Guide to your first pregnancy
Josephine Frost · 13. oktober 2024 · 2 min read
In this blog post we focus on being pregnant for the first time – the thoughts and feelings that can arise, and everything in between.
When the two lines appear
Two lines appear on the pregnancy test and a sea of emotions arises. Overwhelming joy, anticipation, feeling overwhelmed, nervousness or worry are all feelings that can wash over you. Perhaps you are already noticing early signs of pregnancy, perhaps you feel nauseous or more tired than usual.
Sharing the pregnancy with your loved ones
At some point you will probably also start wondering when to tell family and friends. Is there a right time to share the news?
Our recommendation is to trust your feelings and do what feels right for you. There is no right or wrong time. Should something go wrong, it is the same people you shared the joy with who can now also help carry some of the sorrow with you.
How far along are you?
To calculate how far along you are, the first day of your last period and your cycle are used. A pregnancy is divided into three trimesters: the 1st trimester runs from weeks 0–12, the 2nd trimester from weeks 12–28 and finally the 3rd trimester from weeks 29–40. When you are scanned with us we count in weeks and days, i.e. when you are 6+2 you are 6 weeks and 2 days along.
The early scan and the practical side
When you discover you are pregnant, you need to find out how far along you are. You can do this either by using one of the many pregnancy apps or with an early scan, from week 5, where a heartbeat can be seen from week 6+0. Many pregnant women feel a need for extra scans to check in on the little one, and therefore use private scans, where you can find reassurance and have a professional to talk things through with.
When you are between 6 and 10 weeks along you also go to your first doctor's appointment, where your maternity record is created. Then comes the nuchal translucency scan around week 12, midwife appointments between weeks 16–19, and the 20-week scan, where your baby is reviewed systematically. After that there are no further scans in the public system.
Confirm your pregnancy early with an early scan from week 5 →
Josephine Frost
Sonographer and clinic owner
Josephine has performed more than 25,000 scans and has worked in both gynaecological specialist practice and private scanning clinics. She owns Stork Scan and runs both the day-to-day operation and the scans themselves. More about us →