More than 10,000 women will find out if they are pregnant today

Happy Discovery Day! Allow us to explain. Today is the day that more women will find out that they are pregnant than any other day of the year.

Yep, on Wednesday 17 January, according to a study conducted by parenting site ChannelMum.com, more than 10,00 women will be nervously taking a pregnancy test to see if those tell-tale blue lines appear.

The date falls just over two weeks after National Babymaking day (2 January), which is the most popular day of the year for wannabe parents to try and conceive.

And once they find out that they’re expecting, many mums-to-be will continue to take tests to make sure the result is truly accurate.

According to the survey, a whopping 62% of expectant mums carry on taking tests after getting a positive result, spending an average of £30 in the process.

One in 20 checks 16 times or more before they finally accept that they’re having a baby.

Speaking of the findings, Siobhan Freegard, founder of the site said: “Being hooked on pregnancy tests may seem strange, but the majority of mums do it.”

“Seeing the positive sign come up gives mums-to-be a buzz and also helps reassure those who may be nervous about their pregnancy.

“However, it’s important not to get addicted to continual tests, as they are expensive and unnecessary.

“We have heard of mums testing up to five times a day to check they are still pregnant, so if you are that anxious, then get professional support.”

To help those waiting to discover their pregnancy fate, Yahoo Style UK spoke to Liz Halliday, Deputy Head of Private Midwives to reveal some of the most common signs of pregnancy to look out for (and some not so obvious)

Common pregnancy symptoms:

Sore Boobs

“Probably one of the most common signs of early pregnancy is having sore or tender breasts,” explains Liz Halliday. “This is caused by the levels of oestrogen and progesterone hormones spiking, resulting in increased blood flow to your breasts and leading to sensitivity.”

“This hormone fluctuation is also why some women experience breast tenderness around the time of ovulation and as part of PMS — however in the case of pregnancy, the hormones plummet as you approach the due date of your period and consequently the breast pain subsides.”

“Upon conceiving, hormone levels will rise rather than fall and breasts can become increasingly tender.”

So how can you tell the difference between pre-period soreness and pregnancy soreness? “The difference between sensitivity in pregnancy and PMS is that the tingly sensation will not disappear if you’re in your first trimester, whilst the sensation tends to ease off during your period.”

High Basal Temperature

According to Liz having a high basal temperature is one of the sure signs you’re guaranteed to notice if you are pregnant. “A high basal temperature is caused by the increase of hormones in your body, which will in turn result in overall rise in body temperature.

Liz says this is incredibly common in women as more progesterone and oestrogen are produced during pregnancy as they are essential for sustaining a healthy pregnancy.

Nausea

With around 50%-90% of women experiencing this symptom, it is definitely considered one of the most common symptoms of early pregnancy.

“Despite women experiencing at different stages of their pregnancy, the increase in the hcG hormone results in nausea and vomiting.”

Liz says that although it is often referred to as ‘morning sickness’ the queasiness can occur at any time of day, but it can be more prevalent in the morning for many mums-to-be.

“It is often the case that women who suffer from motion sickness or vomit easily whilst having a flu or cold are more likely to feel sickly whilst pregnant. In addition, women can also experience symptoms of nausea if they have a vitamin B deficiency. However, this can be simply resolved by taking a vitamin B complex supplement, however, pregnant women should always consult a doctor before taking supplements.”

While feeling sick can be an early sign of pregnancy, the extreme morning sickness or Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), as experienced by the Duchess of Cambridge is a much more severe complication of pregnancy and can have very real and very debilitating consequences for both mother and baby.

More Unusual Symptoms of pregnancy

Bloating

Yeah, this one’s not so pleasant. “Feeling bloated and noticing the constant need to break wind can be a less common sign of pregnancy,” explains Liz Halliday. “This is a result of the increased amount of hormones in a woman’s body, which make the intestines feel sluggish and can result in constipation, bloating and breaking wind.”

Symptoms of a Cold

“Having persistent symptoms of a cold but not feeling run down or sick, can also be a symptom of pregnancy,” says Liz. “The increase in hormones and production of blood can cause mucous membranes to swell, dry and bleed. With this, women might feel the constant need to blow their nose or even have a blocked nose. However, if a bleeding nose persists the best course of action is to consult a doctor.”

A weird voice

Woke up with a strange voice? Might be time to take a test. “Some women can experience a raspy voice, or even experience a deeper and lower voice during the early stages of pregnancy,” explains Liz Halliday.

“This is again down to hormones – the increased amount of oestrogen and progestogen during pregnancy can cause women’s vocal cords to swell, which can result in a woman’s voice sounding slight different, either raspy or deeper. This change isn’t permanent and should ease within a few weeks or months.”

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