your journey through pregnancy!

So,you have just noticed you have missed your periods,you might have noticed a few changes in your body; bleeding also called spotting during first trimester is usually confused with periods and you might not have noticed it, your breasts feel sore and have grown bigger, you feel fatigue at times and nausea and have gained some weight that shows your bum and you’re almost loving it!  Could this all mean you are pregnant? if so? What do you do now?

Here’s a to do list to prepare you for your journey through pregnancy…

Buy a pregnancy test kit

You have noticed the changes but you are not quite sure, so get a brand new pregnancy test kit to confirm that you really are pregnant! a positive(pregnant) pregnancy test will have two lines and a negative will only have one. if tested negative, your journey ends here, if positive move on to the next step below.

courtesy of:http://images.viralnova.com/000/025/766/pregnancy-test.jpg

visit your doctor or your nearest clinic

Make your first booking at the clinic or with your doctor as soon as you find out you are actually pregnant. This is where you will be required to give your background information. this means you will be attending your antenatal appointments at the same clinic or hospital so that your midwife or doctor can keep track of your baby’s development and your health. a lot of blood and urine tests will be taken to check your blood type, blood pressure, syphilis, HIV and others and this might take you the whole day. if you are studying or working you will need to manage your time very well and report to the relevant person.

take your medicine daily

it is essential that you take your daily medicine only prescribed by your midwife, report if taking any other medicine. on your first day you might be given folic acid which is good at developing your baby’s spinal cord and brain.

quit smoking and alcohol!

smoking increases your chances of having a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy. your baby could have a low birth weight because of your smoking. on the other hand, alcohol can cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

drink less coffee!

too much caffeine can also be dangerous for your baby, it can cause miscarriages during pregnancy, premature labor and low birth weight of your baby.

what to and what not to eat during pregnancy?

• Avoid eating under cooked meats, now is the time to order your fully cooked steaks and burgers and not feel any embarrassment! under cooked meat or uncooked seafood contain bacteria which can harm your baby.

• deli meat can cause miscarriages; they contain listeria. raw eggs should be avoided, salmonella is a bacteria found in them and they can be reduced by simply cooking or frying your eggs.

• ginger is good with nausea, you may drink it or sprinkle it on your tea.starch can also reduce nausea levels and avoiding spicy foods and foods with odor .

• NB! if you feel hungry more frequently, eat frequent snacks between your meals.

• to prevent vomiting, drink 1.4 liters of water everyday

• eat your fruits and veggies!

rest a lot!

Whenever you feel tired, feel free to take a nap. Bed rest increases your blood flow to your placenta and therefore will increase your baby’s birth weight.

Although some exercise may help you need to avoid carrying heavy loads or doing heavy house chores.

baby planning!

Go around town and look for cute baby clothes to prepare for the arrival of your baby. Set aside a budget for your baby and save up for any emergencies.

daddy is part of it too!

You get to bond with your baby more because she’s inside of you and there’s always a natural connection between you two but this is not the case with your partner. Get your boyfriend to talk to your unborn baby so as to create some relationship with her. Babies are quite clever although we underestimate them.This will make him feel involved and may be a reality check to remind him of your pregnancy.

packing for labor

for you;

dressing gown

slippers

nightdress

snacks and drinks

toiletries- don't forget sanitary pads!

clothes for when you are discharged

for baby;

baby clothes; all in one baby outfits, 2 vests

baby blanket

2 disposable nappies

wipes

baby socks or booties

pack of ear buds