Just found out you are pregnant? Here’s what your first 12 weeks look like

Esi saw two lines on her pregnancy test. She stared at the test for a full minute before she called her husband. Then the questions started. When should she see someone? What should she stop eating? Is it all right to take the medicine she has been using for headaches? And why does she suddenly feel so tired?

If you have just seen a positive test, congratulations. Here is what to do, what to expect and what to look out for in the first 12 weeks.

Step 1: Work out how far along you are

Pregnancy is counted from the first day of your last period, not from the day you conceived. So when you find out, you are usually already about four or five weeks pregnant.

Our free due date calculator tells you your due date, how many weeks you are, and what is coming up next.

Step 2: Start folic acid today

Folic acid helps protect your baby’s brain and spine as they form in the first weeks. Take 400 mcg every day until you are at least 12 weeks pregnant. Some women need a higher dose, for example if they have diabetes, epilepsy, sickle cell disease or a family history of spina bifida. Ask your prescriber or pharmacist.

Step 3: Book your first antenatal visit

Go to an antenatal clinic as early as you can, ideally before 12 weeks. At your first visit you will usually:

• have your blood pressure, weight and urine checked
• have blood tests for your blood group, iron level, HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis and sickle cell
• get advice on iron and folic acid
• be booked for a scan to confirm your dates

Antenatal care is covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme, so make sure your card is active.

Step 4: Check every medicine and herbal remedy

Some medicines, and many herbal mixtures, are not suitable in pregnancy. Before you take anything, including painkillers, supplements, herbal teas or a mixture a relative recommends, ask a pharmacist. Paracetamol is usually the first choice for headaches and pain in pregnancy, but check the dose with us.

If you take regular medicine for a condition such as high blood pressure, epilepsy or depression, do not stop it suddenly. Speak to your prescriber as soon as possible.

Step 5: Protect yourself from malaria

Malaria in pregnancy is dangerous for you and your baby. Sleep under a treated mosquito net every night. From the second trimester, your antenatal clinic will usually give you preventive malaria medicine at your visits.

What you may feel, week by week

Coping with sickness

• Eat small amounts often. An empty stomach makes nausea worse.
• Keep plain crackers or dry bread by your bed and eat a little before you get up.
• Sip water, coconut water or ginger drinks through the day.
• Rest when you can. Your body is working hard, and feeling exhausted in the first trimester is common.

See a prescriber if you cannot keep any food or fluids down for 24 hours, you are passing very little urine, or you feel dizzy. Severe sickness can be treated.

Food and drink to avoid

• Alcohol and cigarettes
• Raw or undercooked meat, fish and eggs
• Unpasteurised milk and soft cheeses
• Too much caffeine: keep it under about two cups of coffee a day, and remember tea, cola and energy drinks count too
• Unwashed fruit and vegetables

Warning signs: go to the hospital straight away

• Bleeding with cramps or pain
• Strong pain on one side of your tummy, especially with dizziness or shoulder-tip pain
• Fever, or burning when you wee
• Fainting

Some spotting in early pregnancy is common and often harmless, but it should always be checked.

We are here for you

Pregnancy brings a lot of questions, and we are happy to answer them. Chat with a Draxer pharmacist on WhatsApp about any medicine or supplement before you take it, or book a free consultation.

This article is for general information. It does not replace advice from your prescriber or pharmacist about your own health.