The Effective Things to do in Early Pregnancy: A Mental & Physical Readiness for Young Women

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Facing a situation that could change our lives whether it’s a good or bad outcome is not easy to deal with. Especially if it is related to young girls who are living with early pregnancy.

If you are exactly in this position, you would probably need help, guidance, and acceptance especially from your family and the rest of the people who are important and close to you. Read on to get inspired and learn the keys and effective things to do when facing this life-changing event.

Definition of Early Pregnancy: For Teenagers & Adolescents

The numbers of the population in terms of girls who are known to be pregnant at an early age are rapidly growing each year. In layman’s terms, an early pregnancy refers to girls who are mostly teenagers & adolescents (19 years old and below), and sometimes it could also refer to ladies who are in their early ’20s (20-24 years old).

Teenage pregnancies are linked with social concerns which may include lack of educational attainment, unawareness of the possible risk points, and poverty. Pregnant teens also have huge differences with pregnant adult women in terms of their health capabilities and development in their physical bodies.[1] But hey, cut someone some slack, these are mainly the possible factors why girls are exposed to early pregnancy. Hence, for whatever the reasons it may be, still, the most important thing to do is to embrace and face it in the most positive way.

Although, we cannot deny that there are lots of girls who are going through tough times after confirming that they are already expectant mothers. Early pregnancy is a life-changing event and hard to accept at first, it’s incredibly challenging – for most girls, a high tendency of feeling anxious and depressed is also part of this.[2]

For the family, relatives, and close friends, it’s normal to feel sad – we feel guilty, we feel mad and we feel low and it’s not easy to understand the fact that we have to face and embrace what’s in there. On the other side, if we think about all the positivity that this young girl is carrying a blessing – an innocent precious little one inside her, there are so many things that we have to offer as her guidance.

If you are a girl who’s facing this kind of state, this article will help you with what you should do and focus on. Read until the last so you would know how to prepare yourself & be inspired to face and handle this situation.

1.      Highlight your Psychological Health

Pondering the importance of your Psychological Health all throughout your journey has to be prioritized. You’ll go through a lot of ups and downs and this is not going to be easy for you but you have to stay calm and focus.

Acceptance

The hardest and very first thing to do when you face an early pregnancy is “acceptance.” Yes, it’s scary, you are not prepared physically, emotionally, mentally, and even financially. It feels like you’re carrying a heavy load. You feel worried about what will happen in the future. These thinking are all normal, but you have to help yourself and at least try to control your emotions.

Breathe and pause for a while. In this kind of situation, you have to be strong enough to accept and embrace it whole-heartedly. You are the first person who will accept everything, second is the rest of your family.

Do not hide

This state shouldn’t keep as a secret otherwise it could give you so much stress and you uncontrollably overthink as it’s going to be difficult to hide. Also, some elderly people say that when a girl is hiding her pregnancy, the baby bump will not show well which is kind of weird and scary especially for the health concerns of both the mother and the baby in her womb. Hiding could also be a reason for depression which is not good for any expectant mothers.

The very first person who should know about your situation is your partner, he should know all about this as he will be the father of your child. Apart from your partner, tell it your closest friend or your best friend who you can trust and give you a piece of advice on what to do next. Last but not the least, tell everything to your parents and the whole family. They must know all about your pregnancy and what you’re going through, remember your family will always be your number one supporter. Once you do this, for sure it will be a big relief for you.

Face your fear & forgive yourself

Since this is totally a different and new chapter of your life, apparently feeling scared, worried, guilty, frightened, and anxious is normal at first. But you have to overcome these emotions before they debilitate you. Women have to be brave, always remember that it does not only affect you but also the innocent baby inside you. If there endless thoughts in your mind, keeping them to yourself won’t help, you have to share and open it to the people who are very close to you, who you can trust with.

What’s next after facing your fear? It’s about forgiving yourself. This is a hard and long process, it takes too much emotion before you can finally forgive yourself. However, this stage is one of the most important things that you should do as it helps you to have peace of mind while going through the different levels of pregnancy. You have to understand as well that being pregnant would really affect your emotions, this is a fact – all pregnant women experience this. Once you conquer this, you’re few steps aways to be completely ready while you’re on the lead going to more chapters of motherhood.

It’s not just about self-forgiveness, your parents especially your mother will also go through this stage of forgiving. There could be times that they are emotionally unstable, negative emotions will arise, which is a typical process of forgiving. Hence, later on, once they forgive you everything will be okay. Yes, it takes time to forgive but, we can’t carry these emotions for the rest of our lives.[3] Reading inspirational books about forgiveness would also help.

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A Good Read for Self-forgiveness
This inspirational book will help you on how to forgive yourself. It will motivate you to move forward and live your life happily.

Speak your heart out

Way to go! If you overcome the first 3 things to do in early pregnancy, that means you’re proving yourself that you CAN. Yes, you really can, it takes a lot of motivation but you will get there!

As mentioned, you will face & feel different kinds of emotions during your pregnancy. Sometimes, you will feel low, sad, or unproductive; sometimes, you will feel very alive, jolly, or even the happiest person – these are random, and again, it’s normal. But whatever you feel inside, get something off your chest, go on and speak out. Always remember that you have to let go of your negative emotions, talking to someone could really a big help – share your thoughts, don’t keep it to yourself. Keep in mind that whenever you’re sad or happy, your baby could feel it too. It’s not about yourself anymore, always include your baby in whatever you do.

Do not force yourself

If you feel like everything is easier said than done, then pause for a while. You don’t have to force yourself or impress everybody. This time, it’s all about you, your baby, and your growing family. Don’t push yourself too hard, if you think that you’re about to draw the line all you have to do is to take a short break and clear your mind. We get tired of thinking too much but it doesn’t mean that we need to quit. It’s really challenging in the beginning, but you’ve got this! Stay focus and be kind to yourself.

Social media fasting

Fasting is not just for eating. It could also be mean to your social media platforms by temporarily shutting it down or deactivating your accounts. These days, some published studies concluded that for some reason, social media is not good for people’s mental health – which is true! There are billions of people around the world who use social media boards on a daily basis – it has been a part of our lives. But in any aspect, too much use of social media can be harmful to us. [4]

For sure, it is also part of your daily life and it has both positive and negative impacts on you. But, when you successfully do social media fasting for at least 3 consecutive months, then that’s great! Although, if you made it all throughout your pregnancy stages like 9 months or more, that would be better! Give it a whirl, it’s really the best practice that you can do!

Stop suicidal thoughts

Suicidal ideation is quite common in pregnant women. There are confirmed studies that suicidal actions have been a primary reason for deaths and harm worldwide. The frequent factor for pregnant women to attempt suicide is because of their current state, which could be related to their lifestyle, family, relationship, or financial status. However, this has to stop and the people around her should always be there to protect her.[5]

If you ever encounter these thoughts in your mind – whatever you’re going through, always remember that you are not alone. Everything happens for a reason, there will always be a time that we will face our lowest moments in life that leads us to think about quitting. You can cry out loud non-stop if you can’t help the pain inside, eventually, you’ll be okay. Avoid keeping your thoughts within yourself, you have to be very open and ask for help if you need to.

One way to prevent these thoughts and actions is to get a reading material that will help you to banish these in your mind.

A Good Book for Preventing Suicidal Ideation
This book is useful and helpful to stop suicidal thoughts and actions. It will help you lift and clear your mind from negative thoughts.

For any reason, if this is leading to a serious issue, it’s recommended to seek medical help and guidance and speak to someone from National Suicide Prevention Lifeline through 1-800-273-TALK or visit their website at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Read informative maternal guides

Reading is the best way to be informed. There are thousands of published reading materials that are recommended for pregnant women that are written to focus on those who are facing early pregnancy. By reading topics that are related to pregnancy could help you identify what are the do’s and don’ts; how can you be motivated; what to expect; what are the right things to do while you are pregnant; how can you prepare yourself to be a mother, etc. These books are widely available in any bookstores, you can also buy them online.

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Best Book for Expectant Mother
This is an informative book that will guide an expectant mother during her pregnancy. This will give lots of ideas which can help to be motivated and to gather the best pregnancy information.

Apart from reading materials, you can also bring out the artsy in you! It will add more fun and excitement to your pregnancy journey. Through the use of creativity and modernization, there are lots of art-related items which can also be useful to you. If you love writing & creativity, go and get a pregnancy journal! Write and list down all your monthly pregnancy milestones, you can also let go of whatever emotions you have through writing which is a form of creativity and a unique way to express yourself. Write your plans and goals for you, your baby, and your whole family. You can also add photos on it, or if the budget permits, plan for a maternity photoshoot with your partner and keep it in your pregnancy journal. Once you have completed all the pages, you have to store and keep it. After a couple of decades, check it out again, and you’ll know how it feels to see all these treasured moments!

Pregnancy Journal Especially for Mom-to-be
This unique pregnancy journal is a creative way to store your pregnancy milestones. It’s a valuable item that can be kept for years as a form of memorabilia.

Connect and communicate

Start building an unconditional bond and connection with your baby while he or she is still in your womb. It will give you a light feeling – it will help you to fully accept everything. Treasure the moment, once you are fully connected to your little one, it will be easier for you to embrace the situation and it will lead you to become more positive and help you to love yourself even more.

The best way to connect and communicate with your baby is by taking care of yourself: eat nutritious food, get enough rest and sleep, keep a healthy and positive mind, and always talk to your baby.

2.      Stay healthy

As they say, “Health is Wealth” which is true and this is one of the things that you should focus on if you’re an expectant mother. Self-care could be hard to maintain, but if you are motivated and always positive “I CAN’T DO IT” should not be in your vocabulary. Take into account that you being a pregnant woman should be healthy not just in 9 months but also after giving birth and for the rest of your life. So here are the aspects on which you have to focus to stay healthy.

Physically

Expectant mothers should always be healthy in any way. Yes, there will be many times that you will suddenly crave your most favorite food, late-night cravings are also part of it, other pregnant women sometimes crave weird food – and that’s okay, while others “eat for two” and we cannot blame them if they want to eat that way. However, you have to eat nutritious food and have to control excessive weight gain due to eating habits. Always include fresh vegetables and fruits on your plate; avoid drinking alcoholic beverages and for those who are smoking cigarettes prior to getting pregnant, it’s time for you to quit smoking, and make sure to DO IT.

It’s also essential to visit your OB-Gyne every month. These are mandatory check-ups and there are type of tests that you need to do. Also, the exciting part of these check-ups is when you are ready to know the gender of your baby! Usually, it begins in the second trimester or between the 5th and 7th month.

It’s not just about the good eating habits for you to achieve being a physically-healthy-pregnant-woman. You can also do basic home workouts that are recommended for you – Yoga exercise is proven to be safe and suggested for pregnant women. This is a good type of daily or at least 3-4 times a week of exercise at home as it not only helps you to be physically fit but it also relaxes your mind and reduces stress and anxiety, there are lots of benefits of Yoga exercises for expectant mothers, just make sure to know what is the best and recommended poses for you and avoid pushing yourself too hard. Of course, when doing Yoga, a non-slip yoga mat is a must!

Apart from Yoga, if you love swimming it’s also one of the suggested exercises especially for you! It’s a fun and effective way of exercise during pregnancy.[6]

Mentally

Keeping yourself stress-free and mentally healthy must be achieved before, during, and after pregnancy. Try to help yourself to avoid constant mood swings. Though, if you can’t do it as you are currently mentally unstable, there are many ways to help you out. Remember, feeling worried, guilty, or mad at any unexpected situation won’t help. Dealing with these negative emotions can be a burden or makes your life even harder. When this situation hits you, remember that life is beautiful and meaningful. There are so many pregnant women that are having unstable emotions, try to help yourself not to be one of them. [7]

So, instead of worrying or feeling anxious, always try your best to divert your mind to something else. Little things like listening to instrumental and relaxing music (best example is Mozart – which is great especially for your baby), watching good movies that are best for family, reading books specifically that’s related to pregnancy, keeping good communication with your partner or family, and a lot more! So take it easy – deep breaths! You’ll get through this!

There are many insightful books to choose from that are perfect for you. Try it and be more inspired.

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A Perfect Guide for Pregnancy to Motherhood
This book contains informative topics which will guide you through your pregnancy, it will specifically lead you on how to overcome different emotions.
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Ideal Book for Couples Who Will Become Parents
This is a must-read book for couples who are soon-to-be parents. It shares different pieces of advice on how to deal with lots of changes when having a family whether it’s a decision, how to improve a good relationship as a couple and family, and a lot more!

Spiritually

This applies to any religion.

Religious beliefs can also empower women who are facing unwanted or early pregnancy. It is said that when you are connected spiritually to God it will help you to feel light and distressed. Having faith is important not only for you but also for your baby. Furthermore, in many countries, pregnancy and childbirth are related to religious and traditional principles and exercises.

Socially

The important people that you may reach out to during your pregnancy are those who are for keeps. They are your family, partner, and trusted friends. Your social life shall also be healthy but it doesn’t mean that you need to build hundreds of circle of friends – you only need few people to interact with; always surround yourself with positive people, those who you can really rely on in both ups and downs.

Today, with the help of creativity and social campaigns, some groups are specifically built or created for moms, mom-to-be, or couples. These groups are normally holding an event or seminar filled with useful information that can be shared and discuss with pregnant women just like you. If you have time, you can also join this kind of group. But then again, since we are still living in a world with a pandemic and it’s not yet safe to go out, live webinars or zoom meetings are on trend. So you can still enjoy learning from these groups through the use of the internet and at the comfort of your own home. When you join social groups like this, you may be able to interact with other pregnant women or moms with children whom you can ask for bits of advice pertaining to your pregnancy. Just avoid those irrelevant conversations or negative comments or topics – these are uncontrollable, but you can just ignore them.

3.      Plan with your partner

Unplanned & unexpected pregnancy could be tough, but it has to be accepted, and planning for the future is advised. When planning with your partner, it’s not just about the two of you anymore, it’s going to be about your whole family. There are 4 major important characteristics to consider when planning for your future:

Marriage

Some couples get pregnant first before getting married, some old-fashioned people might think that it’s not the right thing to do – hence, some people can accept it and blame no one. No one is perfect, if a mistake was made, it can be corrected. It’s just a matter of acceptance and positivity. This happens and common to women who experience early and unwanted pregnancy – some couples plan their wedding before the woman gives birth and this due to some religious beliefs while other couples don’t mind getting married first prior to having a baby.

Whichever you are in, that’s okay and it’s your personal choice however keep in mind that getting married is also important not just for you as a couple but also for the rest of your own family. Planning for your marriage doesn’t have to be too fancy or glamorous, a simple wedding is fine in fact this is also common these days. After getting married, do your best to keep a strong foundation as a married couple; keep and treasure all the fun and positive bonds together and extend it to your own family.

Financial needs

It’s important to discuss your financial needs as a couple. In the coming months & even years, expect to have a higher percentage of expenses. Sleep on it, and talk about it with your partner. You have to secure your finances. As a couple, give and take is also an important rule – for now, let your partner do the work in sourcing for income. 3 to 5 years after giving birth, both of you can have work at the same time just make sure that someone will take over in looking after your child when you are not around. In this case, you will be working together in securing your future and finances.

However, in reality, couples also experience misunderstandings in terms of handling money which could also lead them to a fight. In order to prevent this, you have to be aware on which right patterns to consider in securing finances. Another good book will guide you through:

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The Importance of Securing Couple’s Money
This is a true guide to help you as a couple on how to maintain and secure good financial needs. It will be beneficial for you as it gives unique ideas to work on your good financial status as a couple.

Moreover, you as a soon-to-be-mom can also help your partner in sourcing an income while at home and waiting for your due date. But before you dive into this additional responsibility, you have to be prepared. This would only be effective if it’s your choice. Other full-time moms also consider working from home via freelancing or selling items online – these are trending nowadays and a good way to earn while staying at home. A practical choice!

In relation to financial needs, securing the couple’s insurance extended to the whole family is also vital. It has to be part of family planning which is a good form of investment as well. [8]

Investments

Everyone’s dream is to have their own house and car in the future. These two are the major investments that people are planning to – especially for couples. Pursue your dreams, claim it, make it do come true by working hard for it. It would take years, a lot of patience, determination, and perseverance but don’t go down for the count after thinking of the long process. Be inspired and always keep on the right track.

Attend parenting class

For you to get more information and be able to know how parenthood should work precisely, attending a parenting class would help. This a way where you can personally interact with a person who teaches you on preparing for your big responsibility as a couple and parents. It could also be helpful on how to prepare in planning to grow your family. [9]

Growing your family

There is the right time to grow your family. Before planning to have your second child, it’s vital to meet at least the three aspects mentioned above – marriage, financial needs, and investments. Also, the woman’s health has a big role as well in growing the family, she has to be physically healthy and ready. Moreover, the age gap between your first and second child must be considered too. These are just the major things to think about before planning on growing your family.

4.      Reward yourself

Who says pregnant women can’t have fun and feel like on cloud nine? Every stage of pregnancy is fun and exciting but it can get even more exciting if you combine it with enjoyable activities as form of rewarding yourself! There are more options to consider for you to get rid of boredom while waiting for the arrival of your baby. You can still do it for as long as you are still able to do so and with approval from your partner, family or doctor.

Travel planning

Looking for a more fun-filled and effective way to relax? Plan for a quick getaway! Traveling is really effective to get peace of mind and pause for a while. But hey, before you get too excited, remember you are pregnant and you are not allowed to travel by air. Hence, a quick drive to a beach or resthouse is an option! There are tourist spots that are now open for the public after months of a lockdown or temporary closure brought by the pandemic. Just be careful and avoid interacting with lots of people. A place with fewer people is recommended.

Feeling hesitant because of your budget? Remember, every cloud has a silver lining, there are lots of choices on where to stay that are budget-friendly. Beach is the best place to visit for pregnant women, it could help you to feel at ease and relax and be able to breathe fresh air which is good for your health. Invite your family with you, the more the merrier!

There’s also a trending and unique way to save money for your travel plans. Get a decorative travel fund box and start saving!

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A Decorative Travel Fund Box
A unique way to fund your travel needs. This is not just an ordinary fund box, this can also be a decorative piece in your room. By seeing the progress of your savings, it will make you feel more excited and determine to save more to get the exciting quick vacation you deserve!

Love yourself

As you already know, pregnancy is also a very emotional stage of your life. It’s a sign that there will be more chapters of your life along the way. Life isn’t easy, we have to work very hard to achieve the lifestyle & goals that we all wanted. Working so hard to accomplish our goals could have the tendency that we are already forgetting about ourselves – that we also need a little bit of space and rest that we deserve too.

Reward yourself! Have a relaxing pregnancy massage, it is proven to ease leg and back pain and helps to reduce anxiety as well; as your body figure changes every month, your lower backbones are stretching as well that’s why you will constantly feel body aches. So pregnancy massage is a way for you to pamper yourself and get relaxed.[10] You can also go to a salon and get your hair and nails done, just avoid treatments that contain strong chemicals & substances.

Get pretty maternity clothes

In your 9 months of pregnancy stages, your body figure will change as your bump grows bigger every month. Wearing comfortable clothes and dresses is a must! Choose something that would help you light up your mood and a design that perfectly fits you. Getting dressed is one way to pamper yourself and of course, women want to look good in any circumstances!

A simple and very comfortable maternity dress will do!

Simple Maternity Sleeveless Dress
This below the knee dress is simple and yet very comfortable for pregnant women. It has a good detail to fit and stretch for guaranteed comfort.

Final thoughts

Early pregnancy for young girls is not an easy situation. Most of the time they get bashed and judged which adds insult to injury – rather than being accepted. It takes a brave one to overcome and simply ignore the negativity that surrounds her. Facing this kind of situation doesn’t mean that it’s the end of your enjoyable life as a human being because of your big and lifetime responsibility, in fact, this life-changing event is fun and it means that you are blessed in many ways. Remember, you always have the people beside you to support you all the way.


[1] Mahavarkar, Shashikan H., C. K. Madhu, and V. D. Mule. “A comparative study of teenage pregnancy.” Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 28.6 (2008): 604-607.

[2] Rubertsson, Christine, et al. “Anxiety in early pregnancy: prevalence and contributing factors.” Archives of women’s mental health 17.3 (2014): 221-228.

[3] Priadi, Mohammad Adi Ganjar, and Gurmichele Gurmichele. “Forgiveness among mothers of female adolescents who experienced unwanted pregnancy.” HUMANITAS: Indonesian Psychological Journal 16.2 (2019): 129-139.

[4] Berryman, Chloe, Christopher J. Ferguson, and Charles Negy. “Social media use and mental health among young adults.” Psychiatric quarterly 89.2 (2018): 307-314.

[5] Gelaye, Bizu, Sandhya Kajeepeta, and Michelle A. Williams. “Suicidal ideation in pregnancy: an epidemiologic review.” Archives of women’s mental health 19.5 (2016): 741-751.

[6] Juhl, Mette, et al. “Is swimming during pregnancy a safe exercise?.” Epidemiology (2010): 253-258.

[7] Nicholson, Wanda K., et al. “Depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life in early pregnancy.” Obstetrics & Gynecology 107.4 (2006): 798-806.

[8] Skinner, Steven J., and Alan J. Dubinsky. “Purchasing insurance: predictors of family decision-making responsibility.” Journal of risk and Insurance (1984): 513-523.

[9] Hudson, Diane Brage, Susan M. Elek, and Margaret Ofe Fleck. “FIRST-TIME MOTHERS’AND FATHERS’TRANSITION TO PARENTHOOD: Infant care self-efficacy, parenting satisfaction, and infant sex.” Issues in comprehensive pediatric nursing 24.1 (2001): 31-43.

[10] Field, Tiffany. “Pregnancy and labor massage.” Expert review of obstetrics & gynecology 5.2 (2010): 177-181.

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Author

Vivian Perry

Vivian Perry

Mother of 3 kids. Enjoy reading parenting books and studied child care degree. Vivian loves to learn and write about parenting tips and help her kids to grow positively with grit mindset.

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