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  • 19-02-2008 12:33pm
    #1
    gar_29
    Closed Accounts Posts: 174 ✭✭


    Morning all!


    I've just found out that my girlfriend is pregnant, and while it's unexpected it's very very welcome :)

    but i'm a bit clueless as to what are the next steps, what should we be thinking about now? What are the appointments/tests/questions we should be asking?

    apologies is this has been answered in another thread.....

    cheers!!!!


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    #2
    pubpub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭pubpub


    Congrats!

    Not an expert by any means just a mum so I'll give you my tuppece worth.

    Has your girlfriend gone to doctor - that is the first port of call - get test done by doctor and they usually arrange hospital appointment or give contact details for hospital. Consider if you are going public or private.

    Get yourself a good illustrated pregnancy book - and it should give lots of advice. Check out library they often have good ones.

    Find out foods to be avoided and make sure girlfriend is taking Folic Acid.

    I'm sure there are lots of other points that other posters will mention.

    Good luck!


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    #3
    embee
    Registered Users Posts: 2,890 ✭✭✭embee


    Congrats, OP.

    First thing to do (if ye haven't already) is get yourselves down to the GP, who will confirm the pregnancy and start you off on Combined Care. This means that, through the duration of your girlfriends pregnancy, she will alternate her ante-natal appointments between her GP and your chosen maternity hospital. If you go public, these visits are all free of charge.

    Between now and your first hospital appt (where ye will get your first scan), your girlfriend needs to start taking a folic acid supplement asap. Ideally, all women of childbearing age would be taking it, but in early pregnancy it is vital that she is taking it on a daily basis. If she is taking any other vitamin supplements (like Centrum), she should stop - large doses of Vitamin A during pregnancy can be highly toxic to a developing baby. She can take a supplement like Pregnacare - it has the correct amount of folic acid with safe levels of other nutrients. She needs to stop any prescription meds she is on, or else have the dosages altered, by her GP. There are very few substances that don't cross the placenta. She also needs to inform her workplace, particularly if she is in a position where she could be exposed to health and safety hazards.

    Don't eat unpasteurised products - blue cheese, ice cream cones etc. No raw fish, no paté. If she's a smoker, she should have stopped - same with drinking alcohol. Take it easy during exercise - pregnancy makes your joints softer and more prone to overstretching, so she needs to take it easy (but don't stop altogether!).


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    #4
    CapedCrusader
    Registered Users Posts: 215 ✭✭CapedCrusader


    And cook her meat well :-) Pink isn't done enough!

    That's what I remember most... it used to break my heart cooking the bajaney out of her meat :)


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    #5
    gar_29
    Closed Accounts Posts: 174 ✭✭gar_29


    CapedCrusader wrote: »
    And cook her meat well :-) Pink isn't done enough!

    That's what I remember most... it used to break my heart cooking the bajaney out of her meat :)

    no more rare steaks? down with that!!!

    cheers everyone, thanks a million.


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    #6
    flanzer
    Registered Users Posts: 3,135 ✭✭✭flanzer


    Congrats OP, I'm in the same boat as you also. Only found out last Monday! We went to the Doctor just to finally make sure she was preggers. We had done 2 positive tests at home. She's only gone about 8 weeks and am trying to keep tight lipped as possible for another 4 weeks or so. Both our parents know. We're over the moon... :):)

    The Pregnancy Thread sticky at the top of this forum has a lot of good tips. I got a good book called First Time Parents from DK publishing, that's pretty good. It's get's you even more excited when you start to read it!

    EDIT: Here's the book we got. Most good book shops should have it. Gives a good insight to everything to do with Pregnancy


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    #7
    Shelli
    Closed Accounts Posts: 919 ✭✭✭Shelli


    Congrats OP

    one thing I will say is that if she's not 100% happy with her GP now is the time to change. My old GP was useless and wouldn't answer any of my questions at my first visit, just kept saying "you'll find all that out as you go along".....I never went back to her! My new GP practice is brilliant, very helpful and friendly.

    Most hospitals will have an early pregnancy seminare for first timers, well worth going to, well Holles St was anyway.


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