Congratulations! You’re pregnant! Now what?
If this is your first baby, there are probably many things going on in your mind. If it’s not your first baby, maybe you want things to go a bit differently this time.
Both of those scenarios are great places to start.
A few things to consider to get you started on your new parenting journey:
When do I schedule an appointment with my doctor?
You can call as soon as you like, but they will typically see you the first time around 8 weeks unless they need to do an ultrasound to confirm dates.
What kind of provider do I need to see?
You have a couple of options here. You can choose an Obstetrician (OB-GYN) who is a medical doctor, or you can choose a midwife, who is a provider who specializes in birth. This leads to our next concern…
Where do I give birth?
Your options are a hospital, a free-standing birth center (there’s a lot of great ones in Houston! If you’re on the north side, check out The Addice), or a homebirth. If you’ve chosen an obstetrician, you will need to birth in a hospital. Though if a midwife is more your style, your options can include a hospital, birth center, or your own home.
When do I hire a doula?
As soon as you’re ready! We’ve been hired any time from the moment the stick turns pink to the moment labor begins. The earlier you hire us, though, the more time you get to benefit from our prenatal support.
When you find “the one!”, answering the other questions (about your care provider, the location of your birth and the labyrinth of other things you haven’t even considered) will be much less stressful for you and your partner.
Doesn’t a less stressful pregnancy sound wonderful?!
Questions to ask at your first prenatal appointment:
We’ve created a fun printable below with some question ideas for your provider. Feel free to ask them as many questions as you need in order for you to feel comfortable! There will be no shortage of questions in the next year, so you want a provider who is open to working through your concerns.
If you’d like to schedule a free consultation, contact us!
