant. WebMD noted that pregnant women can feel super tired as soon as one week into their pregnancy. Coupled with some additional symptoms, you might start to wonder if you actually might be pregnant.
3
You've Lost Your Appetite
The What To Expect website noted that because they're often nauseous in the first trimester, many pregnant women also lose their appetite. You can also lose your appetite due to stress and some illnesses, so if it seems to linger, you might want to consult your doctor, who can get to the bottom of things.
4
You've Gotten More Forgetful Lately
As The Bump noted, scientific evidence surrounding "pregnancy brain" or "baby brain" is a little inconclusive, but many pregnant women and new moms anecdotally say that they're more forgetful or experience brain fog. If you're more forgetful lately and you also have some other symptoms, you might want to double check that it's not because you're expecting.
5
You Need To Pee More Frequently
Increased urination is another potential pregnancy symptom. As the previously-mentioned WebMD article noted, this can happen between six and eight weeks after conception as your hormone levels change. Because an uptick in frequency of urination can be caused by a number of different medical conditions, it's important to take notice.
6
Your Anxiety Or Depression Has Gotten Worse
It's normal for you to feel and react all kinds of different ways when you find out that you're pregnant, but what about before you know? Because of changes in hormone levels that affect neurotransmitters, you can definitely notice changes in your mood, as psychologist Dr. Diane Sanford, PhD, told Babble, and because it's hormonal, some of that might be evident before you consciously know that you're pregnant. For some women, this means the mood swings that many people associate with pregnancy already, but for others, it can mean anxiety or depression. Anxiety and depression are serious conditions, so if you notice that you're experiencing feelings that might indicate something more serious or that your conditions are getting worse, it's important to talk to your doctor, even if you're not concerned that you may be pregnant.
Though these symptoms, on their own, might not raise any red flags in your mind, if you have a combination of them — or a combination of them with some other pregnancy symptoms — you might need to make a doctor's appointment or swing by the pharmacy for a pregnancy test.
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