If you are trying for a baby and suspect that this month could be the magical month, it can be quite difficult to wait until you have actually missed a period. You may want to go out and buy a test the week before just to see. However, pregnancy tests are really only accurate if you have missed a period. There are some very early signs of pregnancy that you can be on the look out for to back up your suspicions. Some women will experience more than one of these early symptoms while others will not experience any at all. When an egg is fertilized your hormones begin to change and this can cause any of the following symptoms:

Sometimes when an egg has been fertilized and then implants itself in the lining of the womb, a woman can experience light bleeding or spotting just before her period is due. This bleeding is not normally heavy and is usually pink or brown.

If you have been charting your temperature changes to try to check for ovulation, you may notice an increased body temperature at ovulation which will normally dip again afterwards. If however, you notice that your temperature does not fall again and continues to stay raised, this could be a sign of pregnancy.

A lot of pregnant women reported an increase in urination as one of the very early signs that they were pregnant. Even before the menstrual period is due, it is possible to experience more frequent urination. This can be due to the presence of the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG) which is only present in pregnant women.

Pregnancy can cause extreme fatigue in some women and a noticeable lack of energy could be an early sign of pregnancy. Again this is due to the change in hormones. This can last for the first trimester before the body gets used to the hormone changes.

Morning sickness or nausea can occur in very early pregnancy. Some women experience severe nausea while others may not experience this at all. However, it should be noted that while called 'morning sickness' this nausea is not restricted to morning times and could occur at any time of the day.

Cramping and tender breasts are also symptoms which can occur in early pregnancy but for some women these are also signs that the menstrual period is about to start. For some women, the areolas around the nipples can become darker and the bumps that are present on the areolas can become more pronounced.

The most obvious sign of pregnancy is a missed period and if your period does not arrive, then it would be a good idea to take a home pregnancy test to check. However, it is important to realise that you can miss a period for other reasons too such as illness or stress.

The most accurate form of testing for pregnancy is a blood test at the doctor's surgery. Home pregnancy tests are extremely accurate nowadays especially on or after the day your period is due. They are not 100 percent accurate and there are many reasons for a false negative result, the most obvious one being that it is just too early to test. If you get a negative result and you still do not get your menstrual period, you should visit your doctor to get checked.