Are you pregnant? The first thing to do after your pregnancy comes out positive is to have it confirmed by your doctor. Call your GP surgery or practice to get a pregnancy test done – you may have to wait about a week or two, unless you ‘re lucky or getting it done privately.
Waiting for the official pregnancy test results is a pretty difficult thing as this is when you may be feeling desperate to find out for sure, but hang in there…
Once confirmed, you’ll need to take an appointment with your doctor or obstetrician where they will take your full medical history. Things like whether this is your first pregnancy, if you or the father have any illnesses or medical conditions that run in the family etc. Try making a list of all this beforehand if you can. That way you’ll avoid forgetting anything important.
The other thing to jot down is if you have any questions yourself that you’d like to ask and any concerns or anxieties you need reassurance about. The doctor or nurse or whoever sees you will probably give you some leaflets to read as to what to expect. For more info on what to expect during your pregnancy, you could buy or get a book on loan from your library. There are some great book out there.
Ask your doctor about taking prenatal vitamins, which can be very important during pregnancy. If you’re taking any medication, check with the doctor to see whether you can still take these during your pregnancy. If not, they may have to prescribe you some alternative medication. You need to be very vigilant about any medication or vitamins you take during your pregnancy especially the first trimester – always check with your doctor or pharmacist first.
Your first ultrasound will probably be around the 20th week, sometimes earlier. This is to see if the baby is growing well and is in the proper location. It is also when you can find out whether your baby is a girl or a boy. That is if you want to. It’s an amazing moment as this is when you can actually see the baby and it really makes it all very ‘real’!
You may be given a test for gestational diabetes, especially if diabetes runs in the family or you’ve had a baby before and suffered from it. You will have regular appointments to monitor your pregnancy, usually every four weeks or so and more frequently towards the end of your pregnancy.
In any case it’s going to take about nine months before you have your baby, so make the most of it and enjoy it – it is a truly wonderful phase of your life…
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