What To Do After You Get A Positive Pregnancy Test
If you found yourself unexpectedly pregnant, it might seem like the world just stopped spinning. But don’t worry — there are steps you can take to make sure everything goes smoothly. First things first: talk with your partner about how he feels about having a child. If you’ve been together long enough, you probably know him well enough to figure out what his thoughts are on the subject. And if you haven’t been together very long, now’s the perfect opportunity to ask him questions about his feelings.
Next, consider your options. There are many reasons why someone might want to end a pregnancy, including religious beliefs, personal finances, health concerns, etc. Whatever your reason is, it’s important to discuss it with your doctor. Your OB/GYN can help you decide whether terminating the pregnancy is the best option for you.
Finally, if you choose to go ahead with the termination, do it safely. Make sure you follow the instructions given to you by your doctor carefully. Also, remember that some medications used during abortions can cause birth defects later in life. So if you’re considering getting rid of your baby, think twice before taking any drugs.
What do you do when you receive a positive pregnancy test? Read more about the different options available to you here! After learning more about Pregnancy Test Kits, you may be wondering if you should purchase one or not. Read on to find out why you should!
First things first: A refresher on the science of at-home pregnancy tests
The most common way to determine whether you’re pregnant is to use an at-home pregnancy test kit. These kits contain strips that change color depending on how much human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone produced during early pregnancy, is present in your body. If you pee on the strip, it changes color within 15 minutes, indicating that you’re probably not pregnant.
But what happens if you don’t see a clear result? There are several reasons why you might not see a result on an at-home pregnancy kit. First, you could be experiencing false negative symptoms. Second, you could be taking a home pregnancy test too soon. Third, you could be having sex while you’re trying to conceive. Fourth, you could be ovulating at the wrong time. And finally, you could be pregnant, but your levels of hCG aren’t high enough to show up on the test.
If you do experience a false negative, it doesn’t mean that you won’t become pregnant. In fact, many people who think they’ve taken a negative test actually end up becoming pregnant later on. But if you want to make sure you’re not pregnant, you’ll need to wait another week or so.
When you take an at-home pregnancy check, there are two different methods to interpreting the results. One method involves looking for a pink band across the entire length of the strip. This indicates that you’re definitely not pregnant because the strip isn’t long enough to detect the presence of hCG. Another method looks for a small dot in the center of the strip. This represents a weak signal of hCG, meaning that you’re likely pregnant.
Now that you are pregnant, what now?
Your body will change dramatically during the nine months of pregnancy, including weight gain, stretch marks and other physical symptoms. You might feel tired, stressed, anxious, excited, nervous, happy, sad, guilty, proud, scared, overwhelmed, confused, frustrated, angry, hopeful, determined, grateful, and many others.
There are many ways to prepare for motherhood. Here are some tips to help you cope with the changes that come along with being pregnant.
1. Take good care of yourself.
You must eat well and exercise regularly. This will help you lose weight and keep your energy levels up.
2. Get enough sleep.
Sleep deprivation can cause mood swings and make you irritable. Try to go to bed early and wake up early every day.
3. Don’t overdo it.
Find the right doctor for you
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women wait six weeks before telling anyone else about their pregnancy. But what happens if you don’t want to keep it secret? Here are some tips to consider before sharing your news.
Start taking prenatal vitamins
Pregnant women should start taking prenatal vitamins to ensure proper nutritional intake while pregnant. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that folic acid supplementation reduces the risk of birth defects like neural tube defects. Neural tube defects occur early in gestation, so it’s best to start taking prenatal vitamins before you conceive.
2. Take folic acid supplements daily
Folic acid is important because it helps prevent neural tube defects. Taking folic acid supplements daily is recommended for women who are trying to become pregnant. However, some experts recommend starting taking folic acid supplements even before conception. This way, you’ll reduce the chances of having a baby with a neural tube defect.
3. Supplement with iron
Women who are planning to get preggers should supplement with iron. If you don’t eat meat regularly, you might not get enough iron in your diet. You can find iron-rich foods such as red meat, poultry, fish, beans, lentils, spinach, broccoli, fortified cereals, and soybeans.
4. Get adequate vitamin D
Vitamin D plays an essential role in bone health. Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of osteoporosis and rickets in children. Adults who live in areas where there is little sunlight exposure should consider getting a blood test to determine whether they have low levels of vitamin D.
Download all the fun apps and join pregnancy communities
There are tons of great apps out there to help you through your entire pregnancy. From tracking your baby’s growth to keeping up with your mood swings, there are plenty of ways to connect with other pregnant women. Here are some of our favorites.
BabyCenter – This app offers everything from birth announcements to baby name suggestions. You can even send messages to friends and family via email or Facebook Messenger.
Ovia – This app helps you track your baby’s development throughout the day. You can set reminders about things like feeding times and diaper changes.
Pregnant + – This app lets you see how much weight you gained during each trimester. You can also use it to track your blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature.
GlowNurture – This app connects you with local mothers who are due around the exact same time. You can ask questions about anything from parenting tips to what to do with your old maternity clothes.
Cut out alcohol and tobacco products
Alcohol and cigarettes are both highly addicting substances. Fetal exposure to either substance increases the risk of birth defects. Both substances also increase the risk of miscarriage. Avoiding these substances will help you avoid pregnancy complications and reduce risks to your baby.
Calculate your due date
First, you’ll want to figure out what day of the month you ovulated. This is done by tracking your basal body temperature (BBT). You can do this by taking your temperature every morning before getting out of bed. If it stays above 99 degrees Farenheit for three consecutive mornings, you’re most likely ovulating. Once you’ve determined the day you ovulated, you’ll want to calculate how far along you are in your pregnancy. To do this, take your BBT on the same day each week and subtract 14 days from it. For example, if you had your period on May 5th and took your BBT on June 4th, you’d subtract 14 days from June 4th to get May 25th. Now, add up the number of weeks since you ovulated. So, if you got pregnant on July 15th, you’d add seven weeks plus one day to get August 12th. Your due date is the third Monday of the following month.
Tell your partner or close loved ones
There are many reasons why it might feel awkward to tell someone about your pregnancy. Maybe you’re worried about how they’ll react, or maybe you don’t want to burden them with something that could potentially change their lives forever. Whatever the reason, there are ways to make sure that you’re able to share the news without feeling uncomfortable.
1. Be honest
If you’ve been keeping the news secret because you’re afraid of what your partner or family members might say, it’s probably best to just come out and ask them directly. If you’re concerned about how they’ll respond, you can always let them know ahead of time that you’d love to talk about it, and see how they react. You might even find that they’re excited to hear the news too.
2. Make it easy
You might think that telling someone about your pregnancy will require a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. For example, you could send a text message to your partner letting them know that you’d love to chat soon, or you could call them up and schedule a meeting over coffee. This way, you won’t have to worry about being interrupted while you’re trying to explain everything.
3. Give yourself some space
If you’re having trouble coming up with words, you might want to take a few minutes to write down exactly what you want to say. Then, once you’ve written it down, you can read it aloud to ensure that you haven’t missed anything. Alternatively, you could use a note app on your phone to jot down your thoughts.
Make a couple of dietary changes
The CDC says you shouldn’t eat raw or undercooked meat, poultry or seafood. They say it could make you sick. And they’re telling people to avoid eating raw or undercooked eggs too. This includes sushi, deli meats, hot dogs, hamburgers, and ground beef. If you do eat raw or undercooked food, wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
If you want to learn more about what foods are safe to eat, check out our article here.
Begin Taking Prenatal Vitamins
Taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy helps support a healthy pregnancy. A study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that women who took prenatal vitamins had fewer complications during labor and delivery. In addition, it helped protect against preterm birth.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women begin taking prenatal vitamins as soon as possible, preferably within six months of becoming pregnant. This includes folic acid, iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin D, B12, and omega 3 fatty acids.
Start learning about what to expect
The best thing to do when you’re pregnant is to start learning about what to expect. There are lots of ways to do it. Here are some ideas:
Books
There are tons of books out there that cover everything from how to prepare for labor to how to care for newborn babies. Some of my favorites include:
* What to Expect When You’re Expecting – This book covers everything from conception to delivery. I love this one because it gives me a good sense of what to expect throughout the whole process.
* Baby Care Basics – This book focuses on the basics of caring for baby, like feeding, bathing, sleeping, etc.
* Your First Year With A Newborn – This book covers everything you’ll want to know about taking care of your newborn baby.
Podcasts
Takeaway
The best way to cope with the loss of a loved one is to take time to grieve and reflect. But it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t celebrate your baby’s life. In fact, there are many ways to honor your child’s memory. Here are some ideas to consider:
1. Create a special place where you’ll remember her. You could put up photos, flowers, or even a small shrine.
2. Give thanks. Write down your thoughts and prayers and hang them somewhere visible.
3. Share memories. Tell stories about your daughter or son.
4. Make a donation. If you’re able, make a gift in her name to a charity that supports children.
5. Keep a journal. Writing helps you express your feelings and understand how you’re coping.
6. Remember the good things. Think about the qualities she had that you admired most.
