How I knew I was pregnant before I knew I was pregnant

six weeks pregnant belly with third baby

Maybe it was because this is my third pregnancy. Maybe it was because I had recently started a nutritional cleanse and was more in tune with the needs of my body. Or maybe I was just running high on hormones right from the outset.

Whatever the case, I knew I was pregnant this time almost immediately.

One of my first clues was that all of a sudden I couldn’t brush my tongue without gagging. I never get “morning sick” but I do get super gaggy when brushing my tongue (teeth, no problem!).

And then there was the fact that I couldn’t watch American Idol auditions without crying—no, bawling—at a couple of the stories they would show as they featured contestants. My emotional responses were a little over-the-top and even Ryan wondered if I might be pregnant.

There was also the amazing burst of nesting power that surged through my veins and swept through the whole house. Even though I had just de-cluttered and organized my entire house before Christmas—seriously, every nook and cranny—all of a sudden I was doing it again. Rearranging closets, spray painting everything in sight, moving furniture and accessories from one room of the house to another. It was like spring fever hit me in full force in the middle of the hottest period of summer Down Under.

And of course there was the bloat. The serious bloat. The I-look-fourteen-weeks-pregnant-but-am-half-that bloat. Within days I couldn’t keep up with the constant urge to be sucking in my pooch and wondering why in the world I abruptly felt so “fat”.

I knew so early this time around that I even beat my first pregnancy test, which came up “negative” even though I was definitely pregnant by that time. My second pregnancy test was so positive that there wasn’t even any ink left for the control line to show up. (You know, the line that’s supposed to show up whether you’re pregnant or not? Mine was practically non-existent. I actually thought it was another negative until I realized that the lines were in the wrong order to be negative. Yay for that!)

I don’t know why it was so easy for me to tell I was pregnant this time when other times none of the “symptoms” set in until weeks later. But I like to think that I’m getting used to this gig and am more aware of how my body works. (That’s comforting to me.)

I still have my moments of concern. (Will baby be okay? Were we entirely crazy to go ahead for number three already? How will I handle another child? Will I be able to parent my older two littles well while caring for another baby?) But for the most part I am just so at peace with this process and so quietly confident that God’s hand is in it all. And more than anything, dang, I’m excited. Guys, I’m having a baybeeeee. A little, squishy, cuddly baby!!!!

Dear friends, seriously? Pregnant! Ahhhhhh, it’s all still sinking in!!! When did you know you were pregnant? Before or after you took a “positive” test??

About Author

Adriel Booker is an author, speaker, and advocate based in Sydney, Australia who believes storytelling, beauty, and the grace of God will change the world. Adriel has become a trusted voice in areas of motherhood and parenting, Christian spirituality, and global women's issues. She's also known for her work with the Love A Mama Collective—serving under-resourced women in developing nations through safe birth initiatives—as well as her years spent as a Bible teacher and leadership coach. Her latest book is Grace Like Scarlett: Grieving with Hope after Miscarriage and Loss and she's made the companion grief journal available for free. Find Adriel across all social media platforms at @adrielbooker or sign up for LoveNotes, Adriel's 'secret posts' that aren't published anywhere else online. ✌️

38 Comments

  • Yvonne
    18 February 2013 at 9:02 pm

    I knew instantly that i was pregnant the second time. I don’t know why, I just did. I waited a week and did a test which was negative, but I just knew it was just too early. It took another 3 tests for it to finally be positive at 13 days post conception. And yet, I was still kind of shocked.

    Reply
  • Kate Baltrotsky
    18 February 2013 at 9:23 pm

    Yay for squishy babies on the way!!! With my second I was so certain that I was pregnant, no signs of it, just a ‘gut’ feeling (even before the bloating). My husband and I were even planning on waiting a few more months to start trying, but I knew something was happening! I took a pregnancy test and the second positive line was so faint… so so so faint, because I was only 4 weeks, but I had already known it even though I was keeping track of my cycle and being careful… The little soul had other plans 🙂

    Reply
    • Adriel Booker
      18 February 2013 at 10:15 pm

      Yeah, I thought I knew too… but didn’t want to get my hopes up too much. PLUS, I hadn’t actually started my cycle back up after Judah (and he was 16 months already!) so from that side of things I had no idea what was happening. (But I did wonder if I might be ovulating at one point… which, as dates put it… I now know for sure that I was!) YAY. 😀
      Adriel Booker recently posted..I’ve loved him for three years. But really, I’ve loved him always.My Profile

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      • Carlie
        28 July 2014 at 2:09 pm

        Ok so I’ve been googling all over to try and find someone who has had the same experience as me. I haven’t found anyone yet. I knew I was pregnant as soon as my husband were done having sex. And I’m going to tell you how/why warning this might be a little TMI . Normally after sex the seman comes back out of my vagina which is so gross lol. Well both times I got pregnant it NEVER CAME OUT! Now the first time it happened I didn’t know or think about it or realize. It wasn’t until after I found out I was pregnant that I thought back and wondered if that was when it happened. Then a few years later (never having prevented pregnancy nor specifically trying) IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I though, oh my could it be? Does this mean I’m pregnant? I didn’t think too much about it but sure enough I was pregnant. Well baby #2 is 9 months old and IT HAPPENED AGAIN! You’ve got to be kidding me. It’s been 3 weeks and 3 days since that happened. I’ve taken 3 pregnancy tests and they’ve all been negative but I think it’s just too early to tell. My period is so far 6 days late now. The unknown is making me crazy!

        Reply
        • Marley
          12 April 2019 at 7:01 am

          This is true, it happened the same way for me but I felt really full the next morning and didn’t really want my food so I knew, plus this was baby number two for me, so a week later my fiance brought a test and said I had a dream you were pregnant!!! I was…

          Reply
  • Erica
    18 February 2013 at 10:07 pm

    aww congrats!~
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  • Oath's Mom
    18 February 2013 at 10:56 pm

    I remember waking up the morning after and thinking “Something is going on, a baby is on the way!”. I spent the next 15 days thinking all the time about it, incredibly hungry, and I even took some photos of my belly so I could remember the first few weeks. I don’t know how I managed to wait so much until taking the test, but when I did the lines appeared instantly and were really clear. A few days later, my doctor was so shocked at seeing another test’s lines that she exclaimed “Oh, my! You are *certainly* pregnant!”. I guess my hormones were running wild from the very beginning.
    Oath’s Mom recently posted..The rainbow basketMy Profile

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  • Anna
    19 February 2013 at 1:51 am

    I swear I knew days later with my second! That whole 2 week wait I knew, then through a negative test, I STILL knew. It is amazing what our bodies can sense! Now I am due any day and I still love that for the 1st few weeks that I was the only one who got to know…even before my husband had that feeling. What a special time for mommies to get to experience!

    Congrats Adriel!

    Reply
  • Amber
    19 February 2013 at 1:56 am

    You are so lucky you don’t get the morning sickness – I’m jealous! Funny thing is, I was ignoring all the pregnancy signs. I felt the implantation, and I had just decided it was weird cramps or ovulation (since I feel that, too). I knew whenever I started barfing 5 times a day. My test turned positive so fast it was scary!
    Amber recently posted..Year in Review. 2 Months Late.My Profile

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  • tracy dickinson
    19 February 2013 at 2:15 am

    i swear i knew right away with all three. i know that sounds nuts, but i did. number three was the most obvious as i was puking my guts up from the start. so happy for you and your family!

    Reply
  • Laura G
    19 February 2013 at 5:56 am

    Congrats a million times over Adriel! Baby #3 is coming at just the right time, to just the right people. I know because God really doesn’t make mistakes in that department 🙂
    I knew before I tested with all three of my pregnancies. With Georgia, I became suddenly exhausted and weepy for “no apparent reason”. With our angel baby, I knew when I had to dump out my morning coffee because it tasted too bitter. With James, I had those crazy pregnancy dreams before I tested positive.

    Reply
  • Jenna
    19 February 2013 at 7:14 am

    I knew almost immediately. Things just didn’t feel right and when I started being nauseous at random times. All during Christmas I felt icky but the tests just kept coming back negative. Then after all the stress of the holidays faded, I took another test just because and BAM positive. I think I shocked my husband because he was so sure I wasn’t pregnant (like he’d really know that!). I’m due a month before you so I look forward to sharing this journey with you through the blogging world!

    Reply
  • Rochelle Dunsbergen
    19 February 2013 at 8:14 am

    Oh the bloat! I seriously could not believe how pregnant I looked during those early weeks. I even had others commenting on it (growl!) and just recently a OB doc/acquaintance of mine commented that I seemed to have “slowed down” now, whereas I was showing right away. Why are those topics always so uncomfortable? Perhaps it is knowing that people are looking/assessing?

    Most definitely noticed the emotional change first, including crying at most things (harmless commercials and magazine ads) and a little more irritable than usual before taking the test. But I sort of chalked it up to it possibly being that time of the month … until I realized it was day 36 of my cycle and then I quickly took a test!

    Reply
    • Adriel Booker
      28 March 2013 at 9:10 pm

      haha, yes, i felt like i looked waaaaay farther along than i should have. but now it fluctuates a bit more – depending on what i’ve eaten. haha. i guess that means the bloat is still going strong! 😉
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  • Maxine
    19 February 2013 at 8:56 am

    Yep, straight away with all three (I’m a few weeks behind you Adriel!) The little twinges and tingles… I’m not too sure that there is anything more exciting!
    I agree with Anna – it’s so delightful being the only one who knows that a little someone is growing inside you – but it’s such wonderful news to share!
    Congratulations to all mummies – first time or seventh time!

    Reply
  • Courtney Kirkland
    19 February 2013 at 5:29 pm

    I know the feeling. I knew right off the bat with baby #2. I didn’t take the test until about a week later, but I just felt “off.” I am SO excited for your family!
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  • Alicia Labeau
    21 February 2013 at 2:32 pm

    First of all, CONGRATULATIONS to you guys on this exciting news!

    Secondly, perhaps the differences mean this one might be a girl?!? With my second, I felt like I was pregnant at least a week before I was due to start my cycle. So when that was even just a day late, I took the test and only had to wait about 20 seconds to see the possitive.

    Reply
    • Adriel Booker
      28 March 2013 at 9:14 pm

      thanks!!! yes, it definitely could be a girl. we hope so! 🙂 BUT we can easily imagine having another boy too. but… this pregnancy certainly has felt different.

      we’ll see!
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      • Alicia
        29 March 2013 at 6:01 am

        I can totally picture what a beautiful little girl you guys would make! And the boys you make are absolutely adorable too! Yeah, it’s a good thing God has the job of determining that part. My brother and my sister each have 3 boys, my husband has 2 brothers and then a much younger sister, his mom is the only girl with 3 brothers, so when I was pregnant with Eliana I tried not to get my hopes up that it would be a girl because of the family trend. But the differences in the pregnancies made me wonder for sure. We didn’t find out ahead of time. Oh how I cried when the Dr said “It’s a girl!” We also hadn’t decided on a name yet, but I knew as soon as I saw her little cherub face. Eliana means “The Lord answers our prayers.” So excited for you guys and praying for an easy, energy filled, pregnancy for you!

        Reply
  • Misty
    22 February 2013 at 12:47 am

    This is also my third time around and I knew before I took the test. It was torture waiting to take it until I knew it would come out positive. I’m so excited for you. This is actually the third pregnancy we will be sharing. I found your blog when you were pregnant with Levi and I was pregnant with my Murphy. Then when you announced being pregnant with Levi little did I know that a month later I would be pregnant with my Myles. Now we’re about two weeks apart on this third baby. Congratulations!

    Reply
    • Adriel Booker
      28 March 2013 at 9:15 pm

      misty – that’s so cool! big congrats to you too. crazy that all three of our kids are exactly the same age! imagine what a playdate would look like about a year from now! #circus 😉
      Adriel Booker recently posted..Sometimes, I don’t love all that well.My Profile

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  • Heather
    3 March 2013 at 6:40 am

    Congrats to you are your family!!!
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  • Kerry @ Made For Real
    12 March 2013 at 1:38 am

    Congrats!! I think we’re due close together! : )
    This is my fifth baby (7th pregnancy) and believe you me, I knew immediately LOL
    Let me just say, that is the tiniest bloat I’ve ever seen!! I already looked six months pregnant when I saw two lines on that stick! Hahaha. Haven’t announced on my blog yet, been sooooooo sick and we were waiting to see baby…but all is well and we are thrilled! We have a Levi, too ; ) Will be checking in on you and your journey! I looooove pregnancy.
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  • Lindsey Whitney
    23 March 2013 at 3:43 am

    Wow!!! Very very exciting!! Our plan is to adopt #3, but I have to admit I sometimes feel the pregnancy itch… though I really don’t want to go through the whole weight gain thing again and I am not one of those ladies who “never” look pregnant. Congrats to you!!!!!!!!!!!!
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    • Adriel Booker
      28 March 2013 at 9:19 pm

      thanks lindsey. we’re so excited! i’ve always thought about adopting too. and since becoming pregnant with #3 my desire has been so strong! you’d think it would be enough dreaming about the baby we already have… but i keep thinking/dreaming about adopting more. at this point, that’s a possibility, but not something we’re at all planning for. still much seeking of the lord to do about that one! 🙂
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  • Felicity
    5 January 2015 at 8:03 pm

    I’ve been googling like a mad woman!!! Lol. I’ve been pregnant before but I got an abortion the first time because my ex fiancé was very possessive and physically/emotionally abusive and I couldn’t imagine having a child with him. I knew he would use the child as a way to hold me prisoner. The baby was the wake up call that I needed to leave him and I finally left him! Now, it’s been 4 years and I am a brand new woman! I’m 29, finish with grad school and working in my career and happy! I met a wonderful guy that I’ve been dating for 6 mos. It’s been two weeks since the first time we had unprotected sex and he did not pull out all three times and I knew it was bad news immediately, even though I’m on birth control. Now, after 2 weeks I am exhausted and dizzy! I almost fainted in the grocery line today! I’m cramping like crazy, worst than menstral. My breast are tender, lots of white discharge, and bloating. The first time I was pregnant, I didn’t feel all of these symptoms until 10 weeks in! But this baby is coming in full force! My tests are negative which I knew would happen. But I am someone who wakes up at 7:00am every day without an alarm. For the past 3 days, I’ve been sleeping for 10-11 hours per day. And I’m still lethargic and dizzy all day! I can’t believe these symptoms are so strong so early. I’m just waiting to puke now, lol. I’m excited this time and I will be keeping this little gem 🙂

    Reply
    • Adriel
      5 January 2015 at 9:23 pm

      Congratulations Felicity. A baby is such a gift! Hope all goes healthy and well for you. x

      Reply

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