positive pregnancy test now what

Positive Pregnancy Test, Now What?

You’ve taken a test and it’s positive. You’re pregnant! Congratulations on the good news! Now you’re probably wondering what to do after a positive pregnancy test?

You may be feeling excited, scared or both! The excitement of knowing that you’re going to become a mummy is overwhelming and you may also be feeling anxious about what you should do next.

Now, if you’re anything like I was when I found out I was pregnant, you may be in disbelief. It is normal to feel shocked in this situation. No, your mind isn’t playing tricks on you.

Firstly, you may want to double check your results from the pregnancy test. It is unlikely that the test has given a false positive result but to be sure you can take another test.

Now you can relax because I’ve got you covered with some things that you should definitely add to your to do list as soon as you know you’re expecting.

You may also like: 22 Exciting Ways To Announce Your Pregnancy To Loved Ones

1. Get in touch with medical professionals

Call your doctor and let them know. They should be able to put you in touch with your local midwifery hub where an appointment can be made for an initial pregnancy screening. Here are 28 must ask questions at your first pregnancy appointment.

2. Share the news with people who you want to tell

Check in with your partner and close family members to share the news! Your support group is super important during this time and it can be hard to keep the excitement to yourself.

Not sure how to share the news to people? Well this beautiful printable pregnancy announcement card can do the talking for you.

3. Understand the changes to your body

Go and buy a few pregnancy books or dig out some old ones from the library to read up on all of the goings on of your body during the next 9 months. It’s really interesting reading about what is happening inside! Websites like What To Expect are also packed full of information on fetal development.

4. Try not to stress too much

Pregnancy is an amazing time in your life. You are growing a little person inside of you! You’re doing amazing things, even though you may feel super exhausted and constantly nauseous. Try to make sure you get enough rest and relaxation during your pregnancy, as this will help to keep your stress levels down.

5. Be prepared for nausea

This is one of the first symptoms that you may notice as your pregnancy starts to develop. Some women find that they feel sick throughout their entire pregnancies, others don’t experience any nausea at all and a few only suffer ‘morning’ sickness.

My top tips for dealing with pregnancy nausea are as follows:

  • Avoid foods and smells that trigger nausea
  • Eat small but often as this can help to reduce nausea
  • Make sure you drink enough water
  • When nausea is particularly bad, try eating bland foods such as crackers and plain bread. Other foods can be reintroduced once the nausea settles down.
  • Get enough sleep! You won’t believe how much nausea I felt when I hadn’t slept enough. Definitely, tiredness can make nausea worse, so rest up!

Related Post: Pregnancy Expectations Vs Reality (By Trimester)

6. Take pregnancy vitamins

It’s recommended by the NHS that you take multivitamins during pregnancy and especially make sure that you are getting enough folate / folic acid in the first 12 weeks.

7. Avoid certain foods

Some foods are not recommended during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. Have a read of what foods you can eat and what foods to avoid here.

8. Be kind to yourself

Pregnancy can be a really frustrating time because you’re constantly told what to do and what not to do, so just remember to do something nice for yourself every day whether that is taking long walks or soaking in a bubble bath.

9. Check out online parenting boards

For all you mums-to-be out there, make sure you check out parenting boards on the internet. They are packed full of useful information and support for new and expecting mummies. Two popular ones are Net Mums and Mums Net. You can also become part of a pregnancy support group on Facebook.

10. Plan ahead

Plan how you can announce your pregnancy to your employer (if you have one), your colleagues, family and friends. For inspiration, here is my blog post with tips on telling your employer you are pregnant.

Related Post: A List Of The Best Gender Reveal Ideas

It’s also wise to start making a plan of your finances. Having a baby is costly. Things like car seats, prams and cots can really add up. You don’t need to buy these items too early into your pregnancy but you should think about buying them when you can afford to and not leaving it until last minute.

To plan your finances, you can read about your rights to maternity pay by checking out your work’s maternity policy or benefits that you may be entitled to. Each employer pays different amounts of maternity pay – that’s why it’s so important to know in advance what you’re entitled to receive.

11. Avoid things that could harm your pregnancy

These include saunas, hot tubs, steam rooms, cat litter and even some cleaning products. Do some research to find out what exactly you should avoid during pregnancy.

12. Focus on the health of you and your baby

Probably the most important thing is to look after yours and baby’s health. Do some light exercise like going for walks, sleep enough and try to eat a balanced diet.

Conclusion

I hope this post has helped you to figure out what to do after a positive pregnancy test. You have a whole bunch of work ahead of you, but you’ve got this! Congratulations and best wishes! And if you’re looking for more great content on the topic of pregnancy, I have a lot to offer including:

When Do You Start Showing In Pregnancy

What Not To Put On Baby Registry: What To Consider Instead!

Newborn Clothing Checklist Of All Basic Baby Clothes

newly pregnant

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