Rather than wait it out, worry in silence, or ask advice and opinions of others before confirming a pregnancy with a doctor or home pregnancy test, there are many signs and symptoms that can be used as a checklist.
Each woman and each pregnancy will be different; one person may experience one or two symptoms and another person may endure every one on the list.
The more signs and symptoms experienced, the better the likelihood of a positive pregnancy.
A missed period is perhaps the most tell-tale and expected sign.
Pregnancy is not, however, the only reason a woman would experience a missed period, and some women experience spotting even when pregnant.
Another symptom that can occur is atypical period.
Some spotting may occur after implantation of the fertilized egg.
This is usually pink or brown in color and very light.
So this could be mistaken for an abnormal period; but is actually a sign of pregnancy.
Even before missing a period, a woman may experience unusually frequent urination.
This can be particularly noticeable at night, when sleep is disturbed by having to get up and use the bathroom - maybe several times each night.
One of the most often-mentioned signs of pregnancy is morning sickness.
Of course, the term "morning" sickness is somewhat misleading since nausea can occur at any time of the day or night.
The good news is that this symptom is likely to abate during the second and third trimesters.
Tenderness of the breasts is another sign of pregnancy.
Since this can also occur prior to a menstrual period, a woman may be fooled by this symptom.
However, with pregnancy, the tenderness is likely to be more intense and persistent than premenstrual tenderness.
Along with tenderness, an increase in breast size may be noticeable as the woman's body prepares for milk production.
Fatigue is another symptom that can signal pregnancy.
This is not your run-of-the-mill tired from lack of sleep or over-activity.
This tired might be termed bone-tired and can be brought on by normal activity.
Here again, the good news would be that this usually subsides by the second trimester when the woman's system gets used to the hormones present during pregnancy.
General body discomforts that might indicate pregnancy include cramps (especially abdominal cramps), headaches, constipation and/or diarrhea, heartburn and indigestion, and backaches; just to name a few.
Another interesting sign of pregnancy is food cravings.
While it may be true that some of the time a craving could indicate something that a body needs, this is not universally true.
Some women's cravings are as simple as something sounding good; other women feel compelled and obsessed to satisfy the craving.
The other side of food cravings is food aversions.
This can be affected by the heightened sense of smell that can be present during pregnancy.
Sometimes a woman's favorite foods can suddenly seem unpalatable.
And some smells, be they food or others, can cause a feeling of nausea.
There are many other symptoms of pregnancy, but this list is a good starting check list of signs for those who have a suspicion of pregnancy.
The most reliable indicator of pregnancy is a positive test from your doctor.
But this checklist will help to decide if a trip to the physician is necessary.