I’m Pregnant What Should I Do Next
If your pregnancy test is positive, it’s understandable to feel mixed emotions: excitement about having a child, worry about telling your parents, and anxiety about pregnancy and childbirth.
You may also be feeling worried or frightened if you’re not sure that you want to be pregnant.
Make sure to talk through your options and think carefully before you make any decisions. Try talking to a family member, friend or someone you trust.
Whatever your age, you can also ask for confidential advice from:
- a GP or practice nurse
- a contraception or sexual health clinic
- NHS 111 available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
It’s your decision, but do not ignore the situation, hoping it will go away.
Your options are:
- having an abortion
- continuing with the pregnancy and having the baby adopted
If you decide to continue your pregnancy, the next step is to start your antenatal care.
If you decide not to continue with your pregnancy, you can talk to a GP or visit a sexual health clinic to discuss your options.
They can refer you for an assessment at a clinic or hospital if you choose to have an abortion.
Can My Pregnancy Continue After An Ectopic Pregnancy
Unfortunately, an ectopic pregnancy is fatal for the fetus. It cannot survive outside of the uterus. Quick treatment for an ectopic pregnancy is important to protect the mothers life. If the egg has implanted in the fallopian tube and the tube bursts, there can be severe internal bleeding. This can lead to maternal death.
Travellers Diarrhoea And Pregnancy
Be careful to avoid food poisoning, as certain infections can harm the baby or trigger miscarriage. Remember to:
- Avoid food buffets, seafood, undercooked meats, soft cheeses and pâtés.
- Wash your hands thoroughly after going to the toilet, before preparing food and before eating.
- In developing nations, only eat fruit that you have peeled yourself. Avoid leafy greens and salads because they could have been washed in contaminated water.
- Drink bottled water if you are unsure of the water supply. Use bottled water when brushing your teeth. Make sure that all eating utensils are thoroughly dried after washing.
- Avoid ice.
- If you must use the local water, boil the water thoroughly for five minutes before using.
- Avoid treating unsafe water with iodine. If consumed over a few weeks, iodine can cause your unborn baby to develop a goitre .
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Complete Absence Of Pregnancy Symptoms
Some people who are pregnant are relieved to have few or no symptoms, but others worry that a lack of symptoms is a sign that their pregnancy is not healthy or that it could end in miscarriage. If you don’t have any pregnancy symptoms at all, rest assured that while it isn’t common, it’s not impossible.
Studies have indicated that around 1 in 475 women reach the 5-month mark before realizing that they are pregnant. “Cryptic” or “denied” pregnancies can occur for many reasons, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome. Sometimes, it’s as simple as someone not looking or feeling pregnant until they are nearly halfway through their pregnancy.
Women ‘are Afraid To Get Pregnant’
“We deal with a lot of cases that are close to Izabela,” Grycuk added. “It’s deeply worrying that instead of taking it as a warning, as a very alarming case that never should happen again, some doctors show this level of fear. And they should just do their job.
“On an everyday basis, we have cases of women who are not afforded necessary abortion or pregnancy care. It is about pregnancy care, not about abortion care any more because their life and their health are not protected.
“So women now in Poland, they are afraid to get pregnant,” she stressed, warning that “women are at risk of not receiving quality pregnancy care according to the standards in place in developed countries.”
Activists say it means even women who should qualify for a legal abortion face extra hurdles. Agata ended up getting an abortion but she had to travel to another city with a hospital that accepted the two psychiatrics’ certificates.
“Now you need to know where to go. You need to know what psychiatrist will issue that certificate,” Grycuk said.
The European Court of Justice reported in July that it had received over 1,000 complaints about the January 2021 law and asked Warsaw to submit responses to 12 of them.
“The applicant submits that the Constitutional Courts judgment has a chilling effect on her family plans. She is so worried that she put aside the decision to start a family,” it added.
Euronews has contacted Poland’s Ministry of Family and Social Policy for comment.
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What Is Pregnancy Care
This is the care you have while you’re pregnant to make sure you and your baby are as well as possible.
The NHS in England will offer you:
- 10 pregnancy appointments to check the health and development of you and your baby
- screening tests to find out the chance of your baby having certain conditions, such as Down’s syndrome
- blood tests to check for syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B
- screening for inherited blood disorders
You’ll be offered more appointments if you or your baby need them.
Depending on your health and where you live, you may see:
- a midwife for all your appointments
- a midwife for some appointments and a GP for others
Why Is Prenatal Care Important
Regular appointments with your health care provider throughout your pregnancy are important to ensure the health of you and your baby. In addition to medical care, prenatal care includes education on pregnancy and childbirth, plus counseling and support.
Frequent visits with your health care provider allow you to follow the progress of your baby’s development. Visits also give you the opportunity to ask questions. Also, most health care providers welcome your partner at each visit, as well as interested family members.
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Where Can I Go For A Prenatal Care Visit
Make an appointment with a doctor, midwife, or nurse for your care during pregnancy. Some people just go to their regular family doctor or obstetrician. Others choose to see a midwife or nurse practitioner who specializes in prenatal care. You can also get prenatal care at some Planned Parenthood health centers.
How Can I Make Up My Mind
Talking to people you trust, and getting information about your options, can help you decide. You may want to talk to a partner, family or friends, or you may prefer to speak to someone less close to you.
The following services can talk confidentially with you, free of charge, about how you feel about the pregnancy and what options you have:
- your general practice
- a contraception or sexual health clinic, including a young persons service .
For a fee, you can discuss your options with organisations such as bpas , Marie Stopes , and NUPAS . Theres useful information on their websites which can help you explore your feelings, including how you feel about becoming a parent, having an abortion, or choosing adoption.
If youre under 25, youll find information and advice about all options, including abortion, from the Brook website at www.brook.org.uk
Its essential to get information and take time to explore how you feel so that you can make the decision thats right for you. Be aware that some organisations may not offer unbiased pregnancy counselling or advice and may lead you into making the wrong choice for you.
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What Support Is There For Pregnant Teenagers
If you decide to continue with your pregnancy, there are a wide range of services to support you during pregnancy and after you have had your baby.
You can get support and advice from:
- Brook visit your nearest Brook service for free confidential advice if you’re under 25, or use the Ask Brook online service
- Family Lives visit the website or call 0808 800 2222 for support for families, including young parents
- Tommy’s visit this website led by midwives for the latest information for parents-to-be
- Family Nurse Partnership a family nurse may be able to visit your home, if you’re young parents, to support you from early pregnancy until your child is 2
- Shelter a national housing charity that can advise you about housing options and housing benefits for young parents visit their website or call them on 0808 800 4444
If you’re pregnant and on your own, it’s important there are people you can share your feelings with who can offer you support.
What’s Involved In An Abortion
For some people, deciding whether or not to have an abortion is easier if you know how an abortion is carried out. There are different abortion procedures, and the method used depends on how long youve been pregnant, your medical suitability and your preferences.
You can find out more about abortion procedures from:
- The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists .
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When Do I Have To Make A Decision About What To Do
Although you might feel under pressure to make a decision, its important to take some time to consider your options and feel sure youre making the right decision for you.
Its important that you receive support when you need it and dont feel pressured by anyone into making a decision you dont want. The decision is yours. It can be very difficult to know what to do, but support is available to help you decide.
You can choose to:
Smell Sensitivity And Food Aversions During Early Pregnancy
Smell sensitivity is a symptom of early pregnancy thats mostly self-reported. Theres little scientific evidence about smell sensitivity during the first trimester. However, it might be important, since smell sensitivity may trigger nausea and vomiting. It may also cause strong distaste for certain foods.
You may experience either a heightened or lessened sense of smell during pregnancy, according to 2017 research. This is especially common during the first and third trimesters. Heightened smell is more common than lessened smell. Some smells that never bothered you before may become less pleasing or even trigger nausea.
The good news is that your sense of smell usually returns to normal after delivery, or within 6 to 12 weeks postpartum.
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How To Swim During Pregnancy
Even though its safe for you to go swimming while pregnant, you may not feel comfortable swimming, especially if youre not accustomed to it.
If youre already an avid swimmer, you can continue to swim as usual. You may want to slow down as you progress through your trimesters and reduce your routine as your body tells you to.
Use these common swimming strokes for a relaxing, easy swim while pregnant:
- Breaststroke
- Dog paddle
- Frog kicks
As you progress through your pregnancy, certain positions in the water will become less comfortable, so switch to a more comfortable one when you need to. The point of swimming while pregnant is to keep your body moving but ease pain and swelling as much as possible.
If you start to feel pain at any time while in the water, talk to your doctor about it. To be extra cautious during your pregnancy, you should always swim with a friend or in a public place.
Diving into the water off a diving board while pregnant is not recommended due to two things:
- Force of impact: The impact of the water hitting your body while diving, especially if you dont dive professionally, can hurt your body and cause stress to your uterus and baby.
- Diving levels: Our bodies change under pressure when we dive underwater. Thats why your ears can feel stuffed or painful at deeper underwater levels. Your baby is not equipped to handle those pressure changes and may get stressed if you dive deep.
Getting Sick While Pregnant
Getting sick is never fun, but getting sick while pregnant is even worse. It is common for the immune system to weaken while you are pregnant, which makes you more susceptible to getting sick. Obviously, you want to do everything possible to avoid catching something, but dont be surprised if you do get sick while you are pregnant.
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Winter Activities To Avoid While Pregnant
Dr. Rudolf Probst tells Romper that along with sledding, ice skating, snow shoveling, saunas, and hot tubs are other activities you should avoid while pregnant. Basically anything where you can have a hard impact and slam into something or fall down is a huge risk during pregnancy. If your kid really wants you to sled, maybe try sitting on a sled as your partner pulls you and your child along, or try making snow angels instead.
Certain Factors Can Increase Risk
Other factors can further increase the risk for getting severely ill from COVID-19 during or recently after pregnancy, such as:
- Being older than 25 years
- Living or working in a community with high numbers of COVID-19 cases
- Living or working in a community with low levels of COVID-19 vaccination
- Working in places where it is difficult or not possible to keep at least 6 feet apart from people who might be sick
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Planning Your Antenatal Care And Birth
Antenatal care refers to the care you will receive during your pregnancy. At your first antenatal appointment, you can talk to your GP about your options for antenatal care and the birth. For example, you may be able to choose to have your baby in a public hospital, private hospital, birth centre or at home.
Your choices usually depend on:
- where you live
- whether you have private health insurance and wish to choose your own obstetrician
- your age, health and beliefs
Your choice will affect whether your regular check-ups and scans during your pregnancy are done by your GP or by a midwife or obstetrician.
What Does Your Gp Do In Pregnancy Care
4-minute read
Your doctor, also known as a general practitioner , is likely to be the first health professional you see when you become pregnant or suspect you may be pregnant. Your GP can talk to you about your options for pregnancy care and the birth. Your choices, and the facilities available where you live, will determine the role your doctor will play.
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Can I Get Pregnant Again After An Ectopic Pregnancy
Most women who have had an ectopic pregnancy can go on to have future successful pregnancies. There is a higher risk of having future ectopic pregnancies after you have had one. Its important to talk to your healthcare provider about the causes of your ectopic pregnancy and what risk factors you may have that could cause a future ectopic pregnancy.
Cramping And Spotting During Early Pregnancy
From weeks 1 to 4, everything is still happening on a cellular level. The fertilized egg creates a blastocyst that will develop into the fetuss organs and body parts.
About 10 to 14 days after conception, the blastocyst will implant in the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus. This can cause implantation bleeding, which may be mistaken for a light period. It does not occur for everyone. If it does occur, it will usually happen around the time you expect your period.
Here are some signs of implantation bleeding:
- Color. The color of each episode may be pink, red, or brown.
- Bleeding. Implantation bleeding is usually much less than your usual period. Its often described as light bleeding that never turns into a flow or enough to need a tampon.
- Pain. Pain is usually milder than your usual menstrual pain. It may involve some cramping. It can be moderate or severe, but its most often mild.
- Episodes. Implantation bleeding is likely to last less than 3 days and does not require treatment. It can sometimes last only a few hours.
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Who Pays The Costs Of An Abortion
If you become pregnant through rape, or if your pregnancy endangers your health, your health insurance or the Social Welfare Office will cover the costs of abortion. If you want to end your pregnancy for other reasons, you will have to pay part of the expenses yourself as your health insurance will only cover the costs of medical consultation and care as well as the medication before and after the procedure. You have to pay for the actual abortion process, which usually costs between 200 to 600 euro. You can find out more about the various abortion methods in many different languages ââat zanzu.de.
Please note: If you receive benefits from the Social Welfare Office, Jobcentre, BAB or BAföG, or in case you do not earn much, you can apply for the assumption of the costs of abortion at your health insurance or the Social Welfare Office.
What Should I Do First
The first step is to take a test to confirm the pregnancy.
To get the most accurate result, we recommend you wait at least a week after youve missed your period to take the test. It is best to do the test first thing in the morning, when your urine is most concentrated.
The earlier you confirm the pregnancy, the more time you have to make a decision, and the better you can take care of yourself.
You can get a reliable pregnancy test, advice, and referral for pregnancy care at any of our clinics. You can also get a pregnancy test from your doctor, other sexual health clinics, pharmacies, or supermarkets.
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