Brand new and confused!!

[Alby16]

Hi all!! Got my BFP this week... Over the moon but now what do I do?? I went and got a pregnacare supplement from boots and I assume I should make an appointment with the midwife in the next week or so... But what else?? Anything else??? Any advice would be really appreciated. I did an internet search but so confusing so I thought I would b better asking on here :) x

Hi Alby16

Congratulations! In my area, (Yorkshire) we self refer to the midwives so I called and gave all my relevant information. They then add you to the system send a letter out to you with your booking in appointment. If your not sure however, call your maternity unit or GP and they should be able to point you in the right direction. Good Luck! xx

Congrats! You need to get a hold of your local midwives number (your GP surgery should be able to advise) and let them know. They'll ask you when you had your last period and give you a rough due date. My first appointment was when I was 8 weeks. Normally a pretty long appointment. Meantime, just check out the NHS guidelines on what food etc to avoid.

awww congratulations pet and welcome to the big adventure.

Get your feet up as often as you can. If you work, work as late as you can into pregnancy and save your maternity leave for after the baby comes.

Listen to your instincts, you will know this baby so much better than anyone else. Trust yourself.

Good luck

Thanks ladies... Shall get to the gp surgery next week :) currently writing a dissertation and struggling through some extreme tiredness and a fair bit of nausea :( but hey ho. Checked out food to avoid.... Caffeine is the biggy for me :( thanks again for the advice x

My number one advice would be use respected UK websites for advice like NHS site and Mumsnet (and I mean their official advice not just forums) for advice on what you can eat, do and what is risky.

The internet is full of crap which will scare you if you let it. Especially if it's American, they are very fearful online about pregnancy and have some weird OTT theories (I watched a textbook waterbirth on youtube, underneath in comments were hysterical cries of how ob/gyns want them banned - true - in America and confused comments from every other user pretyy much worldwide going "In my country you can have them in hospital and no one bats an eyelid" ... similar attitudes with food, exercise, lifestyle).

Alby You are allowed caffeine in moderation?? www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx#close The page lays out the advised amounts. Going over now and then is also seen as harmless (it isn't like booze or a food poisoning risk - a slight increase in issues was discovered in women who constantly drank huge amounts of coffee).

Hi

Congratulations! How far along are you?

I'm brand new too - BFP was 1 week ago. I am constantly walking round Sainsburys googling what I can and can't eat. The NHS page is ace and the support I have had on here is fantastic.

I rang my doctor and they told me to book in with the midwife through the reception.

Good luck! xx

Do join the MN chat thread for your due date!

The April one is here

The best thing I did when I got my BFP was read Expecting Better by Emily Oster. Although American, it is still directly relevant to UK audiences and hugely reassuring with sensible advice about a non-hysterical approach to a healthy pregnancy.

I read "Your pregnancy week by week" by Leslie Regan. Most libraries and lathe bookshops stock it. Again it is very sensible and calm. Prof Regain is a very famous and successful ob/gyn who specialises in protecting even the highest risk pregnancies, so if she's chilled about something in the book (as she mostly is) it is solid reassurance.

Thanks girls for the book advice, I'm a bit of a bookworm so as soon as this dissertation is in (next week) I may go and get a nice wee pregnancy book :)

only 5 weeks at the mo, nhs website is brill got it bookmarked on my phone just now ha!

That sounds good squiz. I often find myself nodding along to your posts on MN so I'm inclined to follow your advice on what constitutes a worthwhile read...