Just found out i am pregnant. What do i do?

[EarlyBird123]

Where do i start? Never had a baby before. What do i do? Baby very much wanted and tried for but i feel so not ready and caught by surprise

Why are you so surprised if you were trying to get pregnant? You're not making much sense. What is your personal situation like? Age, married, finances, etc.

First, don't feel you need to do anything straight away, just relax and enjoy it. Then, make sure you are taking folic acid and check the NHS website for what foods to avoid. At some point in the next week or two, decide what hospital you want to have your baby at and find out how to be referred (either self referral or seeing your GP). Once you are referred they will tell you how booking appointments and scan appointments get booked.

Call your GP and ask about the process for midwife referrals in your area. No-one can really advise as each local authority is different, Congratulations and good luck.

Trying for a baby but caught by surprise? Babies don't happen by magic! You have 8 ish months to prepare mentally and physically. Invest in a good book such as Pregnancy for Dummies (I'm in no way calling you a dummy - I'm reading this book and recommend it) or What to Expect When You're Expecting. Register with your midwife by calling or visiting your GP's surgery, take folic acid and a prenatal vitamin and finally, relax. It'll all fall into place.

Congratulations :)
Take folic acid, drink plenty of water and cut down your caffeine. Get in touch with your Gp s surgery to find out how to get a midwife appointment. You could also check out the nhs website to see which foods to avoid.

Start taking pregnancy vitamin supplements- you can get them from a supermarket. Stop drinking alcohol and eating pate, soft cheese and rare meat. Start planning how you will cover up your lack of drinking. Get a GP appointment and they will talk you through the next steps. There wont be much happening until your 12 week scan which will seem aaages away.

Congratulations! I know exactly what you mean, even thought our baby was planned I was still blindsided by a positive test. I think because I spent so much of my life trying not to get pregnant, it took a bit of adjustment

No rush to do anything just yet. Call your doctors surgery and arrange a ‘booking in’ appointment at some point, go onto the ‘become a parent’ board here and find the thread of women expecting at the same time and just enjoy the next few months!

I was a bit like you to be honest OP - we were trying but I wasn’t expecting it to happen so quick! Phone you’re GP and they’ll let you know how to make a booking appointment with a midwife (this appointment won’t be until your about 8 weeks). In the mean time get some folic acid supplements and get clued up on what foods to avoid. And enjoy and take in your good news

Warning - morning sickness may hit you like a tonne of bricks by next week!

Phone your surgery.

Start thinking about home birth/hospital birth.

Get some helpful library books out.

Beat me to it @Squiff70

I am sorry if i am not making sense. I was told that i will have difficulties getting pregnant and we have been trying for so long that i almost lost faith - thus caught by surprise. I am early 30s, getting married next year, pretty comfortable financially (about 90k household income).
I think just the practicalities of it scare me - so thank you for all the advice about contacting gp, folic acid, and so on.

Start taking folic acid if you haven't already. Other than that no need to do anything just yet. Google local hospitals and look up their maternity unit. Some allow you to self refer so no need to even contact your GP.

You'll do brilliantly, op. Take care of yourself by eating well and exercising, and enjoy your pregnancy!

Let your payroll department know the name of the baby goods store you'd like your salary paid to. Spend the next 8 months asleep.

Then you have a baby and start the greatest adventure of your life! Congratulations!!!

Speaking from experience - just sleep. sleep more, have a lie in, wee on your own and embrace it.
Pop to the shops without it being a military operation
Enjoy the last few months of being truly "alone".

Then enjoy the rest of your life with the most incredible thing ever. congratulations!

Congratulations @EarlyBird123 ❤️

I found out I was pregnant with my first at 20'weeks. Baby was very much wanted and tried for but no symptoms plus previous issues and advice was that it would be tough to conceive. Evidently not...

Anyway, I've never been so shocked in my life! Even when it's a much wanted baby, I think a lot of people get the "oh shit" feeling, and the "what the hell do I do now?!" Fear.

So, in answer to that. You give yourself a few days for the shock to go down, get yourself on the phone to the GP if you haven't already and get a booking in appointment with the midwife, and go from there!

Wishing you an easy and sick free pregnancy xx

Congratulations!

Try and remember the date of your last period- this will be the most asked question in the next few weeks!

I felt the same surprise with each of my pregnancies, even though we had been trying. It’s that moment of ‘oh shit, it worked!’
Not much you need to do right now but take it easy where possible. Starts to get exciting when the bump pops out until then it doesn’t always feel real.

Congratulations!

Thank you everyone! I will enjoy it while i can, as i am also dreading telling people and all the fuss that follows :)

Congratulations! You've already had some great advice but mine would be, try not to feel like you need to hurry to sort out everything even though when it's an unexpected positive it can feel like you need to plan it all straight away. You have 40 (ish) weeks and it will all fall into place one way or another.

FWIW I totally get this OP.

I’m in a very similar situation. DH and I are newly (ish) married also circa £90k yearly income, house set up...etc. Im mid twenties but he’s early 30’s. After the wedding we began TTC and given how irregular I am I figured it would take a while- NOPE first time!

I know I’m super lucky and I realise how many women would kill to be in my position. This was a completely wanted pregnancy ... but I felt like I’d been hit by a bus! It’s like you have all this ‘organisational’ energy pent up that only feels better when you’re actively doing things to get ready for baby- but there’s not much you can do at this early stage (I’m currently 5/6 weeks).

I’m taking vitamins and sleeping lots. Try shopping online for maternity clothes If you’re at a loss I find that occupies my mind with ‘baby’ things but at the same time is something I’m used to ‘online clothes shopping’ it’s kind of a gentle way to transition from normal mindset to baby mindset!

Congratulations!

I felt the same way when I eventually fell pregnant, it's so overwhelming and nothing can prepare you fully.

As pp have said, take folic acid and call the gp. I also really enjoyed those tracking apps (bounty, nurture, BabyCentre etc.) it's really fun to see what the baby looks like at each stage.

Don't forget to enjoy it

We had been ttc for 18 months and I was completely stunned to get pregnant. Not difficult to imagine it being a surprise (a nice one!) enjoy OP

You're making perfect sense, to me anyway. Some good advice here, and congratulations.

Good advice above, but bear in mind that we are all winging it really...