The Pregnancy Journey
Finding Out You’re Pregnant
The best way to find out if you are definitely pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. For the most accurate results, it is best to take a test on or after the first day of your missed period. At-home pregnancy tests are 99.99% accurate at detecting a pregnancy. However, the results may be unreliable if you do not follow the test’s instructions correctly, or if you take it too early. If you get a negative result and still think you’re pregnant, wait a few days and try again, or try an alternative to at-home testing.
You can get tested to see if you are pregnant by:
If you’ve confirmed that you are pregnant, it is really important that you contact your GP so that you can talk through your options and get all the right help, support and medical care.
The Stages of Pregnancy
1st Trimester: Weeks 1-12
The very start of your pregnancy. The baby will grow from a ball of cells into an embryo. Body parts will start to form, and at six weeks, the heartbeat can be detected through an ultrasound scan. The first trimester is when most people find out they are pregnant. Common symptoms include missing your period, feeling or being sick, tiredness, cravings and mood swings.
2nd Trimester: Weeks 13-28
The baby keeps on growing. They will develop the ability to see and hear, start to move, go through cycles of sleep, and make their own blood cells. Scans may be able to identify the birth gender – if you want to know. Common symptoms include weight gain, pains at the side of your stomach (due to your womb expanding), thicker and shinier hair, headaches, and backaches.
3rd Trimester: Weeks 29-40
The last stage of your pregnancy. The baby’s lungs will become fully formed and they will move around a lot more as they prepare to get into position for the birth. This is often the most uncomfortable stage as the baby fills all the space available to them. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, swelling in the ankles, face, and fingers, a change in your sleeping patterns, sore breasts, and urinating more frequently.
Labour and Birth
It’s time to meet your baby. Labour has three stages including the birth and afterbirth. The whole process can take hours or days; it all depends on the individual. Throughout your labour, you will be cared for by a medical team who will make sure all is OK and help you follow your birth plan wherever possible. You can also have a birthing partner to help support you through. The NHS has lots of information about labour, birth and what comes next – check it out here.
How The NHS Can Support You Through Pregnancy
The NHS provides free antenatal care (also known as pregnancy care or maternity care) for people who are expecting a baby. Once you know you are pregnant, you should contact your GP as soon as possible, so you can start antenatal care. Different people will help care for you at different times, who may include:
- GPs/Doctors/Nurses: to perform routine medical checkups throughout your pregnancy to check that you and the baby are doing well.
- Midwives: to perform more in-depth health checkups on the baby (such as ultrasound scans), as well as providing guidance, advice, and emotional support throughout the pregnancy, birth and for a little while after the baby has been born.
- Obstetricians (doctors who specialise in pregnancy and birth): to help with any complications or to step in if specialist care is needed.
Antenatal care will take place across a number of settings including your home, your local GP surgery, and the hospital. The choice of location will be given to you wherever possible. Whether you accept the offer of routine medical tests is also your choice. However, in order for your pregnancy to go as smoothly as possible, it’s highly recommended to go to all your medical checkups and take the relevant medical tests. You can discuss any thoughts, feelings, questions or concerns with your doctor and midwife; they are there to listen, guide, and reassure you so that you can make the best decisions for you and your new baby.
The NHS website has plenty of great information about conception, pregnancy, childbirth, and the start of parenthood (post-natal), which you can read through at your own pace here.
Other Things to Think About
- What to eat: the best food to eat and avoid during pregnancy, what supplements you may need to take, and the myth of ‘eating for two.’
- Drinking and smoking: why it is not advisable to drink or smoke whilst pregnant and support you can get to stop.
- Medication: what medications you should and shouldn’t be taking whilst pregnant. Always talk to your doctor or midwife before coming off medication you are already on.
- Illness and infection: how to avoid it and what to do if you’re worried.
- Maternity benefits: what financial help you may be entitled to while pregnant, including free dental care, free prescriptions, and income-related support. Please also check out our page on how your university can support you during pregnancy.
Also, be sure to check out the National Childbirth Trust (NCT)! They support people throughout parenthood (including pregnancy, birth, and early childhood) with their antenatal and postnatal courses, which brings people together to share their experiences and information throughout their journeys. They also run community-based events across the UK and have an information hub and a free Infant Feeding Support Line 365 days a year.
When Things Don’t Go to Plan
Everyone’s pregnancy journey and experiences are different. This can sometimes lead to complications or things turning out not quite as hoped. Miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labour and postnatal depression can add so much worry, anxiety and mental distress onto what is already a very emotional experience. We hope you will never find yourself in any of these situations, but if you do, then people will be there to support you. You are not alone.