A positive home pregnancy test is reliable in most cases. These tests are about 99% accurate, so your first step is simply to trust the result and start making a short list of practical moves. Most of what matters in the earliest days comes down to scheduling a prenatal appointment, starting the right supplements, and making a few straightforward changes to your daily routine.
Confirm the Result
False positives are rare, but they do happen. The most common causes are a very early pregnancy loss (sometimes called a chemical pregnancy), fertility medications that contain the pregnancy hormone HCG, and certain ovarian conditions. If you haven’t been using fertility treatments and you get a clear positive line or digital “pregnant” reading, the result is almost certainly accurate.
If you want extra confidence, take a second test with your first morning urine a day or two later. A blood test at your doctor’s office can also confirm the pregnancy and measure your exact hormone levels, which helps establish how far along you are.
Schedule Your First Prenatal Visit
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends starting prenatal care in the first trimester, ideally before 10 weeks after your last menstrual period. Call to book an appointment as soon as you get your positive test, since OB-GYN offices can have wait times of several weeks depending on your area.
Before that first visit, gather a few things to bring with you:
- The first day of your last menstrual period
- A list of all medications, vitamins, and supplements you currently take
- Your personal health history, including past surgeries and vaccination records
- Information about any previous pregnancies, including those that ended in miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion
- Any history of preterm delivery, preeclampsia, or gestational diabetes
Being honest and thorough with this information helps your provider flag any risks early and build the right care plan for you.
Estimate Your Due Date
A typical pregnancy lasts 280 days, or 40 weeks, counted from the first day of your last menstrual period. You can estimate your due date at home using a simple formula from Johns Hopkins Medicine: take the first day of your last period, count back three calendar months, then add one year and seven days. For example, if your last period started June 1, count back to March 1, then add a year and seven days to get March 8 of the following year.
This calculation assumes a 28-day cycle. If yours is longer or shorter, the date may shift by a few days. Your provider will likely refine it with an ultrasound at your first or second appointment.
Start Folic Acid Right Away
If you aren’t already taking a prenatal vitamin, start one today. The most time-sensitive nutrient is folic acid. The CDC recommends 400 micrograms daily for all women of childbearing age, and it’s especially critical in early pregnancy because it helps the neural tube (the structure that becomes the brain and spine) develop properly. Neural tube defects happen in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before most people even know they’re pregnant. Starting now gives you the best protection.
Choline is another nutrient worth paying attention to. Guidelines recommend 450 milligrams per day during pregnancy to support fetal brain development. Many prenatal vitamins contain some choline, but not always enough. Eggs are one of the best dietary sources if your supplement falls short.
Review Your Medications
Some common over-the-counter medications carry risks in pregnancy, particularly during the first trimester when your baby’s organs are forming. A few to flag:
- Oral decongestants (the active ingredients in many cold and sinus products) should be avoided in the first trimester.
- Aspirin and anti-inflammatory pain relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen should be avoided unless specifically prescribed by your provider. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is generally considered the safer option for pain relief.
- Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) should be avoided, especially in the second and third trimesters.
- Castor oil and mineral oil laxatives should be skipped entirely during pregnancy.
- Herbal supplements including mugwort, blue cohosh, black cohosh, goldenseal, pennyroyal oil, and ephedra can stimulate the uterus or are linked to birth defects. Stop these immediately.
If you take any prescription medications, don’t stop them on your own. Call your prescribing doctor to discuss whether to continue, switch, or adjust your dose.
Adjust What You Eat and Drink
Pregnant women are about 10 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis, a bacterial infection that can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature delivery. The bacteria that causes it, unlike most, can grow in refrigerator temperatures. Foods to avoid or handle carefully:
- Deli meats and hot dogs unless reheated until steaming hot
- Soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk, including queso fresco and queso blanco
- Refrigerated smoked seafood labeled as lox, nova-style, kippered, or smoked (unless cooked into a dish like a casserole)
- Refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads
- Unpasteurized milk and any foods made from it
For caffeine, major health organizations recommend a maximum of 200 milligrams per day during pregnancy. That’s roughly one 12-ounce cup of brewed coffee. Some recent studies have raised questions about whether even that amount is entirely risk-free, with research linking caffeine intake below 200 mg to outcomes like low birth weight in certain populations. If you’re a heavy coffee drinker, gradually cutting back now is a reasonable move.
Keep Exercising (With a Few Tweaks)
Exercise during pregnancy is not just safe, it’s recommended. Current guidelines call for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week throughout pregnancy. If you were already active before getting pregnant, you can generally continue what you were doing, including vigorous exercise.
Activities with strong safety records in pregnancy include walking, stationary cycling, swimming, water aerobics, dancing, resistance training with weights or bands, and stretching. The main precaution during the first trimester is avoiding overheating. Stay well hydrated, wear loose clothing, and skip exercising in high heat or humidity. Your body is less efficient at cooling itself during early pregnancy, so heat stress is a real concern.
Know the Warning Signs
Most early pregnancies progress without complications, but certain symptoms need immediate medical attention. An ectopic pregnancy, where a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus (usually in a fallopian tube), is a medical emergency if the tube ruptures.
Go to an emergency room if you experience severe abdominal or pelvic pain combined with vaginal bleeding, extreme lightheadedness or fainting, or shoulder pain. That last one surprises many people: shoulder pain during early pregnancy can signal internal bleeding from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. An urge to have a bowel movement along with pelvic pain can also be a sign of blood leaking from the fallopian tube.
Light spotting in early pregnancy is common and often harmless, but heavy bleeding paired with pain is always worth an urgent call to your provider.