It is an unforgettable moment, almost indescribable. You have been waiting for more or less time, but it is always a surprise. The pregnancy test has been positive and you ask yourself, "What do I do now?" Here we leave you the road map since you take the pregnancy test and it comes out positive.
After those emotions when knowing the news, the first thing to keep in mind is that we will not celebrate it with a toast with alcohol. Out of bad habits from now on, if you hadn't already set them apart. Now our health is no longer at stake, also that of the baby. But we can enjoy the moment in a healthy and relaxed way.
How much am i When do I announce it?
Right now many questions come to mind: How many weeks am I? When will the baby be born? When is the due date due? And although it is likely that until we go to the gynecologist we don't have a more accurate answer, we can do our own calculations.
In Babies and more How to know if you are pregnant: the symptomsThis is possible thanks to the "Nagele rule", a formula consisting of subtracting three months and adding seven days to the date of the last menstruation (the first day of the rule). For example, if my last period started on March 1, the probable due date will be December 8.
Now, this calculation will only work more or less well in women with a regular rule. It will be in the visit to the gynecologist and with the measurements of the embryo and fetus when it is confirmed how many weeks we are and when the probable date of delivery will be, although few women give birth precisely on that estimated date.
Given the sensitivity of the onset of pregnancy and the increased risk of loss that usually occurs in the first weeks, many couples decide not to make pregnancy public until a few months pass, when it is confirmed that everything is in order.
Learn to relax, to rest, to enjoy pregnancy and share with your partner and your trusted people the feelings that assail you
On the one hand, this allows you to live the first weeks with caution and intimacy, without external, family, work pressures ... But each woman or each couple will feel it differently, after all, there are no fixed rules in this either .
In the same way, women's feelings will also be variable In these first moments. The emotion, the fears, the illusion ... are mixed, also because of the hormonal revolution that our body is living, and can make our mood go up and down like on a roller coaster.
Good habits during pregnancy
Following these tips prevents many congenital anomalies and other risks for pregnancy and baby's health. Ideally, the mother (and father) already lead a healthy lifestyle before pregnancy, but if it has not been so, now is the time. Between the basic rules to follow when I find out that I am pregnant We have the following:
Eat a healthy, varied and balanced diet.
Regularly and moderately exercise if there is no contraindication.
Do not use alcohol or other drugs.
Do not smoke and do not smoke with you or frequent places full of smoke.
Do not self-medicate, use medications rationally and always under optional prescription.
Avoid exposure to ionizing radiation and toxic chemicals during pregnancy.
Of course, these habits must be followed throughout pregnancy and not only at the first moment. Probably if you did not know any of these points, at the first visit to the gynecologist he will recommend them to you.
In Babies and more Nagele Rule: how to calculate the probable date of deliveryThe first visit to the gynecologist
Another of the first questions to know that we are pregnant is plan the visit to the gynecologist. If you had not made a preconception visit, that is, to tell the doctor that you intended to get pregnant, surely this first consultation will offer you many tips to follow from now on. But going to the gynecologist serves much more.
Take all your doubts and questions down and establish a fluid dialogue with the gynecologist who will accompany you during pregnancy and probably during childbirth
The gynecologist confirms the pregnancy through a transvaginal ultrasound if you are at the beginning of pregnancy. It is the first ultrasound that is performed towards week six of pregnancy when you can already see the gestational sac and probably hear the baby's heartbeat.
Taking into account the size of the embryo, experts can calculate their gestational age and therefore the approximate date of the birth, although they usually do so taking into account the date of the last rule (that is, with the formula that we mentioned at the beginning).
The woman's medical history is carried out (if she did not have it before), to know the family history of the couple, she will ask if there have been previous abortions, any major or chronic illness, allergies, previous surgical interventions, lifestyle habits, food…
Control of weight and blood pressure, something that will be repeated in the following visits.
Performing blood tests to determine the blood group and Rh factor of the pregnant woman, the level of hemoglobin, as well as antibodies against some infections (rubella, hepatitis, toxoplasmosis), or diseases such as AIDS and others of sexual transmission.
Urinalysis, to detect possible infections and check the levels of sugar and proteins (if there are abnormal levels they could mean the presence of some disease).
The doctor will prescribe vitamin supplements. Folic acid supplementation is very important, during the preconception period and throughout the first months of pregnancy. This is because folic acid decreases congenital anomalies of the neural, cardiac tube ...
It will also suggest an iodine supplement in those pregnant women who do not reach the recommended amounts of iodine with their diet ... An iodine deficiency during pregnancy and early childhood can cause hypothyroxinemia that negatively affects the developing brain.
These are the first steps when you find out that you are pregnant. Later on, the following ultrasounds will come, new tests, the purchase of maternity clothes, the classes of preparation for childbirth, the preparation of the room and everything necessary for the baby, the purchase of the basket, the elaboration of the birth plan ...
It has barely begun one of the most exciting adventures of your life. Enjoy it, without neglecting your health or that of your future child. When you know that you are pregnant, these are the steps to follow and it will only take a few months to finally see our baby. A moment that we still feel distant but that will not take so long to arrive.
Photos | iStock
In Babies and more | How does a pregnancy test work ?, Pregnancy test: How and when to do it ?, Pregnancy week by week: from conception to birth
