Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Determining at an early stage if a woman is pregnant
• Method 2 of 2: Determining at a later stage if a woman is pregnant
• Tips

Sometimes you end up in a very uncomfortable situation when you ask a woman if she is pregnant and guess what? She is not. Maybe you're just curious or want to know if you should offer her your seat on the bus. Whatever the reason, there are some well-known clues that can help you determine whether she is pregnant or not. This way you can avoid asking her the question and avoid uncomfortable situations. However, the best thing is that you don't assume someone is pregnant. Avoid asking a woman directly and wait for her to bring it up herself.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Determining at an early stage if a woman is pregnant

1. Look at her clothing style. When a woman is pregnant, she often starts to wear looser clothing or clothing that can hide a "bump". When her belly gets bigger, she has to buy maternity pants or clothes in a larger size. If you notice that she is wearing strange clothes compared to her normal dress style, or is buying larger sizes, it could be that she is pregnant.
2. Listen to what she says about her eating habits. Many pregnant women change their diet and want to eat different foods. Therefore, pay attention to complaints or comments about food, which can help you determine whether she is pregnant.
   • Craving something: Not all pregnant women suffer from this, but some women find that they want to eat strange food combinations (such as pickles with ice cream) or that they only want one type of food (such as citrus fruits or Chinese food). So be careful when she talks about what kind of food she wants!
   • Food aversion: pregnant women sometimes suddenly don't want to know about a particular food, even though they never had any problems with it before. If you know she loves sushi and suddenly she gets sick just thinking about fish, she may be pregnant.
   • Hydration: Hydration is extremely important to provide a fetus with the essential nutrients it needs. That is why many pregnant women make sure to drink enough. A pregnant woman can thus suddenly attach great importance to adequate hydration or constantly carry a bottle of water with her.
3. Look for signs of nausea. Like changing dietary habits, many pregnant women experience nausea, also known as "morning sickness", in the early months of pregnancy. This can lead to changes in their eating habits, for example she may suddenly only eat crackers, but the nausea is not only caused by food. Many women feel nauseated all day long and not just in the morning as the name suggests. Therefore, pay close attention to signs of nausea or vomiting. The symptoms are different from those of a regular indigestion or flu because morning sickness is intense and lasts longer than a regular flu that lasts only a few days.
4. Watch for complaints of pain or discomfort. A pregnancy is accompanied by many changes in the body, which can cause pain throughout the body. If you suddenly hear her talk about lower back pain and headaches or dizziness, this could be a possible pregnancy. If she talks about pain or discomfort, ask questions about whether she has been hurt, whether she is exercising and see what she says. For instance:
   • "Oh no! How long has your back hurt? "
   • "I heard you say that you are a bit dizzy today, does that happen more often?"
5. Watch her behavior. In addition to physical changes, the behavior and habits of pregnant women often change. Carefully observe the person who could be pregnant and pay attention to the following behaviors:
   • Going to the toilet more often can indicate pregnancy. This is due to a change in hormones and the pressure of the growing fetus on other organs can cause constipation, urge to urinate more often and vomiting.
   • Mood swings are common during pregnancy because the fluctuating hormonal levels cause fatigue and more extreme emotions (for example, being very happy one moment and suddenly crying uncontrollably for no apparent reason).
6. Listen when she talks about her sleep patterns. Many pregnant women complain of exhaustion, especially during the first trimester. If you notice any of the following, she may be pregnant:
   • She is clearly too tired to perform everyday activities.
   • She often says she feels exhausted or exhausted.
   • She sleeps a lot or at odd hours (at work or at school).
7. Ask what her future plans are. A subtle way to determine whether a woman is pregnant or not is to ask about her future plans. A pregnancy normally lasts nine months and by asking about her plans around that time, you can find out if she is pregnant now. If she is actually pregnant, she will be too advanced in the third trimester to travel. So you can ask if she would like to make a trip within a few months. You can also ask her if she has any plans for the summer and she might make it appear that she wants to fix a nursery!

Method 2 of 2: Determining at a later stage if a woman is pregnant

1. Look at the shape of her belly. A woman's body changes a lot during pregnancy, especially in her abdominal area. The belly must grow with the baby. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish from belly fat in the same place, but pregnancy has certain specific characteristics. Abdominal weight gain that resembles a well-formed bulge without apparent weight gain in other parts of the body is most likely caused by pregnancy. If you happen to bump into her, know that a pregnant belly feels firmer than belly fat.
2. Keep an eye on her breasts. Broader and larger breasts are a typical physical phenomenon, because the breast tissue is very sensitive to hormonal changes. If you do not know the person, this is not a useful tip, because you cannot compare the size with that of before the pregnancy. But sometimes women have exceptionally large breasts compared to the rest of their bodies because they swell later in pregnancy due to milk production.
3. Look at her feet and ankles. Swollen ankles are common in pregnant women, especially around the fifth month. This happens because the body retains more water and produces more blood and body fluids when pregnant. She may also wear extra comfortable support shoes or flip flops to reduce the pain of walking with swollen feet and ankles.
4. Look at the way she walks around. As the body begins to change and grow, so does the mobility of pregnant women. Keep an eye out for these typical signs:
   • A waddling gait and different gait are common symptoms in pregnant women when their bellies grow and their feet swell. This makes it more difficult for them to keep their balance.
   • Many pregnant women hold their tummy or put a hand on their stomach when walking around. They do this both for their balance and to promote the bond that is growing between mother and child.
5. Listen for shortness of breath. In addition to changes in mobility, many pregnant women are also short of breath in the second and third trimesters. This is because the growing fetus needs more oxygen and because of the expansion of the uterus, which puts more pressure on the lungs and the diaphragm. Getting out of breath from the slightest effort is common and in combination with other signs of pregnancy, you can draw your own conclusion.

Tips

• Even though she shows many of the signs listed above, it is best not to ask a woman directly if she is pregnant. Many of these signs can also be caused by other factors, and not just a pregnancy. It can be painful and uncomfortable to conclude that the person is not pregnant.