Things you Should do after a Positive Pregnancy Test

You start experiencing early morning sickness, and a pregnancy test confirm that yes, you’ll be having a baby soon.

Congratulations! You now have a precious blessing in your belly. The only concern now is thinking of things you should do after a positive pregnancy test.

Make Sure…

The first thing you’ll want to do after seeing a positive on the first pregnancy test is to go for another one.

There’s such a thing called false positive, and you will want to get that out of the way before you do anything else.

Follow the directions on the label and re-check within 3 to 5 minutes. You can also opt to get a third or a fourth to eliminate all doubts.

Buy Prenatal Vitamins…

It’s important to begin taking prenatal vitamins as soon as you’ve confirmed that a baby is on the way.

Prenatals are special supplements for pregnant moms. They contain most of the things you need to have a healthy delivery, including folate, vitamin D, calcium, iron and more.

Taking it will help with the development of the baby’s spinal cord, neural tube and brain. The folic acid in a prenatal supports this, while the rest is for you and your baby’s health.

Time Your Due Date…

Isn’t it exciting to know when you’re due and when the baby arrives? To obtain this information you will need to calculate your due date.

To have an idea of due date, you must get the first day of the last period and length of average cycle. You should keep a mental note of when your last period was because your ob-gyn will ask it.

You can also calculate due date by trying an online due date calculator.

Schedule Your First Prenatal Visit…

You should schedule your ‘booking appointment’ with your community midwife next. Studies show that babies are more likely to be born with defects or have a low birth weight when they don’t have prenatal care

Confirmation is usually done between 5 to 7 weeks using a urine test. Your doctor will also schedule an ultrasound at 12 weeks to check how healthy the baby is and how far you’re along the pregnancy.

Track Your Pregnancy with an App…

Having a source of helpful information is essential, and that’s when an app can help.

You can try What to Expect, which is an app that’s available on both Android and iOS. It can tell you at a glance what changes are taking place and the many wonderful things that are happening to you and your baby.

Eliminate Bad Lifestyle Habits…

Remember that pregnancy means you have a living being inside you, and what you do will have an immediate impact on your baby’s health.

Therefore, you should stop habits that could prove to be harmful, such as smoking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs. They are known proponents of miscarriage and can present many health problems down the line.

Be Careful What You Eat…

Eating raw fish may be fine before but now it’s considered risky. In the same vein, you should start cooking fish and meats thoroughly to avoid getting food poisoning thru parasites or bacteria.

Avoid as much as possible deli meats, soft cheese, raw fish and raw meat and unpasteurized juices. Most pain medications are not safe for those who are pregnant- ask your doctor on how to deal with the condition.

Saunas and hot tubs are definite no-nos as you can overheat and cause unwanted adverse effects.

Avoid handling cat litter and pet waste. If you have to, wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly after every cleaning.

Limit Caffeine Intake…

Excessive caffeine is bad for both your body and your baby’s health. Doctors say about 200 mg of caffeine is considered safe, which is equivalent to about a cup.

Be mindful of how much coffee you’re drinking, and switch to tea or decaf if you’re constantly going overboard. You can also use an app to keep track and get alerts if you are drinking too much.

Exercise Regularly…

It may sound counterintuitive but your body needs to be active in order to support a healthy pregnancy.

There’s a time for rest and a time to move about. You’ll need your bones, blood and heart in tip-top shape, but you shouldn’t overdo it.

Start slow and ramp up to medium intensity exercises. If you find an activity too strenuous, dial down and pick a lower-intensity one.

Recommended exercise for pregnant moms include yoga, walking, swimming and low impact aerobics. You can mix it up, but generally speaking 20 to 30 minutes of movement a day should suffice.

Hydrate…

Last but definitely not least, you should observe proper hydration and drink the recommended 8 glasses or so every day.

There are plenty of tools that can help you count and maintain a healthy state of hydration. You can get a water jug that’s equivalent to 4 or 8 glasses and have it close at hand, or get an app or alert to drink water every few hours or so.

Your body and your baby will need all the water they can get to flush out toxins, pump more blood and create amniotic fluids. Your organs will function as normal and you won’t likely overheat (especially when exercising or during hot weather).