Early Pregnancy- a rollercoaster of emotions.

Finding out your pregnant can feel scary, daunting, exciting and overwhelming all at once. You may feel confused, shocked, unsure about telling others including your partner- all very normal feelings.

Many women fall pregnant unplanned so its not suprising that they feel every emotion when finding out.

It always seems the done thing to call the GP to let them know your pregnant 🤰 but most midwifery services are moving towards electronic systems now to register your pregnancy to skip the step of needing to liaise with a GP. This makes registering a simpler process as most things you visit the GP for in Pregnancy you would just be advised to 'see your midwife' as they are the expert during this time. Those who don't have a very good relationship with their GP practice or doctor may see this as an obstacle to booking their pregnancy, and may delay or be reluctant to book, so it is reassuring that systems are evolving now. Of course women also have the choice to skip the GP and NHS midwifery services completely if thats the path they choose, and can book with an Independent Midwife who would conduct their appointments in the comfort of their own home at a time to suit them and their commitments, this can help remove the anxiety of navigating appointment times/dates and working that around work, childcare etc and also if the woman is holding trauma from a previous experience she may feel daunted approaching the NHS again so Independent Midwives can break that anxiety barrier but ensure the woman still feels held and monitored as she would be if she was with the NHS, the big difference is Continuity of Care, which unfortunately is becoming a dying art in the NHS, despite being recommended in the Better Births plan and associated with improved outcomes for mother and baby it is fast declining in NHS maternity services. I was lucky to work for a Continuity of Care team when I worked with the NHS, I have witnessed first hand the improved outcomes, the trusting relationships that are built and the overall experience and satisfaction and gratitude of the woman and family.

Of course not every woman that falls pregnant knows straight away what she wants to do, and that's ok, having a baby, a family is a huge impactful change which is going to change the rest of your life, there may be other considerations involved ie you may still be living at home and worried about accomodating a baby into your life, you may still be at school/college or may have just got promoted at work, you may have been on contraception but were in the 0.01% who still fell pregnant, you may not be in a stable place with your partner, many number of reasons why having a baby might not feel right for you at this time, and thats ok too. You may feel isolated and alone with your thoughts and feelings but your not alone in this there are many people who can advise and support and explain your options such as BPAS, adoption agencies or your local trust early pregnancy assessment centre, even a close friend or family member and despite what women are led to believe midwives can also support and advise with this.

Alongside all these thoughts, feelings, discussions and navigation of services you may also be experiencing:

- Morning sickness (which may even be lasting longer than the morning, stripping you of all your nutrients, leaving you tired, sore and miserable, there are many treatment options ranging from mild suggestions such as ginger, travel bands, hypnotherapy right up to a variation of anti sickness medications - sometimes women need to try more than 1 variety as not all medicines work for all women).

- Reflux, you may have gone off your favourite foods and drinks, struggling to find what you can tolerate and balancing cravings with sickness, heightened senses in pregnancy affect your smell, your tastes so nothing tastes or smells the same anymore, and you may not even be able to eat and drink at all (It is important that if your not tolerating fluids you access your nearest A & E as to avoid dehydration).

- All kinds of aches and pains, the hormones are changing, the hormone relaxin is increasing and softening your pelvis meaning it can move around more, in turn causing pelvic pain, back pain, pressure down below and struggles with walking and getting comfortable at night to sleep (It is safe to use paracetamol in pregnancy, take 1g (2 tablets) every 4-6 hours and no more than 8 in 24 hours), you can also try a warm bath or hot water bottle, if this worsens through pregnancy its advisable to self refer yourself to the local physiotherapy services.

- Change in mental health, due to the levels of hormones changing in your body when you become pregnant you can experience mood swings, disconnection, increased anxiety, social retraction and even social anxiety leaving you feeling not wanting to go out, not socialising with friends as normal etc. All of these things can cause negative disruptions to relationships both with partners and family and friends and you can start to feel very isolated and alone despite being surrounded by people who care, you are not alone, you have just lost your way and thats ok, the hormones will adjust but this can take time, there are people that can help, the MIND charity offers wellbeing support for both pregnant mums and also for Dads struggling with the adaption. NHS wellbeing can also offer support- you can self refer and will be prioritised because your pregnant however there are still waiting lists so it wouldnt be an immediate fix. There are also other charities such as getmeoutthese4walls, anxiety UK, and many more. It can also help to break down your feelings and deal with them one step at a time, whilst receiving small nuggets of information along the way to nurture your pregnancy but also hold you whilst you navigate the path ahead. Another thing that can really help is hypnobirthing this helps reprogram the mind and allows for relaxation, breathwork and comfort scripts to ground you, reconnect with your pregnancy and also your partner it can be beneficial from 12 weeks of pregnancy right up until you give birth and beyond.

Its ok to feel like your on a rollercoaster, support is here if you need it, you aren’t alone. Take a look at my Early embrace package for navigating the first few weeks of pregnancy and for ongoing support my nurture path and hypnobirthing pavkage are available, you can see them all here - Welcome to Gentle Midwifery Norfolk https://share.google/KjtBfsFZxiw8N99Vi just click to book a discovery call to chat further about any of my packages. If you have any questions or need support don't hesitate to send me an email to [email protected] I offer non-judgemental, calm, nurturing support to hold you and walk beside you throughout your pregnancy and birth journey ❤️.