The first thing you will want to do after reading a positive pregnancy test stick is to have it confirmed. You will want to immediately call your doctor or midwife to have them confirm your home pregnancy test, if you are lucky they may be able to see you with in a day or two if not you may have to wait a week or two to have your pregnancy confirmed. You will quickly learn that patience will prove to be your friend or your worst enemy now and throughout your pregnancy. It is best to try and learn this early on. Hopefully within a day or two you will have confirmed that you are indeed pregnant. …

You will want to set up your appointment with your OB/GYN or midwife as soon as possible, more likely then not you will be meeting with his/her staff prior to meeting with them. At the first appointment your doctor or midwife will want to know all about you and the fathers medical history so be prepared before you go to the doctors office. They will want to know if you have been pregnant before, any medical conditions that you may have or that may run in your family, etc. It is best to gather this information and have it written down before your appointment.

As you are preparing for your appointment it is also a good idea to keep a running list of any questions or concerns you may have for once you meet with your doctor or midwife. Doctors and midwives are here to help, and they have been asked every question under the sun, no question is too silly so don’t be embarrassed, ask away and remember the only stupid question is the one not asked. After receiving the good news your doctor will most likely give you a bag of goodies that contains packets of information on pregnancy as well as valuable coupons, read this stuff and jot down any questions you may have before your next visit. Your next appointment is likely to be about a month away.

Your doctor or midwife will most likely prescribe some prenatal vitamins; make sure that you take these as they are essential during pregnancy. If for some reason you have an adverse reaction to the vitamins make sure to tell your doctor or midwife as they can likely prescribe you a lower dosage or another brand of prenatal vitamins.

Most likely your first ultrasound will be around 20 weeks of pregnancy and will determine the sex of your baby. Sometimes, your doctor may order an ultrasound at 10-12 weeks to confirm your pregnancy and check that everything is progressing as it should. Throughout your pregnancy you will be bombarded with test after test and ultrasound after ultrasound, don’t be alarmed, these are just precautionary measures.

In the beginning of your pregnancy your doctor/midwife appointments will likely be 4 weeks apart. Once you pregnancy progresses to 32 weeks you will likely see your doctor/midwife every 2 weeks and once you progress to 36 weeks your appointments will be a week apart until you reach week 40. If your pregnancy progresses beyond 40 weeks, which it does in many first time mothers you will likely see your doctor/midwife every few days to insure the safety of you and your baby. Rest assured your doctor/midwife will not let your pregnancy progress beyond 42 weeks although it may be necessary to induce labor naturally or medically. Visit Your Maternity Resource.com for your complete pregnancy guide