Positive pregnancy test - what next?

[AnotherOriginalUsername]

Hi ladies

I've had a positive pregnancy test and it's very early days - my period would be due tomorrow assuming I have a 28d cycle (in reality I have no idea, my coil was only removed in February). I believe I ovulated around the 15th/16th March. I'm retesting again tomorrow just to be certain!

What happens next? When do I see my GP? What would I expect to happen after that?

Thanks

Congratulations! Book an appointment with your GP, they can explain the full process and start getting you booked for your dating scan. Is this your first?

Most GPs won't see you for a pregnancy. You can self refer to a midwife at your local hospital and they will arrange your booking appointment and first scan. Expect to hear nothing for a while, booking appointments tend to be between 8-10 weeks so your first set of bloods is at the right time.

Congratulations

In all three of my pregnancies I’ve gone to the GP first and they will then refer you to the midwife associated with the surgery. You won’t see a midwife for booking in until at least 8 weeks and then they’ll get you booked in for your first scan between 11 and 13 weeks. Good luck!

Thanks for the replies - yes very much my first!

I'll be having quite tightly monitored consultant led care. My GP is phoning me tomorrow about an unrelated problem so I'll mention it then and see where I go from here

If you have other medical conditions its definitely worth speaking to your doctor to make sure any medication you are taking won't be harmful to the baby.

If you haven’t already, start taking folic acid.

Any harmful medication has been stopped and been taking prenatal supplements since October. My heart doesn't function fully so it's all been very carefully planned with the necessary people, I just wasn't expecting anything to happen this quickly - my cardiologist gave me the final green light to go ahead 2 weeks ago today!

That's fantastic news then, especially so you'll not be going without your meds for too long. Will you be able to start them again after the first trimester? A call to your cardiologist might be worthwhile too.

My medication is nephrotoxic to a foetus so the plan is that I will stay off of it throughout pregnancy. If I'm well during and after (I'm pretty fit, cycle about 100 miles a week, ran a marathons last year) then stay off and breastfeed, if not formula feed and medicate as necessary.

The cardiologist that will manage my pregnancy is a specialist in heart failure and pregnancy so will drop her secretary an email and see when she wants to see me. Either I go to her about 100 miles away, or she holds a clinic in my local hospital every 8 weeks so will see what the timings say!

Check your surgery’s website, as ours has a section explaining it all. We just call ours and ask for a booking in appt with the midwife.

It's good that you're thinking either way, don't put too much pressure on yourself about the breastfeeding. I really hope you have as straightforward a pregnancy as possible. Sounds like you've had enough thrown at you so far. Your fitness levels will help, I'm sure.