Your Pregnancy Test Is Positive. What’s Next?
You have been waiting for this day in your life for a long time. The outcome of your IVF treatment is to be revealed.
Yes, it is time to take the pregnancy test.
And it’s positive.
A surge of emotions run through your mind and body. You feel like crying and laughing at the same time. It is possibly one of the best days of your life and understandably so.
As things calm down, you start wondering what’s in store for you next.
Let’s find out.
Confirm the Results of your Home Pregnancy Test First
If you took a home pregnancy test, your fertility consultant may request to get a confirmation of your home pregnancy test via a blood test. This helps to rule out any false positives.
It can be quite confusing to have a negative result in blood test. Though rare, it can happen as some fertility treatments involve hCG hormone injections resulting in high levels of hCG in the body. This may give a false positive result on the pregnancy.
Meet With Your Fertility Specialist
Get in touch with your fertility specialist with the positive result of your pregnancy test. Schedule an appointment with your gynaecologist to discuss antenatal care.
The appointment with your fertility team and your obstetrician is basically to discuss any questions that you may have regarding your pregnancy. If you have done the ultrasound test, it will help your team to rule out ectopic pregnancy. This happens when the embryo implants outside of the uterus.
If all is well, your doctor may also carry out some internal check-ups and prescribe antenatal supplements that will help you to have a healthy pregnancy.
Calculating Your Due Date
Your healthcare provider will calculate your due date in your first antenatal appointment. This basically stands at 40 weeks from your last menstrual period for a full term pregnancy. It is a near accurate estimation for normal pregnancies. A seven day error margin is acceptable.
However, the calculation may not always stand true as IVF patients may encounter complications during their pregnancy team resulting in premature births.
Trimester-wise Breakup Of Screenings and Lab Work
An average pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks, and until your baby is born, you need a constant medical check-up during those days of pregnancy.
When you are through weeks 4-28, your prenatal visit should commence every month. The prenatal visit during weeks 28-36 needs medical check-ups twice every two weeks. And in the last stage of pregnancy during weeks 36-40, you need one prenatal visit every week.
In your first trimester, your fertility team may require you to undergo some more general screenings and tests.
The second trimester will involve more genetic diagnostic tests in case any of the previous screenings came back with an abnormal finding. You will also be checked for gestational diabetes at this stage. Additional ultrasounds may be required to screen for anatomical abnormalities in the fetus.
In the third trimester, you will take a group B strep swab to check for the presence of group B strep in the vagina. The position of the fetus will be checked again via an ultrasound. Depending on your fertility team, additional lab work may be required.
Prioritize Your Health and The Health of Your Pregnancy
It is every woman’s wish to have a healthy baby irrespective of the age she is in and the number of children she has, as every child is precious. To ensure that you have a healthy pregnancy, follow these tips:
Eat Healthy: A pregnant woman may need an extra 200 to 800 calories towards the third trimester. Choice of food will be completely hers. However, nutritive calories would add value to the health of the mother and the baby. A good intake of fibre through fruits and veggies not only adds to the nutritive requirements but also nullifies the constipation issue which may arise in the course of the pregnancy.
Exercise Regularly: Pelvic floor exercises are very much required to go through a smooth delivery phase. A normal routine of activity is needed during pregnancy. Overeating in the name of nutrition and resting which is a myth can add negative elements to the pregnancy of a woman by making the delivery process a tedious one.
Take Your Supplements: Folic acid is the most essential vitamin supplement which is required in pregnancy for the growth of the baby’s spine and brain. Along with it, iron and calcium are also required for the healthy growth of the baby. Your antenatal caregiver would explain the requirement of supplements and prescribe the right amount of dosage.
Visit The Doctor Regularly: Ever since you find out that you have conceived, you should make it a priority to visit a healthcare provider at the earliest. This enables them to prescribe the necessary care, nutritional requirements, supplements, exercise routines and so on, to the ‘would be’ mother.
Getting the necessary check-ups done at regular intervals helps the healthcare providers evaluate your baby’s and your health conditions. Certain scans may help them understand the genetic mutations or the ailments a child may inherit from their parents. Hence, it is very much essential to get investigated regularly at the suggestion of a doctor. Pelvic examinations are also required to understand the dilation of the cervix in the third trimester.
Be Positive: Good food, proper exercise, essential medications, and regular visits to the healthcare provider can only fetch good results during pregnancy. Good thoughts are very much required to eliminate the pregnancy blues and positive thinking amidst loving family members can do the task perfectly.
What’s Next?
When you see your positive test result it is normal to have a lot of questions. This is where fertility experts come in. Instead of worrying about yourself, let the experts worry for you.
At the end of the day, your IVF and pregnancy journey will always be a bundle of emotions and therefore, you need to be associated with the right fertility partner to help you through this stage of life. Feel free to talk to a trusted fertility specialist who will be able to guide you in the right direction.
Need a Recommendation to Find your Perfect Fertility Doctor?
If you are looking for an IVF clinic in Hyderabad, be sure to take a look at MotherToBe, a well-known fertility centre that is headed by Lead Clinician Dr Vyjayanthi. As Director of the clinic and an experienced fertility specialist, she is one of the very few in India to have earned a sub-specialty accreditation in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, UK.
With a long and positive reputation in this field, Dr Vyjayanthi and MotherToBe ensure that the experience of your IVF treatment is as worry-free as possible. Seek the counsel of Dr Vyjayanthi’s expert team for a personalised approach to your fertility condition.