How to Know if Your Girlfriend Is Pregnant

Missed period

The hormone changes of pregnancy cause the menstrual cycle to stop completely. You probably don’t know the ins and outs of your partner's period, and that’s okay! Chances are, they've mentioned it off-hand in a conversation before, or you’ve noticed them stashing some extra tampons or pads before an outing or trip. If they haven't mentioned their period in over a month, there’s a chance that they missed it completely. These are good clues to watch out for, but they aren’t irrefutable proof that your partner is pregnant. Some people like their privacy and may not share any details about their period when it comes around. At the start of a pregnancy, someone may “spot,” or lightly bleed from their vagina. This is easy to mix up with a regular period, but it’s actually a key sign of a successful pregnancy.

Morning sickness

Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of a starting pregnancy. Better known as “morning sickness,” these unpleasant symptoms tend to flare up in the early weeks of pregnancy. If your partner seems to be getting sick without any rhyme or reason, morning sickness might be the cause. “Morning sickness” is actually a misleading name, since pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting can happen at any hour of the day. You might say something like, “I’m so sorry you’re not feeling well, babe. Do you think it’s a stomach bug or something?”

Repeated bathroom trips

Pregnant people have to pee frequently at the beginning of their pregnancy. During pregnancy, the body creates extra blood, which gets processed through the kidneys. This extra blood leads to extra waste, which turns into extra pee. If your partner seems to be taking way more bathroom breaks than usual, there could be something else at play. Keep other factors in mind, too. For instance, your partner might head to the bathroom a little more frequently if they just chugged a glass of water.

Tender breasts

Pregnancy-related hormone changes may cause your partner's breasts to feel sore. Notice if they complains about their chest feeling a bit sore or tingly. Just keep in mind that tender breasts are also a common side effect of periods, too.

Headaches

Big hormone shifts in early pregnancy can lead to nasty headaches. The occasional headache isn’t anything to worry about, but frequent headaches could signify something bigger in the works. Try to count how many headaches they have in a week, and see if that number is higher than usual. In addition to headaches, hormone changes can cause some people to also feel a bit lightheaded. Keep in mind that headaches are really common and can mean a lot of different things. If headaches are the only real change you notice in your partner, pregnancy probably isn’t the cause. You could say something like, “Wow, you’ve had a lot of headaches this week. Are you feeling okay?”

Tiredness

Increased hormone production leaves pregnant people feeling extra sleepy. During pregnancy, the body produces a ton of progesterone, which causes the person to feel pretty exhausted. With this in mind, see if your partner feels more tired than usual, or if they take more naps than they typically do. It’s important to note that fatigue is a very common side effect that’s connected with a variety of different health issues, like anemia, stress, and anxiety disorders. Penny Simkin Penny Simkin, Childbirth Educator When your girlfriend misses her period, it may be nature's first sign that she could be pregnant. What follows for her may include persistent tiredness, tender and tingly breasts, turning away from foods she once enjoyed, uncharacteristic moodiness and irritation that switches quickly to crying. If you start to notice these symptoms, your girlfriend could very well be expecting, and you both have some important things to discuss about the future.

Bloating

An uncomfortable bloating feeling can be a sign of pregnancy. As you spend time together, see if your partner complains about having a stomachache or something similar. Bloating usually happens during the early weeks of pregnancy, so it’s a good warning sign to look out for. Bloating on its own isn’t necessarily a pregnancy sign. Some people also feel bloated right before their period begins again.

Feeling hot

Pregnant people feel warmer on a day-to-day basis. During pregnancy, the body naturally makes more blood, which causes the blood vessels to get a little wider. This forces the blood near the skin’s surface, making the skin feel a little hotter than usual.

Moodiness

Pregnancy-related hormone changes may impact their overall mood. Pay close attention to how your partner acts around you. Is their mood pretty consistent, or do they get moody for no apparent reason? While the occasional bad mood is no big deal, frequent mood swings could be a cause for concern.

Food cravings

Some people crave random foods when they’re pregnant. There’s no real rhyme or reason to this, and there’s no consistent food that they crave, either. Some might prefer sweets, like ice cream, candy, and chocolate, while others prefer more savory foods, like fish. See if your partner starts eating a certain type of food more than normal–that could be a sign that’s something up. Pregnancy cravings can also involve really weird food combos, like cheese-wrapped pickles.

Food aversions

Random foods might seem completely disgusting. Some foods become completely unappetizing to pregnant people, with coffee, tea, spicy dishes, fatty dishes, eggs, and meat being common offenders. If your partner suddenly doesn’t want to eat foods they normally like, it could be a sign of something bigger. Food aversions alone definitely aren’t solid proof of pregnancy. For example, they might not be in the mood to eat eggs and toast, but that doesn’t mean they hate eating eggs all of the sudden.

Smell sensitivity

Pregnant people are often extra sensitive to different smells. Whether you’re cooking, enjoying takeout, or lighting a scented candle, see how they react to a variety of scents. Pregnant people tend to have a more potent sense of smell, and may comment when something smells a little strong. There isn’t a lot of scientific evidence to back this up, but many pregnant people agree that it’s true. You might say something like, “Your sense of smell is way better than mine. I never would’ve noticed that if you hadn’t said something!”

Metallic taste

Certain people get a metallic taste in their mouths when they’re pregnant. Wait and see if your partner makes any comments about how their mouth tastes like a bunch of nickels and dimes. While this “metallic” taste test isn’t conclusive evidence of pregnancy, it is a fairly common side effect among pregnant people.

Pregnancy test

An at-home pregnancy test is the best way to confirm if your partner is pregnant. These tests work by testing urine for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that’s only produced during pregnancy. Sit down with your partner and see if they'd be comfortable taking one of these at-home tests. Explain to them that you’ll both have more time to consider your options if they take the test early on. Pregnancy tests are sold at pharmacies and most big-name retail stores. Some tests cost less than $5. It's best to take a pregnancy test in the morning. Your partner can either dip the test in a cup of your urine or use an eyedropper applicator to draw up the urine and put it on the designated area on the tip of the test. Let your partner know that you love and support them and that the decision to take a pregnancy test is completely their decision. You might say, “I know that this is scary, but you’re not alone in any of this. Whatever you decide to do, I’ll support you 100%.”