I just found out I'm pregnant. Now what?

[3 min read]

• Just found out you're pregnant? There's no right or wrong way to feel about it.
• There are important steps to take as you begin your pregnancy to help support your health over the long term and ensure the healthiest possible start for you and your baby.   
• Providence Swedish is home to a robst team of midwives who are here for you through every step of life, from family planning to supporting you and your baby through labor and delivery and beyond. 
• A Providence Swedish midwife has guidance for the start of your pregnancy journey.  

Seeing a positive pregnancy test can bring a flood of emotions — excitement, joy, surprise, anxiety, or all of the above. No matter how you’re feeling, know that there is no “right” way to react. The most important thing is to take a deep breath and focus on the next few steps that can help support your health and your pregnancy journey.

Providence Swedish midwife Rebekah Ashton, CNM, DNP, has been working in high and low risk labor and delivery since beginning her nursing career 31 years ago.

“We want people to know that they can make the best choice for themselves and their families,” says Ashton. "Our goal is to establish a trust based relationship for advice and encouragement along the way."   

Ashton shared some guidance for parents beginning that journey and some important first steps for a healthy pregnancy.

1.  Check in with yourself 

There’s no right way to feel about a positive pregnancy test. Some people are surprised and some people invest an incredible amount of time trying to get pregnant. Seeing a positive pregnancy test can bring a flood of emotions — excitement, joy, surprise, anxiety, or all of the above. And it’s normal to be surprised by emotions you didn’t expect. No matter how you’re feeling, know that there isn’t a right or a wrong way to react. The most important thing is to take a deep breath and focus on the next few steps that can help support your health and your pregnancy journey.

2.  Schedule an initial prenatal appointment 

 At First Hill, Ballard and Issaquah you can arrange a virtual visit. This is an opportunity to start asking your questions and learning about your choices in care.  We will also want to know about your health history and even your family history, for example, did your sister have preeclampsia? We are there to answer your early questions and discuss managing any complications or symptoms like nausea or vomiting. The first visit is typically virtual so we can quickly connect and make sure you have the safety information you need and ensure that you have your in-person visit scheduled correctly.

3.  Meet with a midwife or nurse practitioner 

We’ll schedule that within two to four weeks of the telemedicine visit. We typically schedule an ultrasound for you before our first in-person, but we make that decision based on our telemedicine conversation and when you found out you were pregnant. During the in-person we’ll finish up any unanswered questions from the telemedicine visit. We’ll do a physical exam and begin collecting lab samples, such as urine, vaginal swabs, and blood.  We’ll also start planning for any additional optional genetic testing lab work and ultrasounds.

4.  Work with your care team to what level of care you may need 

After the virtual and the first in-person visit, we usually see people about every two to six weeks, depending on what level of prenatal care they need. Midwifery care at Swedish is designed to maintain health and confidence as the pregnancy progresses. We connect our patients with resources for education and building community as they manage the changes of pregnancy and preparing for birth and parenting. If you are experiencing a high risk pregnancy, like twins, then prenatal visits are with our obstetrics service where we have residents and attending obstetricians. For patients with complex medical conditions or severe pregnancy complications, they are transferred to our perinatology service, also known as maternal fetal medicine.  For additional testing, there are ultrasounds usually in the first and second trimester — at least two for everybody. And there are labs with blood work that's done toward the middle or end of the first trimester and towards the end of the second trimester.  

5.  Plan for when your due date gets closer 

Once you get within a month of your due date, we’ll start seeing you every one to two weeks until delivery. We’ll start talking about what will happen if you don’t go into labor on your own by a certain date. 

Ashton also emphasizes the importance of adopting healthy habits and giving yourself plenty of grace. There’s no perfect way to do any of it. But she emphasizes her gratitude for being able to work with her pregnant patients.

“It is deeply fulfilling to help people when they’re giving birth,” she says. “There is so much excitement, and long-term impact on how people think about their bodies and what they’re capable of; It’s a privilege to support them and help them feel safe during such an important and vulnerable time.”

Learn more and find physician or advanced practice clinician care (APC)