Your pregnancy

Essential Baby
July 1, 2008
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Pregnancy and birth

The following guide offers helpful advice and suggestions about what you need to do next.

If you have just found out that you are pregnant, then the chances are that you are in at least the fourth week of your pregnancy.

If you have been preparing for pregnancy, you will probably already be aware of the following information, but have a quick read through anyway, just to make sure you haven't missed anything!

If you have not been preparing for pregnancy then you need to read through the following guide to find out what you need to do next.

Either way, start recording your diary now!

Visit your doctor or specialist
You should visit your doctor, midwife or specialist as soon as you have produced a positive pregnancy result. Your doctor may perform a second pregnancy test (usually the same urine test you have performed at home, or a blood test) to confirm the result. A number of routine tests and measurements are usually taken to determine base levels which will be used to monitor changes during your pregnancy.

Some tests that may be carried out include:

- Urine test

- Blood test

- Weight

- Blood pressure

- Internal examination (may or may not be performed at the first visit)

- External examination

This is a great time to talk to your doctor about your choices for care during pregnancy and birth and to find out where you can get more information. If you have lots of questions, write them down and take them along to your appointment- it's easy to forget things once you are in the surgery and you're going to have a lot of questions to ask over the next 40 or so weeks.

How do I know how pregnant I am, and how is my pregnancy measured and dated?
A woman's menstrual cycle is on average 28 days long. Using this 28-day average, fertilisation or conception normally occurs at around day 14 or the middle of your cycle (2 weeks after your last period and 2 weeks before your next period). Although (based on an average 28-day cycle) conception is likely to occur on day 14 of your cycle; the start of your pregnancy is actually calculated from the start date of your last menstrual period (LMP), or day 1 of your cycle. Continued...