We get emails frequently from young couples who have been following our blog but haven't made the leap into parenthood…until now. “What to do when you're pregnant” is a Google search term that, I kid you not, leads to our site. We're totally used to dealing with overjoyed but completely overwhelmed, panic-stricken people staring down the barrel of a double lined pee-stick.
First of all, breathe.
Know that You're Not Alone
Now let me distract you with a little secret about our first son. Before Nate and I got married, we always planned to have kids right away. However, life was a little rough leading up to the wedding: he was on a seemingly-endless employment hunt in the middle of a recession, I was at job I hated, we lived in the hood…you get the point. But we were determined. We carried on with our plan, saying our vows and sailing off on our honeymoon without looking back.
About two weeks after we got married, I had a come-to-Jesus moment looking at our credit card statement. “Woah, hun, I'm adding it all up and we are just NOT in a situation to have a child right now. We should hold off a bit and be consistent about birth control.” He agreed.
The next day, I found myself hands-down on the stark tile floor of my office building bathroom, vomiting up the contents of my breakfast.
There were two lines on that stick.
I'm here with my family of five as a testament that it all works out in the end. As a dear childhood friend of mine used to say, “If it's not okay, it's not the end!”
I do remember wishing in those first days that there was some sort of “what to do when you're pregnant” manual. No, not the book that immediately comes to mind. DO NOT READ THAT BOOK. Trust me. At this point, it'll just freak you out. You need a concise, step-by-step, actionable list.
Take Tests and Plan Ahead
Here it is. We've partnered with Panorama Natera prenatal screen to share the important steps you should take right away. This incredible test lets you determine the baby's gender as early as 9 weeks gestation! I wish I'd had this when I was pregnant with each of the boys…that would have stopped me from hoarding all the pink and purple stuff “just in case.” The non-invasive prenatal test can also screen for genetic diseases and fetal conditions. Usually I share more personal input when companies provide infographics, but they're so knowledgeable that they seriously nailed it with the image below.
Beyond telling you to pin and print this immediately, I would leave you with only two pieces of advice for what to do when you're pregnant. First: have faith. Second: make informed decisions. Question the things that people tell you and do your own research to become knowledgeable for this tiny, wonderful person that's going to rock your world in the best way possible.
Do you have any more questions about what to do when you're pregnant? You are welcome to email us anytime!