You have a nagging suspicion that your wife may be cheating on you. Maybe you do not have anything to go by other than a "gut instinct" that your wife may be flirting with, or even dating, another man. The feeling is a horrible one, to be sure. However, before you go and confront your wife on your suspicions, it is a good idea to have proof of an extramarital affair, or one in the making, otherwise you may do irreparable harm to your relationship.

Identifying traits of an unfaithful wife

There are certain traits, or signs, that may indicate that your wife has started seeing, or at least talked to, another man. While these signs may present themselves for any number of reasons that have nothing to do with her having an extramarital affair, they are also telltale signs of a cheating wife - especially if you notice several of them.

-Your wife has a renewed interest in "looking better" - she may start up a gym membership, start jogging, or start to take a renewed interest in her general appearance. Your wife spends an unusual amount of time on the computer
-Your wife sets up a secret email account
-You receive strange calls at your home, or your wife starts to clear the Caller ID and/or voicemail out of the blue
-You find birth control pills, or even condoms, when they are not a part of your relationship with your wife
-Your wife becomes overly affectionate, or at least much more so than in the past
-Your wife seems distant, withdrawn, or even indifferent to what you say or think
-Your wife suddenly stops wanting to share her days' events with you, or her feelings about something that has happened
-Your wife's sexual drive changes - either she wants to incorporate new ideas into your relationship, or she starts to make up excuses to avoid physical intimacy

Now, if your wife is displaying any of these signs, it could be an indicator that your wife is having an extramarital affair, or it could just be that she is going through one of life's many changes. Do not jump to conclusions, though -- accusations can make it more difficult to catch a cheater, and false accusations can destroy an otherwise good marriage.

How to catch a cheating wife

In today's high-tech world, a common starting place for an extramarital affair is on the internet. Because of this, investigation of extramarital infidelity requires a different approach than infidelity investigations of even the not-so-distant past. There are online services that will allow you to either confirm, or disprove, your suspicion that your wife may be cheating on you.

Do not harm your potentially good relationship over a gut instinct. While thinking that your wife is having an extramarital affair is a bad feeling, potentially destroying your marriage over a false accusation is the wrong way to go. Before you confront her, get evidence that she is, in fact, in a new relationship, or at least looking for one. Internet fidelity investigation services are a great place to start with your research.