What to Do When You Are Pregnant?

by Pranjul Kapur Tandon

What to Do When You Are Pregnant?  : Pregnancy is like a magnet attracting many age-old superstitions and myths. One of the common superstitions is to keep the news a secret till your belly starts obviously showing. But does making early pregnancy announcements really attract bad luck?

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Unfortunately, first trimester miscarriages are not uncommon and sometimes unexplained. According to the American Pregnancy Association, the miscarriage risk for a healthy young woman may run up to 25 percent in the first trimester. The first confirmation of a healthy pregnancy is listening to the child’s heartbeat. The baby’s heart starts beating by the time you are around 6 weeks pregnant but it is not easy to detect. Hence, the real pregnancy confirmation comes only when your doctor is able to easily detect and medically assess a healthy fetal heart rate which is around 12 weeks into your pregnancy. Once the doctor confirms a healthy heart rate, the chances of miscarriage are less than 10 percent in most cases.

Given the high education levels prevalent today, women are fully aware of their body cycles and over-the-counter urine pregnancy tests are available at low cost in almost all pharmacies. This makes it possible for a woman to confirm that she is pregnant within a few days of conceiving.

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At this point of time when you are very early into your pregnancy, sharing the good news with your partner, immediate family and closest friends is a good idea as along with joy, it also brings in a lot of emotional and physical support in your life. Depending on the nature of your work, you may also consider breaking this news to your work colleagues if you spend the majority of your day in office around them. It would help them understand and co-operate with your upcoming medical appointments, health needs and physical restrictions.

Announcing your pregnancy to your outer circle of friends, relatives and professional associates can always wait till you complete your first trimester (which is the 12 weeks mark) and the doctor confirms to you a high likelihood of successful pregnancy. This would help prevent a lot unnecessary speculation, personal comments and unwanted advice in case things don’t go well in your early pregnancy leading to a miscarriage. Dealing with a heartbreak is always easier in your personal space with your absolute close family and friends.

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So while announcing to the world that you are pregnant does not cast an evil eye on your belly or does not bring you bad luck, it is certainly advisable to break this news once you and your medical caregiver are both reasonably confident about expecting a healthy pregnancy and newborn.

pregnant woman superstition

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Disclaimer:

The information given in this article or any associated Internet links is not be interpreted as medical advice. Please consult your doctor before taking any decisions regarding your body, child or your health.

The author is a CAPPA  certified childbirth educator.

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