Getting Organized

Congratulations, you're pregnant! What an exciting time in your life! Now that you're pregnant, you have lots of things on your mind and many things to do. Be assured that it is perfectly normal to experience a wide range of emotions. Some days you may be bursting with delight and excitement; at other times you may feel frightened and overwhelmed. You can reduce some of the stress you might be feeling by getting organized and making some important decisions. Your top priority right now is to establish excellent prenatal care for yourself and your unborn baby. You need to find the best doctor (or midwife) to care for you during your pregnancy and upcoming delivery. You also need to review diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits that are important to maintain during your pregnancy.

You are about to embark on your amazing journey toward motherhood, and your life will never again be quite the same. Best wishes to you during your pregnancy. It is such a special time.

1. How is my due date calculated?

Your due date is calculated based on the first day of your last menstrual cycle. That's why it's important to keep a record of your periods when you are trying to get pregnant. You become pregnant when your body is ovulating. Ovulation is the releasing of an egg from one of your ovaries. The egg can only be fertilized within twenty-four to thirty-six hours of ovulation. If you have intercourse during ovulation time, there is a good chance that one of the millions of sperm released during your partner's ejaculation will fertilize your egg. Most women cycle approximately every 28 days and ovulate on or about day 14. The easiest way to determine your menstrual or fertility cycle is to begin counting on the first day of your period; this is day one. Continue to count each day until you reach day 14. For most women, day 14 is ovulation day and the most likely day for you to become pregnant. After day 14, continue to count each day. If you are pregnant, you won't have another period. If you are not pregnant, continue to count (usually until about day 28) until your next period begins and the cycle starts all over again with day one.

The due date of a full-term pregnancy is based on 40 weeks from the first day of your last period. Another way of looking at it is to say that your due date is about 38 weeks after conception. However, the medical profession uses the 40 weeks from your last period method. Those little gestational wheels used to calculate due dates that you see in your doctor's office are based on the same 40-week term method. Ask your doctor to show you how it works.

In some cases, it may be difficult to determine your due date. Perhaps you don't remember when your last period was, or maybe your periods are irregular. In these cases, the doctor will often order an ultrasound to assist in determining the due date.

2. When should I tell my family and friends that I am pregnant?

The decision to tell others about your pregnancy is entirely up to you. Most women immediately share the news with spouse, partner, or a close friend. This is usually a good idea because it enables you to discuss your excitement and share your concerns with a close and supportive person in your life. However, before you announce the big news to your entire family and all your friends, and coworkers, you may want to consider a few important issues.

Many women prefer to know that the fetus is viable before telling others. This may be especially true if you have had miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies in the past. Once you have heard or seen the fetal heartbeat, there is a greater than 95 percent chance that the fetus will not miscarry. Waiting until you have that reassurance allows you to avoid the difficulty and sadness of having to announce that a miscarriage has occurred.

Some women, especially those over thirty-five, prefer to know that the baby's genetic makeup is normal prior to announcing news of their pregnancy. (If you are age thirty-five or older, your baby has a slightly increased chance of having genetic abnormalities.) If test results show a genetic abnormality, the woman has the option to confidentially terminate her pregnancy.

On the other hand, some women enjoy sharing the big news with everyone right away. By immediately announcing your pregnancy to your group of family and friends, you are able to celebrate your happiness with all of them. Should a miscarriage or problem occur, you would also receive sympathy and encouragement from a large support system.

Once the news of your pregnancy becomes widespread, prepare yourself for a barrage of advice, warnings, and stories. When it comes to pregnancy and childbirth, just about every woman considers herself an expert and has a story to tell. Even though their comments are made out of love and concern for you, eventually these remarks may cause you undue worry and concern. Perhaps your well-intentioned friend doesn't remember the entire story, or maybe technology has changed since a particular incident happened. The important thing for you to do is establish a close relationship with a caring and communicative doctor. Your health provider, who knows you and your situation, is best qualified to address your concerns and questions. Your doctor is there to care for you and also to comfort and reassure you through the entire pregnancy and childbirth experience.

3. What changes in my diet, exercise, and lifestyle should I make?

In a perfect world, you would maintain an ideal, healthy lifestyle and have absolutely no vices or bad habits. That would mean that you don't smoke and you've avoided all alcohol, medication, and drug use. It would also mean that you eat a well-balanced diet, exercise in moderation two to three times each week, and take one prenatal vitamin per day. Honestly, that is rarely the situation. Once you find out that you're pregnant, immediately stop the use of all tobacco, alcohol, or drugs and do your best to eat a healthy diet. If you are already participating in an exercise program, it's fine to continue. However, most experts agree that pregnancy is not a good time to begin a vigorous exercise routine, because your body is already going through so many other important changes. If you were taking prenatal vitamins prior to becoming pregnant, it's fine to continue. Otherwise, they will be prescribed for you at your first prenatal visit.

Prior to finding out that you are pregnant,...