15 THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU FIND OUT YOU’RE PREGNANT
Okay so you just found out you’re pregnant! You took the test, you saw the lines, it’s happening! So now what?! Do you go to the doctor tomorrow? I mean, that sounds like the right thing. How are we supposed to figure anything else out before we see a doctor? How does the baby know how to grow right away?
Take a minute, take a breath, and let’s talk through this together.
If you just found out you're pregnant, congratulations! If it was totally unplanned and not exactly what you were hoping for right now, you’re not alone and everything will be okay 🤍.
Let’s talk about some things to do now that you know you’re pregnant. Insider info — there a is a FREE ‘Just Found Out’ checklist in the bundle you can download to have! 😊
First, and you’ve probably already done this so you can skip ahead, just take the extra pregnancy tests. You know you want to take 5, 10, 15 more…just do it. We all do! I took tests with me while I traveled and tested way too much 🤓 if it helps do it. If it gives you anxiety, do nottttt do it!
Next, if you have a partner it’s time to let them know! If you’re like me, there was no cute surprise. I just ran out and showed him the test and we both freaked out for a bit. If you want to do a cute surprise, start planning what you want to do and get that rolling!
Take soooo many photos of the positive tests, you with the tests, you and your partner with the tests! Take them all, it might sound weird now, but you will love looking back on it later!
Start taking prenatal vitamins if you aren’t already. It’s super important you have a folic acid supplement, which is in prenatals. I also was told by my doctor to take fish oil & choline as well, but please confirm with your doctor before you take anything other than a standard prenatal vitamin!
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Start the hydration station train up now! Especially if you struggle to get your water intake in *me* you will want to try to create a better habit now. Water is sooo important in pregnancy for fetal growth, amniotic fluid amount, to prevent bad headaches, to help with energy…it’s just good!
Calculate how far along you are! Your doctor will definitely do this for you but if you just want to know right away there is an easy calculation you can do. How many weeks was the FIRST day of your last period? If the very first day of the last period you had was 4 weeks ago, you’re around 4 weeks pregnant! It’s confusing I know…the medical world counts the 2 weeks after ovulation happens as the first 2 weeks of pregnancy.
Time to call your OB or Midwife to schedule an appointment! Be warned, when you call they won’t immediately get you in most of the time. Every office is different and you may find the one who says come right in! But, most of them will have you come in for labs to confirm the pregnant in a week or 2 and then around 8-12 weeks of pregnancy is when most places will do the first ultrasound. If you’re impatient like I was, call your primary care physician and get your labs done there right away!
Okay, now this is some of the fun stuff. Start downloading alllll the apps to track your pregnancy. These apps will tell you each week how big the baby is, what your body is doing, what is developing in the baby’s body, community boards, and so much more! I recommend Sprout, What To Expect, Baby Center, and Pregnancy +…but there are SO many others to choose from!
Look over the safe/not safe list in the ‘tools’ section of the Baby Center app or from a list your provider should give you! If you can ask your provider over the phone before your visit for that list it will definitely bring you some peace.
Start your pregnancy journal! This time is so crazy, chaotic, incredible, memorable…you want to have every detail forever to look back on.
Now it’s time to decide if you are comfortable sharing this news with anyone close to you. I personally told my family and very close friends IMMEDIATELY because I wanted their support through the entire process. If I was feeling sick and terrible, I didn’t want to do that alone. I wanted my people to know and check in on me. But, this is so different for each person so do what feels best to you and your partner!
Start writing down questions for the doctor at your first appointment! Trust me, as soon as you get there, you will forget. So it’s super important to write the questions down BEFORE you go in!
If you are experiencing pretty bad nausea, consider getting Vitamin B6 and Unisom. Again, confirm with your doctor FIRST, this is just what my doctor recommended to me. I didn’t take it more than 1-2 times because I was sooo lucky to not have the vomitting part with the nausea. My doctor recommended 10-25mg of Vitamin B6 3 times a day every 6-8 hours and 25mg of Unisom before bed at night.
Don’t forget to take the bump photos. You may not feel like it in the moment, but I PROMISE you will be so grateful you did when you look back on them. And it’s funny to see when you thought you were showing and you really weren’t 🤣
I have been using this Instax Camera for bump photos every few weeks and they are turning out so cute!
Lastly, ENJOY THE JOURNEY! It’s so sweet & special (and yes, very hard for so many people) but it’s such a gift and a miracle that our bodies can conceive and that a whole human baby can grow from the tiniest cells within YOUR body. Like…what?! It’s incredible.
Now that you know what to do as soon as you find out, get to doing it! And wishing you all the best on this new journey.
Love,
MCK
