So, you’re pregnant! Congratulations, soon to be mama!
You probably have a lot of emotions and questions flowing through your head now that you know you’re pregnant. And if you are a first-time mom, you may be wondering “what now”?
Here are a few steps to help you know what to do next.
1. When Was Your Last Period
This is one of the first things your doctor is going to ask you in order to find out how far along you are. You’ll need to know the first day of your last mistral cycle.
If you don’t know when it was or if your cycle has been inconsistent, you likely won’t find out how far along you are until the first ultrasound. At that time, they will measure to see how many weeks the baby is and let you know an estimated due date.
2. Figure Out Who To Tell, And When
The order of who you tell and how early or late you tell them is completely up to you as an individual. Everyone does things differently.
I wasted no time telling my closest family members. However, a lot of women will first tell their significant other, then wait to tell any other family until they get through their first trimester (Due to the higher possibility of loss in the first trimester).
There is no right or wrong way to go about it, so think on it and do what you think is best for you.
3. Find a Doctor or Midwife
Once you find out you are pregnant, you’re going to need to contact your doctor or OBGYN and get an appointment as soon as possible.
The first appointment is more for information gathering. Your doctor will likely ask a lot of questions about you and your family history. They will also likely inform you on what foods, drinks, and medications to stay away from.
They may give you a list of over the counter medications you can take for aches, pains, and allergies (many can cause harm to the baby, so only take what they tell you). This is very important, so if they don’t hand you a list, I would write it down, so you have it.
As for pre-natal vitamins, I wouldn’t go out and buy any until your doctor tells you what to look for on the label.
4. Take Your Prenatal Vitamins
After your appointment, I suggest going to a drug store before going anywhere else and picking up a few bottles of prenatal vitamins. While you’re there, go ahead and get the pain and allergy medications your doctor suggested so you have it on hand when you need it.
A lot of women tend to go for the gummy version of prenatal vitamins, as the pill version is large and may be hard to swallow for some people.
I, however, bought a few bottles of the pill version. And yes, it was hard to swallow at first. But after taking it every day for a while, you’ll get used to it and it won’t be so hard (if that’s the route you take).
The reason I got the pill version was for two reasons. One, you get more for your money with the pill version and
It is totally your preference though. One is just as good as the other. Just make sure you look at the nutritional list, so you know you are getting the correct amounts of each vitamin that your doctor advised for you.
5. Drink More Water
Drinking more water is one of the most important things for a pregnant woman to do. When you are pregnant, your body will start producing more blood to share with the baby.
Therefore, you are going to need to be taking in more water for adequate blood flow, as blood is what carries oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby. Drinking more water also helps with the supply of amniotic fluid which is also very important for the growth of your baby.
If you begin to feel dizzy, light-headed or have a headache, that could be your body telling you it needs water.
To be safe, I take a refillable water bottle with me everywhere I go. My favorite kind is the glass bottles with silicone sleeve and a pop-up lid. Water tastes better to me out of a glass and it also cleans up very easily.
I get tired of drinking plain water all the time, so I’ve tried almost every different flavored sparkling water I could try (with no/low sodium and no sugar). I found my favorite has been
My absolute favorites have been the Blackberry, Peach, and cherry flavors. I’ve been craving actual cherries for the last few months. Of course, they’re not in season right now, so there are none at the grocery store! Lucky me. So I get the cherry flavor where i can!
6. Focus On Eating Healthier
I’m not saying you have to stop eating cheeseburgers, pizza, and sweets altogether, cause who doesn’t love their junk food sometimes? But just don’t eat it all day, every day.
Before eating something, it’s good to take a look at the nutritional chart on the package. What I mostly look at is sodium and sugar. Keep in mind, just because it says there’s no sugar in it, doesn’t mean they didn’t add in artificial sweetener. So always look at the ingredient list as well to make sure
Keep your sodium and sugar intake at a minimum during pregnancy to avoid extra weight gain and complications such as gestational diabetes and hypertension. A good rule of thumb is to stay away from the center of the grocery store. Buy foods mainly from the produce, meat, and dairy sections.
If you’re like me and have a sweet tooth, go for dark chocolate. There’s so many different kinds to choose from these days with extra fruit and yummy things in it that are sure to soothe your cravings and not take in too much sugar.
7. Pick Your Favorite Names
Picking a name for your child is very fun but can also be stressful! After all, you are picking a name for a human that will be called this for the rest of their life! I spend hours and hours searching for the right name. Here, I have some tips for picking a name if you are stumped and need a little help.
I also have some name ideas for both boys and girls. They are each lists of my top favorite names. I also have middle name list ideas for boys and girls.
What I Did When I Found Out I Was Pregnant
When took my pregnancy test, I didn’t believe it was reading correctly. So, I threw it away and took eight more tests! I was overcome with emotions of excitement, disbelief, and nervousness.
The very first thing I did was tell my husband when he got off work. I know, what a boring way to tell your partner, but I was so excited and shocked, I couldn’t hold it in!
The next day, I called to make an appointment to see my doctor. When I went, of course, they asked me when my last menstrual cycle was. In my case, I ended up not knowing when it was because I had recently gone off my birth control pills, therefore making my cycle irregular and had been spotting on and off for the last two months.
Unfortunately, I had to wait until my first ultrasound (which was my second OBGYN appointment) to find out my due date. By then, I was 11 weeks!
We told our parents and siblings basically the day we found out we were pregnant. But waited until the first trimester was over before telling any other family.
It is a very exciting time. Go have fun choosing names and looking at nursery ideas and all things baby. But most importantly, take care of your health so you and baby can thrive. You’re going to do great!
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