Congratulations! You’re pregnant! Whether you’ve been trying to conceive for a while, got pregnant by accident, or can calculate the conception date to the minute, there are a few first things you should do after you get a positive at-home pregnancy test (or two or three).
Taking care of yourself, your pregnant body and your mindset from the get-go will have positive benefits on your baby’s health and wellbeing. These tips offer general guidance to help you navigate early pregnancy.
Confirm Your Pregnancy With A Healthcare Provider
Getting confirmation from a provider isn’t always necessary, but if you’ve been trying to conceive for a while or haven’t been tracking your cycle, it might be good to double check your pregnancy with a more accurate test.
Set Up Your First Prenatal Appointment
Meet with the midwives, OB’s and other providers in your perinatal network. Start having conversations early on about pregnancy wellness, expectations and your goals for birth. Ask them for suggested resources to learn more about pregnancy and birth.
Start Taking A Prenatal Vitamin
Talk with your provider about prenatal vitamin options and what to look for. While you might be experiencing morning sickness, try to focus on eating a variety of foods to help fuel the early stages of pregnancy and fetal development.
Educate Yourself About Pregnancy (and adjust accordingly)
Your lifestyle, location and personal beliefs paired with your provider’s recommendations will guide where and how you get your information on pregnancy. Learn about any foods you should consider avoiding, movements to modify or eliminate, as well as what to expect week by week when it comes to body and hormonal changes. Make sure the resources you use for your own education are ones that align with your lifestyle, and that you only seek advice from trusted friends in your circle who either match your lifestyle or can offer completely neutral guidance.
Understand Your Healthcare Coverage
Talk with your insurance company and your providers to understand what is (or isn’t) throughout your prenatal care and delivery. Doing this early on will help you avoid any surprise charges and fees.
Consider Your Finances
Evaluate your financial readiness and plan for upcoming expenses, including your prenatal and postpartum care, care for your baby, parental leave, and- depending on your circumstances- childcare. Have conversations with your partner about financial priorities during pregnancy as well as after birth.
Find A Support System
Building a network to support you in pregnancy, birth and postpartum can make or break a new mom’s experience in early motherhood. Whether you’re connecting with friends in person, working with professionals, or connecting with groups or forums online – having a go-to network for support and questions will help you navigate pregnancy more smoothly.
Create A BeHerVillage Registry
It’s never too early to create your own registry for support. This way you can shop for local support and self-care providers, so you have providers lined up for each stage of pregnancy and postpartum. BeHerVillage makes it easy to find providers near you, and even if you’re not announcing your pregnancy yet, you can keep your BeHerVillage registry listed as “private” until you’re ready to share your news.
Find And Hire A Doula
Even if you’re in the single-digit weeks of your pregnancy, it’s never too early to hire a doula. The more time your doula has to get to know you and your preferences, the better they can advocate for you and support you throughout your entire pregnancy and birth. You can search doulas in your area on the BeHerVillage registry guide, and use this blog post to help you interview your doula.
The journey of pregnancy is as much about nurturing yourself as it is about preparing for the arrival of your new baby
While it’s totally up to you and your personal preferences as to how to approach early pregnancy, we know that the more proactive, informed and supported you are, the better the journey will feel.
BeHerVillage is helping parents like you get the funds they need for the support they deserve! Are you having a baby and are looking for support? Create a registry for support today and get gifted funds directly into your bank account to pay for your support team. You deserve this.
Are you a birthworker who supports new moms? Use BeHerVillage to help your clients pay for your support. Create your free profile here and you can be the best baby shower gift a mom will ever get!
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