Guess What! You’re Pregnant!!! 
By: Cherie Brunetti, Contributing Editor
Ok! You peed on the little stick about five minutes ago. As you stare at it, without blinking, two lines/a plus/a blue square appear. Congratulations! There’s a bun in your oven! Sit down and take a deep breath. Even if you’ve been trying for months to conceive, there’s nothing like a positive pregnancy test to make an otherwise rational woman completely lose her marbles. In order to help you keep your sanity, here is a list of things to consider when you first find out that you are pregnant.
1. It’s best to schedule your first prenatal appointment as soon as possible. Some doctors will have you come in right away while other will have you wait for up to two months after the positive home pregnancy test. If you are experiencing any discomfort or have any concerns, be sure to tell your doctor right away. When you call to schedule your appointment, be sure to tell the nurse what medications you are taking.
2. Talk with your partner about when you want to share the news. Some couples are so excited that they share the news with their friends and family right away. You may also decide to wait until after your first ultrasound so that you can share the news of your pregnancy, the health of your developing baby, and perhaps even the gender. There is no wrong time to tell your loved ones that you are pregnant. The right time is the time that you and your partner decide on.
3. Take care of yourself. You are going to be stressed, excited, tired, and perhaps suffering from morning sickness. Get plenty of sleep; eat healthy foods, take prenatal vitamins, and exercise. Ask your doctor about maintaining any existing exercise routines or about starting a new routine. It has been shown that exercising safely throughout your pregnancy will help keep you and your baby healthy and will even help during labor and delivery.
4. Learn about pregnancy. There are tons of books about pregnancy that will help you to learn about fetal development as well as the changes that your body and emotions will be going through during your pregnancy. There are also pregnancy calendars that will help you to keep track of the baby’s development on a week-by-week basis.
This is an amazing and exciting time in your life. Be sure to prepare yourself as best as you can. Take care of yourself and enjoy every moment. You may even want to consider keeping a pregnancy journal. It may seem hard to believe when you are actually pregnant but after your baby is born, it won’t take long before those special, pregnancy moments will begin to fade from your memory.
