I've just found out I'm pregnant (with my first) - Any tips you wish someone had told you?

[RaachelMorrow]

I just found out I'm pregnant over the weekend, and although unplanned, it's now a very wanted baby from myself, daddy, and inner family.

My appointment with the midwife isn't until Friday, but I'm just so scared I'm going to mess this up and we're not even off the starting line yet.

Any first timer advice for someone who's only 6 weeks and just found out? And knows NOTHING about pregnancy? - I've none of my friends or family have been pregnant.

What sort of diet should I be looking at? Just balanced? With Folic Acid & Omega multivitamins?

I've been spotting, very light brown, for about 2 weeks, how long does this last and is this okay?

Thank you so much!

Rachel

I'm only 15 weeks but there's things I wish I was told about the first few months of pregnancy.

• spotting and cramps are normal
• even though you're happy and the baby is very wanted, be prepared for "omg what have we done??" days where you feel overwhelmed by the situation
• the first trimester can be lonely if you don't plan on telling people until your first scan
• be prepared for extreme fatigue in the first few weeks

Congratulations!
You get weird pains in your stomach because its stretching.
Make sure you look after yourself as you will be tired.
Also and this is a yucky one. When you've had your baby you'll have a poo like black tar with pains. It's completly normal!

Yes, don't get impatient for baby to come...Get as much sleep and eat in as you can because before you know it you'll be running on empty. Go to the cinema, do things you can't do with a small baby, make this time about you! Oh and try not to panic about everything to do with your pregnancy haha x

I bought a load of pregnancy books. Haven't read any of them - it's much quicker to Google whatever question you may have and get the answer from reputable sites like the NHS, Tommy's and whattoexpect.com

1. Although spotting/bleeding is normal, report ANY bleeding to your midwife/triage

1. Buy lots of snacks. All the snacks. If you don't have healthy snacks in the house the takeaway menus will start looking a whole lot nicer.

1. Take folic acid supplements. There is folic acid in pregnancy multivitamins so you can take those to cover it. Check there is no vitamin A in any supplement you take. Also don't shell out for Pregnacare etc, supermarket own brand are fine.

1. Don't eat: soft cheese with white rinds (brie etc) or blue cheese unless cooked; pate; raw/rare meat; raw/lightly cooked fish unless frozen first; raw/lightly cooked eggs unless lion code (this might wipe out home made sauces, mayonnaise, mousse, souffles etc); shark, swordfish or marlin; liver; game; cured meats (salami etc) unless cooked; more than 2 tuna steaks or 4 tons of tuna a week; more than 2 portions of oily fish per week; unpasteurised dairy.

1. Don't drink: alcohol; more than 200mg caffeine per day; liquorice root; more than 4 cups herbal tea per day.

1. Don't Google every twinge. Seriously.

1. Rest when you can. You will be more tired than you realise.

1. Don't tell people until you're ready.

You will get a million symptoms during pregnancy - spotting, pains, fatigue, sickness, thrush, trouble walking...each and every one is normal. If you worry about each and every thing you'll get sick with anxiety.

Start saving and budgeting now - not for all of the baby stuff (you don't need most of what they try and sell you, and most can be picked up half price second hand!) but for Maternity leave and childcare.

Enjoy all the stuff that will be harder to do when baby comes now - cinema, meals out, days lounging around the house reading, long baths (not too hot). Focus on you and your partner/hobbies/whatever. Don't wish the pregnancy away. Baby will come when baby is ready.

Oh, and do lots of research on your birth rights (see AIMS website) and make sure you're making informed choices. This time around I won't be accepting induction - I didn't even realise I could choose last time...

4 tins of tuna, not tons!!

Do what you know is right, and fuck everyone else.

I would just like to say that I am pissing myself laughing at 4 tons of tuna!

@Persipan Oops! Worst advice ever

Congratulations!!
Some people have ALL the pregnancy symptoms, some people have none, I had a few unpleasant ones that came and then disappeared for a week (freaking me out that something was wrong - it wasn't) - doesn't mean anything is wrong, so don't compare your pregnancy to anyone else's.
Just take each trimester as it comes, you learn things as you go along. And even though our baby was planned, we still often feel overwhelmed at the enormity of what we're doing - I think that's normal!

Save and budget is great advice.

Don’t feel like you have to rush round doing everything you used to. I wish I’d said no more, gone home early more etc

Watching this thread, also found out recently and am a first time mum!

I'm 34 weeks and still have those moments of 'wtf are we doing!?'. I think it's normal.
At the start I felt crampy, had some spotting and everything turned out to be fine. If you are worried you can call the maternity/pregnancy unit they should be able to advise you.
I under estimated how tired I'd be. I don't think I've felt energetic since before I was pregnant and I'm glad I have understanding friends who don't mind if I cancel or go home early.
Be prepared to wait a lot longer than your appointment times at the hospital for your scans, antenatal clinic etc. They over run a lot of the time but you'll get seen eventually. Take a drink and a snack

Congratulations

First time mum here but in the 3rd trimester. I wasn’t prepared for how difficult getting a good night’s sleep would be from so early on. I assumed it was something that hit later on. But pretty much from as soon as I got my BFP I’ve been tossing and turning all night, waking up multiple times, having crazy dreams and getting up to pee. At least it’s good training for a newborn!

Folic acid must be taken for the first 12 weeks. vitamin D needs to be taken throughout. Other vitamins are great, but not essential.

There are lots of weird pregnancy symptoms and most are normal and harmless, however a few which can be indicative of more serious conditions are

• itchy hands and feet (obstetric cholestasis)
• bad headaches or visual disturbance (pre eclampsia)
• extreme tiredness, breathlessness or pale skin (anaemia)

Constipation can be unpleasant in pregnancy so try to eat a high fibre diet!

Oh also if you are starting to see signs of constipation jump on that shit quickly! Plenty of water, keep active, good diet, natural laxatives (a morning coffee, OJ with bits, prune juice, spicy food...whatever works for you) and see the GP quickly if it gets worse for a lactoluse prescription.

Pregnancy constipation can get hellish and incredibly painful if it gets out of hand.

Try to relax and keep going with your normal life because 9 months is a very long time. Baby isn't coming anytime soon and these months can be tough emotionally and physically - just look after yourself.

Congratulations OP!

• Learn to budget and meal plan NOW (if you don't do it already) - and towards the end of your pregnancy, stock up the freezer. I've not had my baby yet but I was the latest due date in my NCT group and that's the one thing that has come back as being the most valuable skill (and probably the only thing that I've never had any negative responses from anyone about doing to prep for baby!).

• Relax, look after yourself and if you can try to take up a gentle low impact exercise like swimming (as well as carrying on with whatever you usually do to an extent that's safe in pregnancy). Swimming has been the only thing that eases my hip pain in the last few weeks (now 37 weeks) and I'm very glad I had built up 'swimming muscles' and was in the habit before this point. I couldn't afford it, but others swear by pregnancy massage too.

• If you want to read tons of pregnancy/baby books, get audible (or another audiobook service) and listen to them rather than reading. If you've not had the subscription before you can often get so many credits (books) free when you sign up. I listen to them when I'm cooking, cleaning, driving to work, and before I go to sleep (or when I'm in bed unable to sleep at night!). I've been able to listen to lots of different ones this way without cluttering up the house/taking up too much time.

Read “expecting better” full of great info that’s not “and now your baby is the size of a tomato”

Folic acid and vit d. Check the NHS website for what food to avoid. Brace yourself for everyone telling you to sleep even though you'll be up every 2 hours to pee/with heartburn/sore hips/insomnia. Also start filling in the bump to birthday journal. This is where I stuck my scans, baby shower invite etc and it's really special to me 😊

Don't listen to anyone who says there is a magic 12 week mark for symptoms to lessen. It may or may not happen, but don't pin your hopes on it.

I suffered from horrible nausea and everyone said it should clear up by 12 weeks.

The disappointment when it didn't.

Also, don't be worried if you don't get a 'glow' and don't feel like you have to be happy about the pregnancy all the time, even if it is dearly wanted. Some aspects of pregnancy outright suck and its okay to say it.

CONGRATULATIONS!
Listen to you body, take those extra naps when you are shattered. Your body is doing something amazing!
It’s ok to poo your pants and think wtf have we done!
Everyone and every pregnancy is different- don’t compare yourself to everyone else.
Stay off google. If you have any worries call your midwife, that’s what they are there for.
Lots of people will give/force advice on you - it’s your pregnancy/baby you do what is right for you.
Buy a day by day pregnancy book. It’s nice to see how they are developing especially before you have a bump or a scan.
Coca Cola do caffeine free coke and it’s pretty good, Twinings do a decent decaf tea.
Sophie the Giraffe and Ewan the Dream sheep really came in useful when DS was a baby.
Ooh and don’t stress yourself out about a birth plan, the only person who knows your birth plan is your baby!
If you are planning to breast feed, buy some lansinoh nipple cream.

I had brown discharge on and off for about 8 weeks with DD. I was told it was probably old blood from implantation.

@pregnantncnc As a mum to a 5 year old boy and a 9 week old daughter, I absolutely second the advice about meal planning.
When I knew I was having a planned section with my second, I filled the freezer with 2 weeks worth of food and it was a life saver.