Finding out you're pregnant is easily one of the biggest things that will happen in your life. There are so many emotions and so many thoughts buzzing around that it is sometimes hard to figure out what to do next. I remember when I took my first pregnancy test, I watched the two little lines appear, shocked and thinking, "I need more tests!" But of course, at-home tests are hardly ever wrong, especially three or more times. So what do you do now that you're pregnant?

• Go to the doctor. Schedule a doctors appointment, whether it's at the OBGYN office or your family doctor for a blood test or referral. I went to my family doctor for that extra test and for a referral to the OB's office.
• Start taking prenatal vitamins. If you haven't started taking prenatal vitamins yet, you'll want to start as soon as possible. These vitamins give you all of those extra vitamins and supplements you'll need to grow that little baby. There are so many different brands, and they're all basically the same; however, some of them do have extra amounts of certain vitamins. I personally found it easier to take it at night, right after dinner; definitely make sure you eat before taking it, and wait at least 30 minutes before lying down afterwards. There are also gummy prenatal vitamins if the regulars ones make you too nauseous or sick.
• Stop eating/drinking things you can't have while pregnant. Of course, the obvious, no more wine at the end of the day. However, there are a lot more things you cannot eat than I knew about before being pregnant. No caesar salads, no deli meat (without it being heated up first), no soft cheeses, no caffeine (they do say you can have some - like one cup of coffee), and the list goes on. You want to make sure you're not eating or drinking anything that can potentially hurt your unborn baby, so it's a good idea to educate yourself on what you can and cannot eat and drink. One of the sites that I researched was this one.
• Rest. Making a baby is hard work, and fatigue is very common. During the first half of my pregnancy, I had to take at least one nap a day, as soon as I got home from work. Even if you don't actually take a nap, don't overdue yourself. It's always a good idea to ask your doctor if you think something about your activities or work is too much for you.
• Keep exercising. Although you need to rest, you want to make sure you're doing something during some part of the day. Doctors recommend to do some form of exercise for 30 minutes per day. Something I learned was that it didn't have to be all at once; you can do 10 minutes of walking here, and the rest later. Again, ask your doctor if there's any exercise or activity that you think might be too much.
• Tell someone. Whether you want to tell only your significant other, just family and close friends, or tell everyone, it's impossible to keep that secret from everyone for too long. I told everyone within a week of finding out, but I never posted it on social media. Spread the news in whatever way feels right for you.
• Get a pregnancy app. Of course, this isn't for everyone, but it's definitely exciting and informative to track each stage of your pregnancy. The app will track your pregnancy by week, giving you estimated sizes of the baby and developments of the current week. Some apps even have articles on different subjects related to symptoms, appointments, midwives, breastfeeding, labor, etc. Two of my favorites are Ovia Pregnancy by Ovuline and BabyCenter.

There are many different emotions that come along with finding out your pregnant, and all of them can't be blamed on the hormones. Whether you're shocked or excited initially, you'll definitely feel scared, nervous, excited, happy, anxious, and so many other things throughout your pregnancy. Just remember that it's normal to be frightened and scared, but I promise you that you will be confident once it comes down to actually having that baby. Motherhood starts during pregnancy, not when the baby is born, so congratulations mommies! I hope that your pregnancy is smooth and easy!