Eeek! Help! - Bit of a long story here.......

[ShellySara]

Hello ladies (sorry if any guys here),

I am hoping someone can help me out, but I dont know where to start, so if this comes out all jumbled up, I'm sorry!

Ok, so this week I missed my period and took a test, within 45 seconds the positive line came up! I was so excited and happy, I let my other half know the news (via SMS and then showed him the test over webcam later that night as he works overseas) and he is all happy too, we had only literally just started trying!

Anyway, I read some posts and it said the first thing to do is go and see your doctor. Well, heres the thing. I am currently living in Bulgaria (all my family are in the UK), and unfortuantely there are not many people out here that speak English. So I braved going to the doctors down the hall from my apartment and saw a lady doctor in there. Neither of us understood a word the other was saying, but I had taken my test with me, and wrote the date of my last period (sorry not up with all the acronyms yet). Anyway, she points to a bed and performs an ultrasound. After she made a call to someone who did speak English (I actually think it could have been her son, or someone) and they said that the doctor confirmed I was 4-5 weeks pregnant. She then wrote me a prescription for Folic Acid (only found this out when I got the box from the pharmacy) and it looks like she put to take 2 a day (now the tablets are called Neopholic and are 0.4mg), is this going to be a problem.

Right now, I have absolutely no intention to return to the UK, however I dont know anybody out here, or any English doctors, and I was wondering if anyone was willing to help a first timer? I am so happy about this, but at the time I am so scared. I really want to do the best I can for my baby, but the internet is just a minefield of information, and I got to admit some of it aint just that clear to me.

The only symptoms I have got are dizziness, feeling boiling hot (but there again it is hot over here right now, and I have no air conditioning!) and feeling a little queasy late at night.

I am desperately trying to stop smoking, I dont drink alcohol and made the switch to decaff coffee a few months ago, but I am sure that there has got to be more that I need to do to make sure everything is ok.

I cant ask my mom, cause she is my step-mom and has never had children herself.

Can anyone help guide me through all of this?

ShellySara

congratulations

you're in the right place for advice!

Try to give up smoking, if not, cut down as much as you can, but don't get stressed about it. It sounds like you're doing everything else fine... take the folic acid, avoid soft cheese and pate.

Do you get on with your step-mum? If so, try and involve her as much as you can, if she has never had kids herself, she may be over the moon to "live" your pregnancy with you.

hope this helps.

Hi Sqounk!

Thanks for getting back to me.

I get on really well with my step mum, I call her mum by choice! I havent told my family yet as they are coming to visit in a couple of weeks, it is going to be a huge shock for my papa - all I had to tell them at first was I was going to get married, now I got to tell him I am pregnant too! Think mama will be happy though!

I am, sorry was, a heavy smoker - 20+ a day for 15 years, but now cut down strength and amount to around 10 a day, in less than a week, hoping to finish completely very soon.

I am just so worried as I have no one to turn to here, cause the doctors I have found dont speak English, and although I am learning the language, it is so difficult to understand.

I imagine that a lot of first time mums have more than enough to understand when the doctors speak the same language. I have no idea how I am supposed to figure out those pre-natal (?) classes and things when the time comes (when I have figured out when that is!

So much to learn, and not enough time!

Thanks for the congrats though - not told anyone yet!

any questions you have, there's hundreds of mums on here so there'll be someone who has been through what you have.

It is a very confusing time for most newly pg mums, and to not be able to communicate with the doctors etc. must be very frustrating. As long as the doctor is smiling, I wouldn't worry.

You didn't say when you are due, but there are a couple of threads here that you might want to have a look at, or join:

April 2008 and March or even May

congratulations

I'm sure there'll be an English speaking doctor somewhere around - perhaps you could ask your nice lady doctor (via the interpreter!) if she knows anyone? As you say, things can be confusing enough when you DO speak the same language

Is your dp Bulgarian? If he's around, he'd be welcome to go along to ante-natal classes.

That said, I gave birth to my first having been to absolutely no classes (he was slightly premature) - although I'd read a couple of books about birth - and it was fine! Perhaps you could get your family (once they know) to stock up on a few good books for you?

And someone here will always be ready to help!

Thanks for your support!

From what me and DP can figure out, looks like Baby Dot will be due in April!

I am thinking of asking my language teacher to come with me to the doctors next time and ask her to do the old translation lark and ask whether there is an English speaking doctor around. Teacher is a nice lady, but I dont want her knowing everything about me - see might see my pants!!!

DP is British, but he works over in Egypt right now.

Nice to know that you can get through it without having to attend classes. Think I might just send an email to Santa (mama and papa) with books for a christmas pressie - would also be an easy way out for me telling them too!

Thanks again