*What happens after you discover you're pregnant?*

[NRGless]

Ok so I've found out I'm pregnant, I've had to tell my work early on because of the type of work I do and I will have a risk assessment tomorrow, I've made an appointment to see a midwife.............now what? I feel there are things I should be doing or finding out about but I have no idea what they are .

congrats :)

I was in exactly the same situation, with work etc

To be honest you don't really get much info (i found) from midwife, gp etc, i found most of it out on here, bought books etc

But basically, when you contact midwife they will give you a 'booking appointment' in which they fill out your pregnancy notes with you (a massive booklet with all medical history in) and decide on your plan of care.. This will be midwife led, or shared care (when you see a consultant too, due to medical history)

They will take your bloods, and urine samples, and will also make an appointment for you to have you dating scan (around 12 weeks)

They will write in your pregnancy notes when you will have to have your ante natal check ups with the mws

They are 12 week scan
16 week app with midwife
20 week scan
25 week app with midwife

then they become more regular, and you have your urine tested each time, and blood pressure etc

You don't really have to do anything at this stage - the midwife will go through everything with you at your first appointment (i.e. your booking appointment). I assume you've told your GP and he/she has referred you to a midwife?

If you want to find out more there are lots of information websites such as Tommys (you can request free information booklets from them).

If there's anything in particular you want to know I'm happy to help or point you in the right direction!

You wait, and you wait, and you wait a bit more. You get impatient and look at stuff on the internet and examine your breasts in the mirror and when you walk past shop windows you sneakily look at your 'bump.

and when you've done that you go back to waiting.

Don't panic! Congratulations.

If you're not already start taking folic acid. You're midwife will give you lots of info on the medical side of things.

You can maybe buy a book, something like 'what to expect when you're expecting' but you don't really need to much right now.

Daily dose of folic acid for 1st 12 weeks, if you're not taking it already. Apply through GP for your NHS prescription-charges exemption card.

You buy the Mumsnet Guide to Pregnancy and have a laugh and a little cry (at the labour bit) as you read through the different stages...

Ps get folic acid tablets, and also visit your GP, they will give you a form you send off to get free dental treatment and prescriptions

And sign up to all the free parenting clubs... you get freebies!

Emmas diary, bounty, hipp, sma, cow and gate, aptimal, boots, tesco, asda, sainsburys, pampers, huggies, advent

there are loadsss more just google them :-) a lot send you week by week emails, explaining what is going on with the bump/ and yourself :)

Ps get folic acid tablets, and also visit your GP, they will give you a form you send off to get free dental treatment and prescriptions

And sign up to all the free parenting clubs... you get freebies!

Emmas diary, bounty, hipp, sma, cow and gate, aptimal, boots, tesco, asda, sainsburys, pampers, huggies, advent

there are loadsss more just google them :-) a lot send you week by week emails, explaining what is going on with the bump/ and yourself :)

My GP knows and referred me to the MW, for some reason I have 2 appointments. Does that sound right? My first appointment I will be 10 weeks my second I will be 11 weeks, will I get a scan appointment in time for 12 weeks? And what about things like money? I work full time, have done since I left school, and earn ok money (as does OH) so don't think there's any point in trying to claim anything else (I have no idea how tax credits work as I've never looked into it).

Ah, yes, you can also join the Boots parenting club to get your free changing bag!!

Obviously it's early days but the things you need to be doing now are:

Take folic acid every day
Stop smoking
Stop drinking alcohol and drink extra water
Check the lists of things you shouldn't eat... no raw egg, blue cheese, pate etc....
Tell doctor who'll arrange booking in appointment with the midwives and an anomalie scan at 12 weeks
Think about what you might do if there is a problem at your 12 week scan - sorry not a nice thing but it is important to think about these things...
Talk to partner about maternity leave plans and finances...
Start making a list of stuff you'll need to buy - and setting aside a fund to buy them
Feel excited and proud of selves
Decide when to tell people - I'd recommend waiting until after the 12 week scan to tell 'everyone' but you may want a few key people to know before then just in case you need their support
find your way to the relevant 'Bus' on the pregnancy boards on MNet to discover about 100 other people who are due the same time as you...
Apply for your prescription exempt card
Get free dental treatment - worth getting a check-up even if your teeth are fine!
Borrow/Buy a pregnancy/baby book or two...
Start thinking of names...

Ha! Remember that feeling. Midwife will give you info, meantime, avoid booze and fags really, and enjoy! I bought loads of ' so you're having a baby 'mags and enjoyed reading them, plus you feel you are actually doing something.
Hope you can relax, tis a wonderful time!

In terms of money I guess you'll get Child Benefit - you apply once you've had the baby and then it's back dated
No idea about Tax Credits sorry...

RE all the parenting clubs etc... I signed up early being very efficient and then lost the baby at 12 weeks... It was very upsetting getting all the baby info through the post two or three months later... It's probably worth collecting together all the links/leaflets and then applying once you're past the 12 week scan stage...

The smoking stopped the second I found out as I had always said to DP that I would. I won't lie, it was tough going cold turkey after smoking since I was 10 years old (I'm now 29 and had bad parents) but I've managed 3 weeks . I've been taking folic acid since I found out too and I'm not a drinker as I can't handle hangovers!!!
Am I automatically entitled to free dental care with the prescription exemption certificate or is that yet another form to fill in?

Oh knitter that's awful I'm sorry you had to go through that. I am, and always have been, an efficient person so have always felt the need to run at things full on to make sure they are actually done! I know you are right and then there's another person inside of me that says the unthinkable can happen at any stage (Lily Allen, Amanda Holden, Kelly Brook etc) which is tapping into my (incredibly) impatient side.

Just a little bit of advice NRG that may or may not apply to you but I have heard so many women complain of it and so many of my friends say this was good advice.

You'll want to (I can tell already) read everything you can get your hands on about your pregnancy, what you're going through, get prepared etc. But DH might not, doesn't mean he isn't excited but he's not that keen on reading everything etc. Don't get upset and offended (those pregnancy hormones don't help). The best place I found for those books and magazines were by the loo, then DH looked every now and again at a book and stuff!

Funnily enough am PG with number 2, DH said the other day 'last time you were reading everything and I hated it it was so annoying, this time you're so relaxed and doing nothing. This time is MUCH worse please can you do something to make me less worried (even if staged)'

The MW should give you the form for the medical exemption card and this gives you free prescriptions and dental care until the baby is 1.

If your salary varies, it might be a good idea to talk to HR at work as your maternity pay is calculated as 90% of your earnings at a given date. I can't remember exactly when that is but think it might be 15 weeks before your estimated due date (EDD). Therefore, that would be a good week to do overtime

Your midwife should also give you a MATB1 form which you need to pass on to your payroll department but you don't get this until about week 25 IIRC.

Tell your MW you smoked, she will ask, and she can get you appropriate help if you need it.

There are some foods you should avoid. My MW didn't tell me these but they were in a book she gave me with my bounty pack. Off the top of my head, runny eggs (yeah, right), caffeine, alcohol, blue cheese, mould-ripened cheeses like Brie, non-pasteurised products (check mayonnaise), liver, pate, raw shellfish and some other fishes.

Congratulations and enjoy your pregnancy.

The doc surgery will give you a certificate for free prescriptions. You have to sign it and post it in the envelope they provide. Couldn't be easier! You should get at your 12 week midwife app.

some reading material

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_107302

@Senorita, Oh God, yeah. We weren't telling anybody about the pregnancy for the first 12 weeks and I wanted to talk about it with my DP as he was the only person I could discuss it with, but he didn't want to! I think it didn't feel real to him until a lot later in the pregnancy. He was funny about feeling kicks too and refused to cut the cord.

....prepare to spend the 9 months obsessing over everything pregnancy, worry ALOT oh and spend time on baby forums thar you used to spend face stalking :-)

Discuss bodily fluids and movements in graphic detail with total strangers who u spend more time talking to than RL mates!

Get to last few weeks and moan with fellow pregnant weebles that baby is not out yet.

Of course all the stuff above others have posted is much more useful, my post is referring to the inevitable stuff along the way! Didn't want to repeat it all tho. Start (if haven't already) those pelvic floor exercises.

Are you going to find out the sex?

My advice is when it comes to shopping don't use the essential lists that mother care/John Lewis etc provide and buy minimal amounts of stuff. Am amazed at how much u get given with a first baby. The users on here can give so much handy info.

Oh and be prepared to be given at least 50 tonnes of baby powder....do babies even need this stuff really?

Join the antenatal club thread for your due month, they'll be your allies thru varicose veins, stretch marks etc etc.

Congrats! It's the best feeling ever....well I think it is....just waiting for this one to make it's entrance! :)