What to Do After Finding Out You’re Pregnant
“I just found out I’m pregnant, but I wasn’t really sure what to do next?”
This isn’t an unusual statement to hear when newly expecting mothers call our practice to schedule a visit. Often feeling like they need something special done to make their pregnancy “official”, worried that they haven’t started a prenatal vitamin yet, or panicking about having done [insert pregnancy contraindicated activity here] before they found out they were pregnant.
In short, it can be a little overwhelming to try and sort out all the decisions that need to be made during pregnancy…but the good news is, YOU HAVE TIME!
Yes, there’s a lot ahead of you. But not every decision needs to be made right away. Instead, it’s all about prioritizing decisions and pacing yourself. We want you to enjoy your pregnancy while becoming educated and making informed decisions.
To get you off to the best start, I’m going to walk you through your first 3 priorities after finding out you’re pregnant. And if you stick around to the end, I’ve got a free printable roadmap for you to get you through to birth!
Step One: Discovering Your Birth Team
Choosing the right care provider and location is vital to having a safe, healthy and enjoyable pregnancy and birth.
Our culture spend hours upon hours planning weddings, researching before buying cars and houses, or planning vacations. But when we get pregnant, it can be common to just “check our brains at the door” and call the first doctor we find near us and go along our merry way. Bringing a human into the world is a wildly significant event in your life…and this experience deserves just as much time, energy and participation as any other major life decision.
Not so fun, but necessary, fact: Maternity Care in the U.S. is so far behind current evidence. We are one of the wealthiest countries in the World, and yet we have a rising maternal mortality rate. In fact, if you ranked all the countries by maternal mortality rate…the United States doesn’t even make it in the Top 10 safest countries. As of this posting, we currently hold our spot at #65. 😳
I’ll get off my soapbox here and leave some resources at the bottom if you want to learn more. This statistic isn’t meant to paralyze you with fear, but rather motivate you on your quest to become informed and educated about your care.
To watch: The Business of Being Born Documentary
Birth Settings & Providers
Although the vast majority of deliveries in the U.S take place in hospitals with a physician, that’s not your only option! There are unique advantages to each birth setting and provider type, and you should spend some time investigating each of these options using the resources linked.
Doctors: work primarily in hospitals with a medical-model of care
Midwives: traditionally provide care in homes or freestanding birth centers and adhere to the Midwives Model of Care. Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) may also offer hospital delivery.
To read: The Benefits of Midwifery Care & this breakdown of the differences between care models.
Tips for Finding the Right Provider
After deciding which type of care you are interested in, I recommend reaching out to other local moms to get their feedback and hear their experiences. When you narrow down your list, call and find out if they offer consultations for you to meet with the provider and ask some preliminary questions about their care. (Most midwives offer free consults!)
Some Initial Questions to Ask: (this is not a comprehensive list! Just meant to get you started!)
What is their cesarean rate? What is the cesarean rate for the hospitals near you?
What are their policies for breech or twin deliveries?
Are they Licensed/Certified?
If planning an out of hospital birth, does the midwife carry emergency medications for postpartum hemorrhage, oxygen and resuscitation equipment and provide basic bloodwork and ultrasound screening during pregnancy? What is her transfer plan if a need arises?
Once you choose a provider, give them a call and schedule your first prenatal visit! Make sure you keep a list of questions between your visits, and research upcoming tests and procedures beforehand so you can utilize your visit time well.
Step Two: Grab a Pregnancy Book & Curate Resources
I recommend every expecting couple purchase the Motherly Guide to Becoming Mama. In my opinion, this is your pregnancy Bible. No matter which type of care you opt for, this book does a beautiful job of guiding you week by week with up-to-date and evidence based information. I’ve also got a comprehensive reading list for pregnancy here!
Follow supportive and evidence based social media accounts. Avoid fear mongering accounts/facebook groups that are filled with negativity that treats pregnancy like an illness. I’ve curated a list of my favorite resources here.
Download my “Pregnancy Roadmap” PDF, add it to a folder or notebook and reference it often.
Step Three: Nutrition & Supplements
The foundation for a healthy pregnancy is a healthy diet. Your body is growing a tiny human that is made up of millions and millions of cells. Your body needs the right fuel as it does this important work! Focus on protein and water intake as your two main nutritional goals for now. Protein is the building block for life, and dehydration can be a trigger for many common discomforts throughout pregnancy.
Account to Follow: Lily Nichols, Author of Real Food for Pregnancy
When choosing a prenatal vitamin, select one that is made from real-food sources versus cheap, synthetic supplements. The synthetic vitamins have lower absorption rates and can be less effective. By choosing a supplement with real-food in the ingredients, your body is more likely to recognize it as “food” and have an easier time breaking down/absorbing the nutrients. I recommend reading Dr. Aviva Romm’s article when choosing a brand for your supplements.
Let’s Recap
I could go on for hours on each of the above points, but then that kind of defeats the purpose of giving you cliff notes so you’re less overwhelmed. So let’s review the 3 priorities you’re going to focus on a this stage:
Choose Your Birth Team
Grab the Right Resources
Focus on a Healthy Diet with Quality Supplements
Remember, you have many more months to make the rest of the decisions before baby comes.
Take a deep breath, get through these initial steps and the rest will unfold.
Resources to take a Deeper Dive
Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. These posts may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission from. Read the full disclosure policy here.
