Let’s talk about pregnancy intuition, but first a note on intuition generally.

Intuition refers to knowing from within you (your “gut instinct”) instead of conscious reasoning (your mind).

Intuition can even be referred to as a sixth sense.

Tapping into your intuition becomes a practice that you can call on frequently, whenever you need it.

Yet, intuition is something that we cannot completely explain and understand.

When you use your intuition you learn without using your five senses. It’s an inner knowing and trust you have with yourself, that comes from your heart.

Sometimes, this starts for women who know they are expecting before they ever confirm it. Or deeply knowing the sex of the baby before ever finding out (one of my girlfriends experienced this).

Pregnancy intuition can be cultivated and you can use it to feel more confident and centered throughout your pregnancy journey and well into motherhood.

So today, I’m dedicating a post on pregnancy intuition, what it is, and how to recognize what your body is trying to tell you.

What Is Pregnancy Intuition

Pregnancy intuition is the body’s way of sending signals to you related to your pregnancy. The knowing comes from your body; not from your mind.

Signs can include that you’re expecting, that your physical capacity has changed, that you need to rest more, that it’s time to make space for baby, and more.

The way you really experience pregnancy intuition is through your body. This means slowing down and noticing the signs (and getting out of your head, which can be hard to do).

Pregnancy Intuition Signs

Here are some pregnancy intuition signs…

Sign 1: Feeling more tired

If you start to feel tired in ways you ordinarily wouldn’t, this can be a sign your body is changing and you could be pregnant.

When I was at the beginning of my pregnancy, I took naps during the day, after having had a lot of sleep at night. Prior to being pregnant, I never felt tired during the day. This extra tiredness was a way of my body saying I needed more rest as it did the inside work of starting to grow a fetus.

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Sign 2: Food aversions

When you’re pregnant, it’s likely that the foods you like and/or don’t like will change. Sometimes so much so that you really can’t tolerate food that you once could, having an aversion to it.

When this happens, pay attention to it as a sign of pregnancy.

As your hormones change and increase, nausea can come on, which will also change your pallet. During my first trimester, I had strong aversions to anything bitter, like coffee and vegetables. I listened to my body and continued to surrender to it, eating things that felt good like pop tarts and waffles (just like I did when I was 10 years old!)

Sign 3: More emotional

If you’re feeling more emotional without the signs of PMS, this can be a sign of pregnancy.

How I’ve experienced it, it’s like my heart opened up more in a way that makes me tap into stronger emotions from the heart that I normally wouldn’t have reacted to.

If you feel more emotional, allow it. Emotions are a part of the normal pregnancy experience. It’s not silly or irrational. It’s your body’s response to being pregnant. And that is a beautiful thing.

Sign 4: Tender breasts

Many women experience tender breasts as a sign of pregnancy very early on. While I didn’t experience this personally, pay attention to how your chest feels as a clue to what’s going on in your body with pregnancy. This is one of the first and most comment signs.

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Sign 5: Feeling Off

Finally, if your body is feeling off in some unexplainable way, pay attention as this is a pregnancy sign, and trust your gut feeling. In fact, I think it’s the most common sign. It’s an unexplainable sense that something is different and you’re not sure what it is.

Instead of just brushing off what your body is telling you, pay attention. Listen to it. Notice the details. This is how you cultivate your intuition (when you’re most connected to your body).

Benefits Of Trusting Your Pregnancy Intuition

Noticing your pregnancy intuition and trusting it has benefits that will help you thrive throughout your pregnancy, especially through the ups and downs.

Here’s a look at just how valuable pregnancy intuition can be.

Benefit 1: It helps you feel better

When you trust your intuition, you’ll feel better.

Instead of beating yourself up about being tired or not having the physical capacity that you used to, you’ll be in sync with your body’s changes, allowing all of it.

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Benefit 2: It increases your flexibility

Pregnancy intuition takes you out of needing everything to go “a certain way” and into more of a flexible approach.

When you’re always in your head, you may lean to rigidity, planning everything, and needing it all to be perfect (speaking from experience, as this is how I used to be).

When you pay attention to pregnancy intuition, you’ll hear your body tell you to slow down, rest, and make more space. This has been a blessing for me, as I’ve allowed my intuition and body to guide me in ways I never could’ve predicted (for example, I started sleeping in and not start working until 10am!).

Benefit 3: It helps you make better decisions

When you’re more informed, you can make better decisions. But being more informed doesn’t just mean intellectually—it also means intuitively. When you pay attention to the signs your body gives you, then you’re more connected to it (and more informed by it). In this way, you can make better decisions and honor them.

Benefit 4: It protects you from harm

Your body is brilliant. So often it will guide you away from harm that you may not intellectually notice. This is one of the gems of pregnancy intuition. Listening to it can actually keep you safer.

Benefit 5: It increases your connection to your baby

Finally, pregnancy intuition increases your connection to your baby. Your baby is growing inside your body, so the more tapped into your body you are, the more connected you’ll be to the baby. It’s truly an honor for every pregnant woman to experience this.

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A Final Note

Pregnancy intuition is a skill you can improve simply by paying attention.

One of my favorite things to ask is: “what is my body telling me?” This redirects your mind to your body in a way that keeps you connected. Start here and use the tips above and you’ll be well on your way to noticing more signs of pregnancy intuition.

You got this, mama! Trust yourself!