You’re Pregnant… Now What?

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You finally have the news! You have taken a pregnancy test and have found out that you are positive. Once you have discussed the news with your partner and you have made the decision to move forward with having the baby, you may be asking yourself “What do I do next?”

First thing’s first. You should really be refraining from the things that you shouldn’t be doing. Now that you are pregnant you should know that everything you do affects both you and your baby. For starters, you should avoid smoking, stop drinking and of course any illicit drugs, maintain a healthy diet and start taking prenatal vitamins. Also, make sure that any medical problems you have and that any medications that you are taking are immediately addressed with your doctor. If necessary, changes to your medicine might need to be changed but be sure to consult a physician and don’t make any changes yourself.

Next, it is time to decide who will provide the medical care needed throughout the pregnancy. There are many health care providers that take care of women who are pregnant. One type of provider is a certified nurse midwife. Midwives are specifically trained to take care of pregnancy. They almost always have an RN and specialized training to assist women throughout their term and delivery. If you do decide to use a midwife, make sure that the midwife you have chosen is certified and is licensed to practice in your state. It is also important to note that if there is a medical problem, you will usually be referred to a physician.

There are also a couple types of physicians that take care of women during pregnancy. Family practitioners are many times used in rural parts of the country. Again, like a midwife, if a family practitioner thinks that you need additional specialized care or if the family practitioner specifically does not handle pregnancies then you will be referred to an obstetrician gynecologist also known as an OB GYN. An OB GYN is a physician who is specialized in treating pregnant women and their problems throughout pregnancy and delivery. The majority of women in the United States use an OB GYN for their pregnancy care.

Another question you may be asking is “When should I tell my family I am pregnant?” Revealing your pregnancy to others is a matter of personal preference and naturally everyone is different. However, the best advice is to wait 12 weeks or 3-4 months before telling anyone the exciting news. When you pass 12 weeks, the chance of a miscarriage is much less and the chance of a healthy pregnancy is much greater. It is also around this time that you will begin to show. For these reasons, this is the ideal time to tell your family and friends about your coming baby because it is not yet completely obvious and they won’t get mad at you for not telling them sooner.

If you have any other questions about the first steps you should take after finding out you are pregnant please leave a comment below.