could I be pregnant?

So... after seemingly endless months of detoxing - a six month stint that kept getting extended because hubby and I both had to travel overseas (and one of the things we were detoxing from is cosmic radiation) - we have finally started TTC (trying to conceive for those of you who don't regularly frequent online mommy clubs and infertility forums).

Our first time round we got preggers straight away, but I'm conscious of the fact that we are both now 5 years older and things might not happen as quickly. So we have started "trying" and while we have another week or so to wait for an official pee on a stick test, there are some early signs that may or may not mean I am pregnant... as the lovely people at the Mayo Clinic say:

"Unfortunately, these symptoms aren't unique to pregnancy. Some can indicate that you're getting sick or that your period is about to start. Likewise, you can be pregnant without experiencing any of these symptoms." But I do have almost all of the symptoms of pregnancy that they mention, so fingers crossed!

1. The first thing I noticed was that the smell/sight/thought of meat made me want to throw up. I thought I might have a stomach bug, since I was feeling poorly in other ways too, but the thought did cross my mind... could this be morning sickness? I didn't realise it could start so soon, and last time around it didn't kick in until I was about 8 weeks pregnant, so I didn't think much of it, until I started getting other signs, and googled morning sickness and found out it can start within days of conception...

2. My breasts became very sore. I was pretty sad when this happened actually, since it can also be a sign that you are getting your period, and again, I didn't get sore breasts until I was at least 4 weeks pregnant with my son... so I didn't think it was likely to be a sign of pregnancy, but a short trip down google lane and yes... you can get sore breasts within days of conception. If I am pregnant then it just goes to show how different each pregnancy can be.

3. I am really really tired. There could be many explanations for this... most of them involving chasing around a four year old jedi and three chickens, but still, it's another one of those symptoms of early pregnancy.

4. I felt like I was getting sick. This went with the feeling nauseous and being really tired, but it still seemed strange because I don't get sick very often, and no one around me was sick... but apparently when you are pregnant, especially in the early stages, your body lowers the immune response to make sure that you don't reject the new fetus. This is a good thing, but it also means you get sick more easily. I kept very good notes on my first pregnancy (back when I had a life and time for such things) and I noticed that the same thing happened then... I got sick around now. This lowered immunity has been put forward as one possible theory for morning sickness... we feel sick at the thought of any food that might contain parasites or pathogenic bacteria to make sure we only eat innocuous things like saltines and chocolate that are not going to make us sick, since our immune systems can't protect us like they usually do.

5. I started spotting. As in noticing very small amounts of blood in my (organic cotton) undies. I was pretty depressed at this one, since I thought it meant that my period was on its way (and early, to add insult to injury), but when it stopped after two days I realized that it could be implantation bleeding. This happens when a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus — about 10 to 14 days after fertilization, and the burrowing into the lining causes a very small amount of bleeding. The timing was right, based on when I thought I had ovulated... so I started feeling better. I hadn't noticed this with my first pregnancy, so it definitely doesn't always happen.

6. Raised body temperature. I have been taking my temperature for months now, using it as way to chart when I'm ovulating, and instead of going down in the second half of the cycle, my temp has stayed up. Again, this could be because I'm sick (which would also explain the nausea and fatigue) but still, it's one more sign...

7. Mood swings. I have been a bit quick to bite my hubby's head off this week...I think he'll forgive me if we discover the cause.

8. Feeling light headed and dizzy. I get this a lot anyway since I have very low blood pressure.

9. My hair is falling out. I haven't actually been able to find any conclusive evidence that hair falling out in the first few weeks after ovulation is a sign of pregnancy, but I'm pretty sure that it's a hormonal thing, so it would make sense. When I washed my hair yesterday I was left with a fistful of hair. Also, my hair has been greasier than normal the last few weeks, which is also hormonal I think... and it means I have to wash it almost every day, which is a pain, since who has time for that?!

10. Lastly, but certainly not least, I have a feeling I am pregnant. I've had this feeling since as soon as we started trying, but I had no proof... so I didn't give it much thought. We don't pay enough attention to our intuition and instincts, but they are powerful forces and when we do listen to them they make us much better mothers and people. I hope I'm right about this one :-)