Congratulations – you’re pregnant! Whether you’re over the moon or freaking out, you may be wondering what to do next. Here are the most important things to do in the first few weeks of your new pregnancy.
1. Get your pregnancy confirmed by your GP
Even if you’re certain you’re pregnant, your GP can confirm your pregnancy through a urine or blood test and talk with you about any concerns you might have about your pregnancy and general health. Your doctor can also organise early tests and ultrasounds and discuss your antenatal care options. Aside from medical issues, your doctor can ask whether you might be at risk of violence and whether you have had previous miscarriages or abortions and how you’re feeling about them. This is to ensure you’re given appropriate information, support or a referral.
Your baby is considered full-term between 37 and 42 weeks so your due date is always just a rough idea on when he or she will be arriving!
2. Calculate your baby’s due date
Pregnancy is counted from the first day of your last period, not the date of conception. If you’re unsure how to calculate your due date your GP helps you do this on your initial visit. However, if you typically have a regular 28 day cycle, a simple method to calculate your baby’s due date is to add seven days to the date of the first day of your last period, then add nine months. As your pregnancy progresses, you will get a few ultrasounds that will firm up your due date. But remember, your baby is considered full-term between 37 and 42 weeks so your due date is always just a rough idea on when he or she will be arriving!
3.Start taking better care of your health
From taking more iron to help with your increased blood supply, to sleeping on your side to reduce your stillbirth risk, there are certain things you can do to ensure you and your growing baby are healthy. To help get your pregnancy to a healthy kickstart, make sure you’re getting the key nutrients for a healthy pregnancy – this includes folic acid to help prevent birth defects to your baby’s brain and spinal cord. You will also need to take care of your pelvic floor as this can affect how well you recover after you give birth. We’ve put together some simple pelvic floor exercises to do in pregnancy that can get your started. And, if you can, try to get plenty of sleep! Later, when you’re in the last three months of pregnancy (after 28 weeks), sleeping on your side when you sleep or have an afternoon nap, can more than halve your risk of stillbirth, regardless of which side you sleep on.
Later, when you’re in the last three months of pregnancy (after 28 weeks), sleeping on your side when you sleep or have an afternoon nap, can more than halve your risk of stillbirth.
4. Track your baby's development
Your baby is growing and changing week by week. There are many handy apps that you can download on your phone that will tell you what to expect next and let you know what you need to do and when. The most important thing, however, is not to skip any antenatal appointments as your healthcare professional can best detect how your pregnancy is progressing.
5. Avoid pregnancy no-nos
While you don’t have to live in a sterile bubble while you’re pregnant, there are certain foods to avoid in pregnancy such as high-mercury fish and soft-boiled eggs. We cover more of the foods to avoid in our guide to nutrition in the first trimester. Other than food, you will also need to avoid alcohol, smoking, too much caffeine, certain medications and certain activities and behaviours. Talk to your healthcare profession to find out more of what you may personally need to steer clear of.
How Zoe Hope® is helping
We believe the majority of stillbirths could be prevented with more research, education and awareness.
With every Zoe Hope® purchase you make, 10% of profits is donated to the Stillbirth Foundation Australia. Together we can prevent stillborn babies and reduce stillbirth rates in Australia