It has happened. I have cracked that ovulation code and am actually pregnant. I’m prodding my abdomen in search of a bump (though the baby is roughly the size of a spec of glitter) and making all sorts of plans for how I’m going to be the best mom who makes the best baby that ever was.
As usual, I was a classic case study in what NOT to do.
My Casual To-Do List Before Baby Arrives:
- Start listening to and develop a taste for classical music
- Learn Mandarin (and Spanish?)
- Stop swearing
- Become Zen-like person to provide optimally calm home nest
- Be healthier than ever (despite feeling more nauseous than ever)
- Prepare for maternity leave by working harder than ever (despite being more exhausted than ever)
- Construct answers for any questions child will have
- On that note, Google: the Four Truths of Buddhism
- Also Google: Einstein’s laws
- Memorize food pyramid
- Complete all remaining items on life bucket list, as will not have time once baby arrives
While spinning wheels on unattainable goals is such a blast, maybe try to focus and prioritize. Here is a to-do list of what you’re actually supposed to do once you get that positive pregnancy test.
1. Calculate your due date
This is the fun part- calculate it here.
2. Make your Doctor’s appointment
This implies you know who your doctor will be. If you don’t, here and here are two articles I found helpful. I especially like the second article’s point about nurses knowing the best doctors.
Whoever you pick, your doctor will want to know the day you started your last cycle, because you probably won’t have your first appointment until week eight. Over the phone, go ahead and ask your doc or nurse practitioner about any medications or products that you use to make sure they’re a-ok. Also ask any recommendations they have until you see them.
3. To tell or not to tell
Girl, absolutely and completely up to you (and your partner in pregnancy). Reasons to wait include the chance of miscarriage being greater early on, or protecting your workplace environment so it won’t be affected before you’re ready. Reasons to tell: So you don’t have to fake drinking when you aren’t, or fake feeling good when you don’t.
As with many pregnancy choices, there isn’t one right answer to this, so don’t stress over it.
4. Keep that health up
Take your prenatal vitamins, exercise, and eat as healthy as possible.
5. Don’t over research!
My next article will cover this, along with conquering pregnancy fears, but the danger of over-research is mentioned here because it is crucial to your sanity that you avoid it. It is so tempting to harness your excitement into researching how to be the best pregnant lady you can be, and there are TRILLIONS of articles written by all sorts of fools to help you do it.
It is imperative that you choose your sources wisely, or you will go down rabbit holes that make Alice’s trip look enviable. Also, don’t skip ahead to trimester 2 and 3 worries. Focus on phase 1, and do it well. This motherhood thing can be overwhelming, so save the stress on birthing plans, childcare options and registry decisions for later.
For now, CELEBRATE. Any fertility specialist will tell you that getting here is a HUGE step. So do a jig, hug a friend, and start developing a healthy milkshake craving.
Coming up next: How to Conquer Pregnancy Fears, Tips for a Fit Pregnancy, and How to Fake Drinking. (Psst, you can read all of the Pregnant Truth Articles here.)