How to Tell if Someone is Pregnant

Co-authored by Carrie Noriega, MD and Bailey Cho

Last Updated: October 9, 2025 Fact Checked

It can be the most awkward thing in the world to ask someone if they are pregnant, especially if it turns out they are not. Maybe you are just curious and want to know, or maybe you’re trying to decide if you should give up your seat on the bus. Whatever the reason, some common signs and symptoms of pregnancy can help you decide and prevent this awkward situation. With that being said, it’s best not to assume someone is pregnant. Instead, wait until they bring it up to get confirmation.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Determining if Someone is Pregnant Early On

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Early in pregnancy, many people begin wearing baggy clothes or clothing that could hide a “baby bump.” As their belly grows, they also need to buy maternity pants or clothing in a larger size.^{[1]
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Research source} If you notice that someone is wearing unusual clothing that’s outside of their normal style or they are shopping for outfits in larger sizes, it could be because they are expecting.
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Listen when they discuss their eating habits. Many pregnant people experience changes in appetite, as well as changes in the types of food they want to eat.^{[2]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} Because of this, paying attention to their complaints or comments about food can help determine if they’re pregnant.
- Cravings: Not all pregnant people experience this, but some want to eat strange food combinations (like pickles and ice cream) or only want to eat one type of food (like Italian or Chinese food). Pay attention when they talk about their cravings!
- Food aversions: Many pregnant people experience a dislike of foods they previously enjoyed. If you know someone who loves sushi and suddenly even the thought of fish turns their stomach, they might be pregnant.
- Hydration: Staying hydrated is essential to delivering vital nutrients to a fetus, so many pregnant people are proactive in ensuring they drink enough water. A pregnant person may show a sudden interest in making sure they are hydrated and/or start carrying around a water bottle.
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Along with changing eating habits, more than half of all pregnant women start to experience “morning sickness” around the fourth to sixth week of pregnancy.^{[3]
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Research source} The exact cause of morning sickness is unclear, but pregnancy hormones likely play a role.^{[4]
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Mayo Clinic
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Go to source} Many feel sick throughout the day, and not just in the morning (despite the name), so be sure to pay attention to any signs of nausea or vomiting. Unlike regular indigestion or the flu, morning sickness doesn’t cause other symptoms like fever, chills, or body aches.^{[5]
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Cleveland Clinic
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Go to source}
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Pay attention to complaints about pain or discomfort. Pregnancy causes various changes, which may include soreness and aching throughout the body. If you hear someone suddenly talking about cramping, headaches, or dizziness, it could be associated with pregnancy.^{[6]
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Cleveland Clinic
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Go to source} When they comment on any pain or soreness, follow up by asking how they hurt themselves (or if they are active in any sports) and see what they say. For example, you could say:
- “Oh no! How long has your back been hurting?”
- “I heard you say earlier that you’ve been feeling lightheaded lately. Have you been getting dizzy like that for a while?”
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Keep an eye on their behavior. In addition to physical changes, some newly pregnant women also exhibit changes in behavior or routine. Try observing the person you think may be pregnant and see if you notice any of the following behaviors:^{[7]
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- Using the bathroom more frequently than usual can indicate pregnancy. This is because pregnancy increases the levels of body fluids and kidney efficiency, and the swelling uterus presses against the bladder.
- Mood swings are common in pregnant people because of their fluctuating hormone levels. This can make them more reactive, irritable, and emotional than usual.^{[8]
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Take note when they discuss their sleep patterns. Being exhausted is a common complaint in pregnant people, especially during their first trimester.^{[9]
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Johns Hopkins Medicine
Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital

Go to source} If you observe any of the following, it could be due to pregnancy:
- They are noticeably too tired to keep up with everyday activities.
- They talk a lot about being exhausted or feeling “completely wiped out.”
- You find them napping often or at odd times (like when they are on the job or at school).
- Reader Poll: We asked 415 wikiHow readers about signs of pregnancy, and 56% of them agreed that they usually attribute feeling tired to a lack of sleep or poor sleep quality. [Take Poll]
A subtle way to determine whether someone is pregnant or not is to ask them about upcoming plans. Pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks (9 months).^{[10]
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Cleveland Clinic
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Go to source} So, asking about plans that would fall around that time period can help you figure out if they are currently pregnant. If they are pregnant, they will be too far along in the third trimester to travel, so try asking if they’d be interested in a trip in a couple of months. You could also ask them if they have any plans for the summer, and see if they let it slip that they will be decorating a nursery!

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Recognizing Pregnancy Later On

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A person's body changes a lot during pregnancy, particularly their abdomen. As the baby grows, the abdomen needs to expand to accommodate.^{[11]
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Research source} This can sometimes be difficult to differentiate from belly fat in the same area, but a pregnancy has some subtle distinguishing characteristics. Weight gain in the belly area that looks like a well-defined bump, but little to no weight gain in other areas of the body, is most likely caused by pregnancy. If you happen to accidentally bump into them, keep in mind that a pregnant belly can feel firm.^{[12]
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Sore, swollen breasts are a common symptom of pregnancy due to increased hormones.^{[13]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} If you don’t know this person, this might not be helpful since you don’t have a pre-pregnancy breast size to compare their current size to. However, their breasts will continue to grow as their milk-producing cells get bigger throughout pregnancy.^{[14]
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Swollen ankles are also very common in pregnant people, especially during the third trimester.^{[15]
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Research source} This may happen because the body retains more fluid during pregnancy, or the growing uterus puts pressure on the veins and slows the return of blood to the heart.^{[16]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} When someone is pregnant, they may wear extra comfortable, supportive shoes or flip-flops to help with the pain associated with walking and standing with swollen feet and ankles.
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Notice how they are moving around. As their body begins to change and grow, many pregnant people begin to experience changes in their mobility. Keep an eye out for these common signs:
- A waddling walk and other changes in gait are common as the growing belly and swelling feet cause the person’s balance to be thrown off a bit.^{[17]
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  Science Direct
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- Many pregnant people tend to hold their belly or keep a hand on their bump as they move around. This is both for balance and because of the bond that is growing between the mother and child.^{[18]
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In addition to changes in mobility, many pregnant people also experience shortness of breath, especially in their first and third trimesters.^{[19]
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Research source} This may be caused by an increase in progesterone, a hormone that causes pregnant women to breathe faster, or because the uterus is expanding and pushing up into the abdomen.^{[20]
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Trustworthy Source

Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public

Go to source} Feeling winded with minimal exertion is very common, and in combination with other signs of pregnancy can help you tell if someone is pregnant.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What does 2 lines mean on a pregnancy test?

Carrie Noriega, MD
Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist
Dr. Noriega is a Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist and medical writer in Colorado. She specializes in women’s health, rheumatology, pulmonology, infectious disease, and gastroenterology. She received her MD from the Creighton School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska and completed her residency at the University of Missouri - Kansas City in 2005.

Carrie Noriega, MD

Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist

Expert Answer

Check the instructions on the pregnancy test, as they will tell you. This usually means you are pregnant.

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Is it possible to get pregnant even when I have used the morning after pills?

Carrie Noriega, MD
Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist
Dr. Noriega is a Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist and medical writer in Colorado. She specializes in women’s health, rheumatology, pulmonology, infectious disease, and gastroenterology. She received her MD from the Creighton School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska and completed her residency at the University of Missouri - Kansas City in 2005.

Carrie Noriega, MD

Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist

Expert Answer

Yes, there is still a chance you can get pregnant after using the morning after pill. If you use it within the first 24 hours of having unprotected sex it is 95% effective. The effectiveness decreases to 89% if you use it within the first 72 hours and after this is goes down substantially. If you think you might be pregnant, even after using the morning after pill, take a pregnancy test.

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Tips

Even if someone is exhibiting many of the signs listed above, it is still best to avoid asking someone if they are pregnant, especially if you are not close to them. Since many of the signs mentioned above could be caused by other factors and not just pregnancy, it can be extremely hurtful, offensive, or inappropriate to ask someone if they are pregnant when they are not.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Definitely don't try to snoop, but sometimes pregnant people leave their pregnancy tests out in the open, and you just can't help if you happen to see it. On the other hand, if you encounter condoms or birth control, they're probably not pregnant.
It's also common for pregnant women to have weird senses of smell. If she's commenting on or complaining about odors that aren't there, she may be pregnant.

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