When it comes to discovering that you're pregnant, no two experiences are exactly the same. Some go months without realizing that they're currently growing a tiny human [1], while others just get a feeling before even missing their period. It doesn't matter if you're actively trying to conceive and take a pregnancy test once a month or just happen to pee on a stick because you found it while cleaning out your bathroom, the moment a positive result appears will always catch you by surprise. We asked our readers about their own starts to parenthood, and 20 real moms shared [2] the exact moment they learned they were with child.

1. "I was making hot dogs and the bun ripped open. I started crying like a crazy lady without a reason." — Maria [3]
2. "My dog, Brutus, was acting strange. Brutus wouldn't sit on my lap but he sat next to me and was just looking at me. All the sudden, he took his paw, put it on my tummy, and started smelling and kissing my stomach." — Ann [4]
3. "[I knew] when my boobs grew two sizes overnight and just the weight of a T-shirt hurt." — Christina [5]
4. "I had a dream that I was walking through a grocery store and a lot of people were staring at me. When I looked down in the dream, I saw a humongous belly." — Devon [6]
5. "I ran six miles (not a big deal at the time), was exhausted the rest of the day after, and crashed at 8:30." — Nicole [7]
6. "One night my husband bought himself a nice suit and I got so upset that I started hysterically crying. He hugged me and said 'You're pregnant' and sure enough I was!" — Jenni [8]
7. "I took the test just because I was cleaning out my closet and found an old one. I literally dropped the test when I saw that it was positive." — Jamie [9]
8. "Other people were telling me that I was pregnant and I thought there was no way in hell. I took a test just to prove them wrong because they kept making jokes how pregnancies happen in threes and two were already pregnant. I almost had a heart attack when I saw the test say yes." — Mason [10]
9. "I was right by my sister's side while she had my niece when I was 15 years old. Ten years later, I had a dream that our roles were reversed in the same exact situation. I woke up after and felt the urge to take a pregnancy test." — Kellee [11]
10. "Every time my husband touched or rubbed my stomach (of course he knew before I even did for sure), I would get crazy butterflies that sent me straight to the bathroom to hug the toilet." — Alaina [12]
11. "It was one night when I had to pee every half hour." — Lynette [13]
12. "I knew with my second one when my boss asked if I wanted breakfast tacos (which I LOVE), and I almost threw up all over my desk just thinking about them." — Heather [14]
13. "When my hubby said, 'You know, I haven't seen those little wrappers in the trash for a while.' I didn't even notice and found out I was almost four months along!" — Rebecca [15]
14. "It was the end of November and I'm normally always cold. As soon as I got pregnant, I couldn't stand anything more than a tank top and shorts! I thought maybe it was pre-menopause!" — Maria [16]
15. "I was craving pickles with salt. That's a food combination I don't normally go after." — Elizabeth [17]
16. "My very uncuddly cat suddenly started lying on my stomach any chance she got. It started four days before I was able to get a positive test." — Katy [18]
17. "I ate an entire Chipotle burrito in under ten minutes." — Hope [19]
18. "The smell of bacon was so bad that it would make me nauseous. How can you have nausea over bacon?! That's when I knew." — Michelle [20]
19. "The day I tried to use my keyless entry for my car to open the patio door." — Joi [21]
20. "I threw up from the smell of pizza my husband cooked!" — Jamie [22]