15 Things to do when you find out you’re pregnant
Just found out you’re pregnant and not sure what to do next? A positive pregnancy test can be both exciting and daunting. I remember when I became pregnant, I literally learned something new every day! There are so many things you must be asking yourself, so here is a checklist of what to do when you find out you’re pregnant!
How soon can you find out you’re pregnant?
If you’re not sure you’re pregnant, you can take a few pregnancy tests to make sure before you go to your doctor. You should wait to take a pregnancy test until the week after your missed period for the most accurate result. If you don’t want to wait until you’ve missed your period, you should wait at least one to two weeks after you had sex.
If you are pregnant, your body needs time to develop detectable levels of HCG. You can read more information about the best time to take a pregnancy test here.
Pregnant! Now what?!
Congratulations! The first thing to do once you find out you’re pregnant is to take a deep breath!
Pregnancy is a beautiful journey in a woman’s life. Finding out you’re pregnant can bring massive mix of emotions all at once. Once you’ve had a little time to process, read the following tips to prepare for the next nine months!
What to do after you find out you’re pregnant
Here are 15 things you should do when you find out you’re pregnant:
Tell your husband
Finding out you’re pregnant is one of life’s big moments. It’s a wild, mind-blowing, out of body experience. It’s the biggest news of your life that you probably cannot wait to share with your husband. Here are 20 cute ways to tell your husband you’re pregnant you shouldn’t miss!
Set up a doctor appointment
Get in touch with your doctor or midwife as a priority step. So, as soon as you know you’re pregnant, call your doctor and schedule your first prenatal (or antenatal) appointment. Most women like to make an appointment fairly soon after they find out they’re pregnant.
Your doctor will:
- Perform another pregnancy urine test (or blood test) or an ultrasound to confirm pregnancy (depends on the week of pregnancy).
- Determine your due date
- Check if there are any potential hereditary, health-related, or age-related risk factors
- Check your family health history
- Recommend prenatal care
- Schedule more prenatal appointments
When you visit your doctor or midwife, make sure to ask them to check your medications to see if you can still take them.
A typical schedule of visits during pregnancy:
- First Trimester – During the first 4 to 28 weeks of your pregnancy, you will need to see your doctor once a month.
- During the second trimester — weeks 28 to 36, your prenatal visits will increase to once every two weeks.
- When you reach the third trimester, during weeks 36 to 40, you will see your doctor every week until it’s time to deliver your baby.
Document your pregnancy with a pregnancy journal
If there is ever a time in your life where you change and evolve drastically, it’s during your pregnancy and postpartum periods. Each and every week brings about so many unique thoughts, feelings, and memories. This is why so many expecting moms choose to keep a pregnancy journal throughout their pregnancy.
A pregnancy journal is a diary that you keep during the course of your pregnancy to detail your experiences, thoughts, emotions, milestones, and memories. Here is a cute pregnancy journal available on Amazon.
Take pictures
This goes along with documenting your pregnancy. It’s really fun to see your progress week by week and it’s a great memory. You can do weekly or monthly pictures. You can also compare what you looked like with different pregnancies.
There are a bunch of cool ideas for taking pictures during pregnancy. The best place to look for inspirational pictures is on Pinterest. You can search for keywords like “pregnancy transformation”, “maternity shoots” or “pregnancy week by week photos” to find related pins.
Manage your early pregnancy symptoms
You should know that pregnancy symptoms can start right away and it’s very possible that you already notice a few early pregnancy symptoms. On the other hand, if you don’t feel any pregnancy symptoms, it ok too. Don’t worry as it is not necessary that you should have nausea and vomiting.
My nausea was from about week 6 until week 13. And from my own experience, I had even more severe nausea during my second pregnancy.
Stop your bad habits
You should change lifestyle habits that can harm your baby, including:
- Smoking
- Drinking alcohol
- Eating unhealthy foods
- Illegal drugs
- Reduce caffeine
Start taking prenatal vitamins
If you’re not already taking prenatal vitamins and folic acid supplements, start taking one right away. Taking folic acid during pregnancy can help protect your baby from developing brain and spinal cord problems. Prenatal vitamins will help you experience a healthier pregnancy and significantly reduce the likelihood of natural tube defects.
- BEST PRENATAL VITAMINS OVER THE COUNTER
- FOLIC ACID BEFORE AND DURING PREGNANCY: HOW MUCH TO TAKE AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS
Focus on your nutrition
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet will give you and your baby the right nutrients during pregnancy. Eat a balance of fruit, vegetables, carbohydrates, protein, and dairy products. On the other hand, there are certain foods you should avoid eating during pregnancy that can harm your baby.
Read more about what you should eat during pregnancy here:
- HOW TO EAT HEALTHY DURING PREGNANCY
- 10 BEST FOODS TO EAT WHILE PREGNANT
- 7 NUTRITIOUS FRUITS TO EAT DURING PREGNANCY
- FOODS AND BEVERAGES TO AVOID DURING PREGNANCY
- HOW TO MANAGE WEIGHT GAIN DURING PREGNANCY
Use natural oil early and everywhere to avoid pregnancy stretch marks
Stretch marks look like indented streaks in your skin. They may be red, purple, or silver in appearance. They most often appear on the stomach, chest, hips, bottom, and tights. They are very common in pregnancy and anyone can develop them.
There are a few ways you can prevent or at least reduce their appearance during pregnancy. You should eat nutrient-rich foods, control your weight, stay hydrated, and use natural oils or lotions early and everywhere!
- PREGNANCY STRETCH MARKS: CAUSES AND BEST STRETCH MARK CREAMS FOR PREGNANCY
- HOW TO PREVENT PREGNANCY STRETCH MARKS
Share the news with your parents, family, and friends
I always wait to announce my pregnancies publicly until the second trimester. I think parents is ok to tell, but it can be smart not to tell the whole world until after the first trimester is over.
Actually, there is a scientific reason behind my decision to wait for the second trimester before announcing my pregnancy. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, approximately 80 percent of miscarriages happen within the first trimester. And according to NHS UK, among women who know they’re pregnant, it’s estimated about 1 in 8 pregnancies will end a miscarriage.
I had a miscarriage before my second pregnancy. Miscarriages are more common than most people think. I found out about how common miscarriages are after having one. Dealing with a miscarriage is not always simple and therefore it can be recommended to wait before announcing a pregnancy.
Here are a few great ideas to announce your pregnancy to family and friends:
Stay active – find a workout plan and stick to it
It’s good to exercise during pregnancy, just be sure to do it safe. Exercising during pregnancy has many benefits and it can help you prepare for childbirth. Not only can it make you feel good, help reduce stress and boost self-esteem, but also help you manage your weight during pregnancy and after giving birth.
That being said, there are a few exercises to avoid during pregnancy. Any exercises that may cause even mild abdominal trauma, including activities that include jarring motions or rapid changes in direction, are not recommended.
These activities are usually safe during pregnancy:
- Walking
- Swimming
- Yoga and Pilates
- Riding a stationary bike
- Strength training
If you didn’t exercise before pregnancy, you should talk to your doctor to make sure that it’s ok for you to start exercising during pregnancy.
Here are a few articles you may find interesting:
- THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY
- EXERCISES TO AVOID DURING PREGNANCY
- SAFE EXERCISES DURING PREGNANCY
Announce your pregnancy at work
It can be confusing to decide when and how to tell your employer that you’re pregnant.
Most women wait to announce their pregnancies at work until they’re through the first trimester, simply because of the risk of miscarriage during this time.
If you are preparing for the big announcement at work, there’s nothing to be afraid of. There are many ways to navigate the conversation with your boss to keep the process simple and stress-free. There are also tons of cute ways to announce pregnancy to coworkers.
Here are a few of them.
Go shopping
Finally! Here is a legitimate reason to buy trendy new outfits! Your body is changing and your bump is getting big. This is a good time to buy new maternity clothes, nursing bras, and comfortable shoes! Here is a list of the best online shops for pregnant moms.
Research baby products
To ensure you get everything you need to welcome home your little bundle of joy, you should set up a baby registry. A baby registry is a list of items that parents-to-be would like to receive as gifts. Typically, baby registries are organized by store and can be set up either as an online baby registry or a physical one. Some registries allow you to combine lists from multiple retailers.
Popular baby registries are:
Here is the list of my favorite baby essentials you can add to your baby registry.
Read as much as you can
Well, this is one of the most important things you can do to help you throughout your pregnancy.
You can learn so many new things during this exciting period about your body, your baby’s development, and motherhood. It can help you prepare for birth and boost your postpartum recovery.
Here are interesting articles that you can read during pregnancy:
- PREGNANCY WEEK BY WEEK GUIDE
- HOW TO SLEEP BETTER WHILE PREGNANT
- HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR BABY
- WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BABY RIGHT AFTER BIRTH
- BABY-NAMES
- 13 THINGS I HATED THE MOST ABOUT BEING PREGNANT
- HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR HOME BEFORE BRINGING YOUR NEWBORN
Bottom line,
This is the most incredible time of your life! You can follow these tips when you find out you’re pregnant and enjoy the moment!