2. Breathe
The most important thing to do upon realizing you are pregnant is to simply breathe. Whether this new reality is a surprise or a well-planned outcome, breathe. That is the only thing the tiny life in your womb needs from you at this moment.
3. Determine your due date
Now that you have caught your breath and are grinning at this new future before you, it is time to determine your due date. The most common method used by healthcare providers is to add two weeks to the beginning of your last menstrual cycle (in order to approximate conception) and then add thirty-eight weeks to establish your approximate due date.
4. Choose your doctor
The next step in your pregnancy checklist is to choose a doctor whom you will be comfortable seeing throughout this journey. Your first appointment will typically be scheduled for the eighth week of your pregnancy. This visit will entail exploring your health history, any risk factors that may be present, recommendations for possible diet or lifestyle changes, and will lastly serve as an opportunity for you to ask your doctor any questions you might have regarding the pregnancy.
5. Learn about how to have a healthy pregnancy diet
Highly recommended vitamins and supplements are folic acid (vitamin B9), vitamin D, and iron. Pregnancy multi-vitamins are also available but are not nearly as effective as a balanced diet.
6. Learn about folic acid
Foods that are high in folic acid and recommended in the first trimester include spinach, citrus fruit, and okra. Folic acid protects your baby from brain and spinal cord threats commonly associated with the first trimester.
7. Learn about vitamin D
Excellent sources of vitamin D are asparagus, yogurt, salmon, and eggs. Women are commonly deficient in Vitamin D due to the simple fact that they cannot generate enough of it on their own. Vitamin D is synthesized by skin when exposed to sunlight.
8. Learn about iron
Reliable sources of iron are broccoli, collard greens, lean beef, and chicken. You will eventually have fifty percent more blood flowing through your body and your baby’s body and iron is instrumental in boosting the protein in red blood cells that spread oxygen to other cells.
9. Learn about your pregnancy protein needs
Supplementing protein can be achieved through lentils, nuts, cottage cheese, and beans. Pregnant women need an additional 60 grams of protein per day. It is advised that any protein derived from eggs, fish, chicken, or beef should be organic and hormone-free.
10. Figure out what foods and activities suit you
There will be a trial period, in which you will have to test what foods and activities are best for you. If nausea becomes a problem the best route to take is eating little but doing it often. The best medicine for all of these ailments is rest. It is important to get as much of it as you can in the first trimester.
11. Manage physical changes
Alongside changes in your diet there will be changes in your body you will want to manage, as well. One of the most common and early signs of pregnancy is tender and enlarging breasts. There are maternity bras available, which will increase comfort and support throughout the pregnancy.
12. Learn about other possible physical changes
Other physical changes early in the pregnancy might include thicker hair, darkened skin, and acne breakouts. No two women are the same and each is affected by pregnancy differently, but anticipating these potential changes will make them easier to accept.
13. Learn about what to avoid
Things to avoid now that you are living for two are alcohol, cigarettes, and recreational drugs like marijuana. Caffeine intake will need to be cut back and all medications, including nonprescription, should be approved by your doctor before use.
14. Learn what foods to avoid
There are also certain foods to avoid, as well. Due to threats of bacteria, parasites, and toxins that can harm your baby it is advised to not consume certain cheeses, unpasteurized dairy products, deli meat, raw or under-cooked eggs, and raw shellfish.
15. Learn about pregnancy danger signs
Be aware of danger signs such as cramping accompanied by bleeding. Your doctor should be consulted immediately if this occurs.
16. Learn when you can find out your baby’s gender
Between ten and thirteen weeks you can have your first ultrasound performed. You will be able to see your baby and hear its heartbeat. Gender will not typically be identified until sixteen to twenty weeks.
17. Begin picking out names
One of the most exciting tasks in the pregnancy checklist is to begin the process of choosing a name for the baby. Even though you do not know what you will be having at this point, the act of picking prospective names for the boy or girl will bring you two even closer.
18. Figure out when you want to tell friends and family
Announcing the exciting news to friends and family is entirely up to you; however, complications and the possibility of miscarriage drop substantially upon completion of the first trimester. Many women prefer to wait until this point to share the news because risks are minimized.
19. Consider your finances
Whether you are a good planner or not it will behoove you to examine your finances. Find out what the pregnancy will cost from beginning to end. Then anticipate what monthly costs will look like once the baby is born, taking into consideration such things as diapers, food, and clothing, among other things. Here are some money saving tips to help you with your budgeting.
20. Learn about being intimate with your partner during pregnancy
To conclude this pregnancy checklist, as long as you are not feeling too tired, irritable, sick, lethargic, or stressed to have sex with your partner, then it is perfectly welcome throughout the duration of your pregnancy.
