Now You Are Pregnant
Your doctor has confirmed you're pregnant. Congratulations! Your life 
is about to change, starting right now!
The pregnancy police will tell you to be careful what you eat. Stay away from blue-veined cheese, pâté and raw eggs, cut down on caffeine and tuna, and avoid shark and marlin - well some people eat them!
Do we need to tell you about alcohol? OK, drink no more than one or two units (a unit is a glass of wine, half a pint of normal strength beer, or one tot of spirits) once or twice a week. A survey by baby charity Tommy found that 25% of pregnant women drink 5 units a week. Alcohol can damage your unborn baby's brain. Do you really want to do that?
Stop smoking. That includes second-hand smoke. Studies have shown that non-smoking women who are exposed to other people's smoke are more likely to have low-weight babies and give birth prematurely.
Test for group B strep (GBS), the most common cause of life-threatening infections in newborn babies. Around a third of all women carry this bacteria without suffering ill effects, but if it transferred to your baby (usually during labour) it can cause blood-poisoning, pneumonia, meningitis and death. Tests for GBS are not normally available on the NHS. However, you can get a test from The Doctor's laboratory (020 7460 4800) at a cost of £28, a small sum that could save your baby's life. If you are diagnosed as carrying GBS you will be given antibiotics at the start of your labour to reduce the risk of baby contracting the bacteria.
Go to the dentist. If you can find an NHS dentist your treatment will be free during your pregnancy and for a year after the birth, so take advantage and have a check up. Bleeding gums after brushing are very common during pregnancy.
It is safe to have sex. Your sex drive will either go through the roof or may switch off entirely! Sex may feel uncomfortable - try different positions. But if there's any bleeding or pain, stop.
Think about where you want to give birth. You don't have to have your baby in hospital, even if this is your first baby. You can choose to give birth at home or at a midwife-led birth centre if there is one in your area. Then there is the choice of a water birth, pethidine or epidural. Some of this will be covered at your pre-natal classes, but it does no harm to start thinking about your choices now and doing some research.
Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen and codeine. If you get any aches and pains, paracetamol is safe.
Around 15% of people are rhesus-negative. If that includes you, there may be problems if your baby is rhesus-positive - your body could see the baby as an invader and produce antibodies to attack her causing anaemia and jaundice. A simple anti-D injection will stop this happening. Your blood will be tested as part of the routing testing by your doctor or practice-nurse.
