I'm Pregnant, Now What?
e-mail
Okay, so you have taken a home pregnancy test and the result is positive. Now what? What happens next? You are probably facing an overwhelming amount of emotions at this time. If you have been planning this pregnancy, then there is probably unspeakable amounts of joy. If this is an unplanned pregnancy then there is probably some concern and worry regarding the future and the options that are available to you. Regardless of whether this is a planned or unplanned pregnancy, the next step is to contact a physician.
When you make the appointment, you should be prepared to complete a fair amount of paperwork. The doctor will need a full medical history, including information on any past pregnancies and births. At this time you should be prepared to inform your doctor about any health conditions which you may have, any medications you are taking and the medical history of family members which may impact your pregnancy.
Even if you have already taken a pregnancy test and received a positive pregnancy result, it is important for a physician to confirm the pregnancy with a blood test. This is done for multiple reasons. While most home pregnancy tests are fairly accurate, it is not unknown for a test to produce a false positive. Your physician needs to conduct a pregnancy test to confirm the pregnancy as well as to quantify the amount of pregnancy hormone present. This can help to ensure that the pregnancy is progressing as it should as well as give both of you an idea of the length of the pregnancy to date.
Your pregnancy practitioner will also want to perform blood work to check for your blood type. This is important to determine whether you have a negative RH factor. If your blood type is negative and the father of the baby has a positive RH factor then this could potentially put the baby at risk without appropriate treatment. Your doctor will also check for health conditions and diseases including anemia and sexually transmitted diseases. In some cases, it may also be necessary for genetic tests to be performed as well, particularly if you are the father of the baby belong to certain ethnic groups which are more prone to experiencing problems with certain conditions and diseases.
Your physician will also likely perform a pelvic examination to examine the uterus as well. This is another step to ensure the pregnancy is progressing properly. Unless you have had one performed recently, a Pap smear will also typically be performed.
During your appointment, your doctor will use information gathered from the tests as well as information you provide regarding your last menstrual period to determine your due date. The physician will also commonly discuss what you should expect over the next several weeks, including pregnancy symptoms, and provide information to you regarding possible warning signs of problems and how to care for yourself and your baby during this critical period. In some cases, the physician may provide nutritional instructions and may also provide a prescription for pre-natal vitamins. In the event that this is an unplanned pregnancy, your physician will also discuss options with you.
Your first appointment with your physician will likely be one of your longest. Following this appointment you can expect to see your doctor once every month until you reach 28 weeks, provided there are no problems with the pregnancy. Once you are 28 weeks into the pregnancy, your doctor will likely request to see you on a more frequent basis, typically about every two weeks. During the last month of your pregnancy you will likely be seen by your doctor once per week until delivery.
