there must be a signpost around here somewhere

hi girls, This is my first visit, just got BFP today and DH and I are so excited. Was looking around for a "where do I start?" thread. I'm clueless and don't want to ask all the silly obvious questions that have been answered hundreds of times before. can you point me in the right direction? we are going to go to doctor tomorrow but other than that I haven't a notion what to do. thanks

Well, i'm only a little ahead of you so probably not the best person to be giving advice just yet! Congrats on your good news! Making an appointment with the doc is the first step. Then you need to pick a hospital and decide on public, semi-private or private. If private, you need to decide quickly because i think a lot of the consultants book up really quickly. Then ring to make an appointment. And then as far as i know you just need to wait it out till your first hospital visit at around 12 weeks.

thanks Montblanc, I have to book consultants and hospitals already wow! is there a good thread to figure out what I can and can't eat, I read the one in TTC but got my self confused as to what was good for ttc and what was good for pg or is it the same list?

Congratulations Everyone will tell you different things that you can and cant eat. Just ask your doctor 2moro for a leaflet or booklet. They will also give you a lot of info leaflets in the hosp. Just start taking your folic acid ASAP if you arnt already on it

congratulations and welcome. Don't be shy about asking questions - there's always another wave of newbies that appreciate that someone is asking them! To start with you want to think about - what kind of care you want (public/private/semi-private; home or hospital; midwife-led or doctor-led; which hospital; etc) and make your 12 week appointment soon as these book up quickly (talk to your GP about this at the first appointment) - the main foods to avoid are [i:2rue8nhz]anything that might give you food poisoning [/i:2rue8nhz](soft unpasteurised cheeses, deli meats, foods containing raw or uncooked egg, meats that aren't cooked the whole way through, etc), [i:2rue8nhz]certain fish[/i:2rue8nhz] that contain high levels of mercury (usually the ones that eat other fish like shark, swordfish); food and drinks containing [i:2rue8nhz]caffeine[/i:2rue8nhz] (there is some dispute about how much caffeine is ok with the more recent studies suggesting less and less). If you google a bit you'll find loads of articles on what to avoid, and what to make sure you eat too. - your GP will take your blood pressure, weight and check your urine. Don't forget to let him/her know if you are taking any medications, or supplements so you can discuss what is ok for the baby. If you are a smoker this is a good opportunity to discuss what kind of support you can access to help give up. - stock your freezer soon with lots of easy-for-DH-to-defrost-and-cook meals as you may find that shopping and cooking become difficult when morning sickness sets in. I really wish someone had warned me about this! - drinking lots of water will help ease some of the little cramps you get as your uterus stretches. I used to panic everytime I got a twinge down there as I thought I was about to miscarry, but keeping hydrated helps. There are also loads of "pregnancy week by week" guides online and it's nice to read about how things are developing. I loved the pictures on I-am-pregnant-com congratulations again!