May 30, 2025 • 13 mins
Welcome to Hello, Bump, a podcast about what you’re not expecting when you’re expecting.
In this episode, hosts Jana Pittman and Grace Rouvray help you navigate finding out you’re pregnant, which often happens after a missed period around the four-week mark.
They’ll walk you through the physical changes, emotional ups and downs and give you practical tips on what you can do at this point in the pregnancy.
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CREDITS:
Hosts: Jana Pittman and Grace Rouvray
Executive Producer: Courtney Ammenhauser
Audio Production: Thom Lion
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast. Mamma Mia acknowledges
the traditional owners of the land. We have recorded this
podcast on the Gatagoul people of the Eora Nation. We
pay our respects to their elders past and present, and
extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Hello Producer Courtney here, coming into your ears with a
special treat because we have launched a brand new season
of our pregnancy podcast, Hello Bump. This season is a
week by week guide to pregnancy, holding your hand as
your baby grows from the size of a tiny poppy
seed all the way to the size of a pumpkin.
And in this new season, it's hosted by Olympian mother
(01:03):
of six and training obstetrician Yanna Pittman, as well as writer,
podcaster and first time mum Grace rope Ray. So if
you or someone you know is pregnant were just interested
in learning about pregnancy, then this podcast is for you.
We'll leave a link in the show notes so you
can listen to every single episode of Hell Bump wherever
you get your podcasts, and for now enjoy. We hope
(01:25):
you love this episode of Hello Bump.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I am pregnanted.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Welcome to Hello Bump.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
We're making pregnancy less overwhelming and more manageable, hopefully. I'm
Grace Riefrey, a writer, actor, podcaster, and I am also
pregnant for the very first time.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
And I'm Yana Pittman. I am a former Olympian, mother
of six and obstetric and gania registrar, which basically means
I deliver babies for a living.
Speaker 5 (01:51):
And with our experience combined, each episode will be holding
your hand week by week through the mysterious, perplexing, and
sometimes scary miracle that is pregnancy, all the way from
a poppy seed to a pumpkin.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Week four.
Speaker 5 (02:04):
So we're starting this podcast series at week four because
that's usually when you've found out that you are pregnant.
There's not a lot that happens between week one and three,
and they will backdate it from your last period. So, Yana,
how big is the baby at this point?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Well, your baby's about the size of a poppy seed
at this point point, or just like a speck of
dust or glitter, yeah, a little cheers or something very small.
It's basically a small clump of cells that's just embedded
into the lining of your uter it's about two point
five millimeters, so it's tiny.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
What what's happening to me?
Speaker 4 (02:35):
So tell me what's going on in our bodies this week.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Well, implantation has just occurred, so your sperm has met
your sperm, your partner sperm hopefully has met the egg,
and then it's made its way down the flopin and
she you've embedded into the uterine wall. So it's just
now that you'll be starting to get a positive pregnancy
test because you're making that beta HGG hormone that's the
hallmark of pregnancy. The placenter itself is actually starting to grow.
Your baby comes from different cells from the placenter, so
(03:00):
they grow at the same time, but independently. And right
now your baby's actually only the size we actually call it,
well it's not even quite an embryo yet, but it's
two layers at this point, and it'll slowly start differentiating
into all the organs and the heart and the lungs
and things over the next few weeks.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
When does that placenter actually start to take over Because
at the moment, our body is just feeding everything and
giving it all.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Of its life. When is that plercenterally take over.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Well, it's funnily enough, it's actually not for several weeks,
so around between nine and ten weeks. I heard that
at this point the baby has what's called a yolk
sack that's actually feeding it. So when you go for
an early ultrasound, but guys way too early, do not
make an ultrasound booking yet, because that is one of
the biggest problems. Women go now and they can't see
anything and then they freak out that they're already having
a miscarriacter. That's just simply too early. But there is
(03:43):
a yolk sack, which will be one of the first
signs on ultrasound that there's a baby inside your belly,
and that is what feeds the baby for the first
couple of weeks of pregnancy.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
What I found interesting about this stage is that everything,
all signs kind of led to it being my period. Yes,
I was very bloated and I had cramps, and so
I assumed that it was my period until it kind
of got to like maybe two more days that I
normally maybe my period would have come, and it didn't,
So I took a test.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
But why do all signs lead to it being your period.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Unfortunately, they're pretty similar to the hormones of pregnancy. Obviously
easy and progesterer. In our main two big wammies changed
quite considerably breastenders. I don't know if you got that
at all, but that was my first sign. I remember
walking outside in the cold and my nipples killing me
and thinking what is going on? So all of those
signs that can often, as you say in the Kate
pregnancy are unfortunately fluctuating hormones, which happen the same when
(04:33):
your period is due.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
So is that why they're backdate when you are technically
your pregnancy starts, because it's all sort of part of
the same journey, you know how, Like when you find
out you're pregnant already four weeks, you're already four weeks by.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Yeah, so we go gestational age or pregnancy age. So
the age of the fetus is only like two weeks
by the time you actually find out you're pregnant, But
the pregnancy age, the whole lot of pregnancy starts from
the first day of your last period. So theoretically, every
month we're two weeks pregnant until our period comes and
then we're not.
Speaker 5 (05:04):
It's I just find this fascinating about how much I
didn't know about my body until I got to this
stage and exciting, yeah, or like embarrassing.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
And for some daunting because obviously not all of us
want to be pregnant, and some of us get a
little scared and find out that we are so, and
that's when it is tricky to sort of think, well,
do I want to continue with the pregnancy? Is this
something I planned? What is it going to do to
my life? And I can tell you as a mother
of six, it does a lot. So it's a hard
conversation to have with yourself when you first get those
positive lines. And most of us, like yourself, for I
don't know whether you were you excited.
Speaker 5 (05:32):
Or no, not at all, Like even though it was
like wanted and I was aware of what unprotected sex
could do. Yes, there was no contraception, I think for
anyone listening. I had had my account tested and it
was on the lower side in the high nines, which
I'm thirty five, So it was a maybe start thinking
(05:52):
about it.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
So I know a lot of.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
People who have struggled for years, So we did start,
and then it just happened very quickly, so I wasn't prepared.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
But I do think it's a really good point to
discuss because you know, some people do have the desire
and really, you know, really want to get pregnant and
then all of a sudden it's happened. And I know
a lot of women, certainly some of my patients have
discussed with me then in those first few weeks with
all the hormonal changes and started to feel pretty crappy
that they think, well, this is not really what I
signed up for, and do I even want to continue
(06:20):
even though it was a planned pregnancy, And I think
we need to honor that that's a normal part of
this process. A huge life change is on the up.
So please don't feel if you're listening to this, if
that was you, that it doesn't mean later you won't
bond with your baby or love the pregnancy and you know,
and it's also okay if you actually do change your mind.
Like I think, that's a conversation that we're very lucky
in Australia we can have and we need to highlight
that all women feel very differently through this period of gestation.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
What what's happening to me?
Speaker 5 (06:45):
Well that leads us into what is actually happening and
what might be feel like. What are some common symptoms
that could happen around this time.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Well, I think you highlighted them pretty well, thanks unfortunately
to you experiencing them all. Breast tenderness, bloated feeling around
your tummy, twiny pains, even some spotting. So sometimes we
get to what's called an implantation bleed, and that's actually
that little weaker than parasites. Little parasite is basically nesting
into your individual lining of your uterus, so eventually you
know you'll make your little spiral arteries is part of
(07:12):
your makeup. Anatomically, we'll join the supply so that you'll
start eventually feeding your baby. But at this point they're
pretty robust. Many people pregnant very easily, particularly not wanting
to earlier on in life.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
It's funny I call it a parasite, but for different reasons,
which we'll get to.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Is this normal?
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Is it normal?
Speaker 5 (07:36):
A couple of things about is it normal at this time?
There's the symptoms that are the ones we spoke about,
the implantation pain or potentially bleeding what you do think
is your period. But one of the first things I
noticed was an aversion to alcohol Okay, it was I
hadn't taken a test yet, and now looking back, it
feels like that was a potential signing.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Is that quite early for avergins to come in now?
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Look, I mean I think you guys were trying so
psychologically each month you are preparing it as possible. So
there is that psychological factor that we avert foods we
know will consider to be something we should avoid. In pregnancy,
you're starting that whole modal change already, so your body's
doing remarkable things. And for some women I've even had that,
they've said they are starting to feel nauseous already at
that four to five week mark. It's not even though
(08:19):
the BEATA hat CG hormones are not really high, which
is obviously what triggers a lot of the nausea, it's
not impossible. So if you're already feeling yucky, the last
thing you want to go is, you know's neck a
bottle of wine. So I mean, hopefully it's a good thing.
You know, this is something that we're trying to continue
to have the discussion around. Lots of people, by the way,
don't know they're pregnant yet though, and are drinking and
doing fun things in life, because you know, we need
(08:39):
to live. I think it's so it's also important that
to highlight that if you don't know you're pregnant yet,
that we don't beat yourself up for the things that
did happen prior to that. Yes, I think that's more
common than not, you know, because I think there are
a large number of pregnancies that are unplanned and people
don't find out sometimes, so there are nine or ten
weeks pregnant, so they've made lots of decisions during that
time that weren't you know, pregnancy related. You know. Ideally,
I think let's be medical here for a second. I've put
(09:00):
my little doctors had on you have had prenatal discussions
with your with your GP. Ideally, have had some serroology,
which is the blood tests looking at you know in
anti natal markers, infection markers, even things like your fol
eight level. Your blood group's really important in pregnancy to
know whether your H negative, which do you have a
negative or a positive blood group?
Speaker 5 (09:16):
Is that where they test whether my blood is attacking
the baby. Yes, okay, and it's.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Kind of little important because it's not at this four
weeks pregnant. It doesn't matter because we wouldn't do anything.
So if you came in, it matters, if you come
in bleeding, it matters if you've had a car accident
or something like that, because it's basically where your baby
makes a different blood group to you, and your own
body will make antibodies against your baby's blood group. Now
it doesn't matter in this pregnancy at all. It's actually
about subsequent pregnancy. So you don't want your body to
(09:41):
make those antibodies against the positive blood group because you're negative.
So what that means, though, is if you find out
you are what we call RH negative, if you have
an inciting event like a miscarriage or an accident where
there could be some fetal cells that crossover, we need
to give you an anti d So it's basically a
medication that stops that from happening, and we consider that
after sort of twelve weeks. So you just basically talk
(10:03):
to your doctor about it and I'll make a plan.
But it's important to know it so you can at
least raise the question, Hey, I'm RGE negative, do I
need to do anything different from an RH positive mum?
Speaker 5 (10:12):
Which leads me into the important things that we should
be doing at this stage you mentioned fall a. A
lot of people say folic acid and that you should
be on it if you're trying.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
To ideally, what does that? What are you actually trying
to do? And is it bad if you haven't been.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Taking again, A lot of us don't know we're pregnant,
but ideally you start taking you know, a women's multi
item about three months before pregnancy starts, or as soon
as you find out you are pregnant, because so FOLLO
is actually to do with neural tube defects. So it's
the way your baby's brain and spinal cord form prevents
things like spiner befitter from occurring. So you know, many
many years ago, so our mums and grandma's had much
(10:46):
higher rates of that before they found out that FOLLA
can make a difference. So for most of it, you know,
between four hundred and eight hundred milligrams is enough, but
you need to triple check if you're at higher risks.
So people with a high BMI, people who have are
on antiepolectic medication, people have had previous miscarriages or spliner
befitter may need a high dose. So I think it's
a conversation to have but the best thing you can
do is just get started as soon as you find.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Out so your plan. It's never too late, never too
absolutely no correct.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Never too late.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
And what are some like nice to do things, things
to think about, maybe not necessarily about our body, but
things to start having to think about in the future.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Great, Ay, look, it's very early, but I would actually
say start thinking about what model of care you want
to do, because you have obstetric which is what I'm
training to be, so coming with the doctor's program. You
have what I love and I went with my last pregnancy,
which was actually my second last pregnancy MGP. So whether
you want to be MIDW free group practice, low risk
pregnancies lovely holistic care, and I know my midwives out
(11:42):
there will love me for saying this day. I'm much
better at counseling around birth and making it normal, you know,
making normalizing what birth and pregnancy is. But you do
an unfortunately to be relatively low risk in that program,
and they fill up so fast. So they're the ones
that you get a positive pregnancy test and you're like,
contact your local hospital and say, I'd love to go
on the MIDWI free group practice program and get in early.
(12:03):
So that's why it's important now, even this early in gestation,
to have a think about what you want to do.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
Okay, we're going to need a lot of help along
this pregnancy. It's only week four, so what can we
put in our toolkit for this week?
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Did you pick an app? Because I think having an app,
particularly for first time mums, can be really helpful to
sort of track babies development and some of the things
you might be experiencing.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Have you, Oh, yes, I have the flow out.
Speaker 5 (12:25):
Yes I like it, but I was using it to
track my period, so I sort of had it already
and then once you log that you're pregnant, it switches
into this whole new mode.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Ye.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
What I like about this is it.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Gives you, like the stats, Yes, what week you are,
here's the size of your baby, Here's what's happening to them,
and then here's what's happening to your body. So you're
kind of covering these sort of major things which I like.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yeah, And I mean you can also use it in
pregnancy too, and as you're trying to get pregnant. That's
what I liked about flow Pregnancy plus is another really
good one. I have both. I have to say I
liked both and I checked between them to see if
there was differences. And Baby Centers another good one as well.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Hello bum. We
have so many episodes of this series filled with tips
and stories from women and experts who've been through it
all before.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
You can go back and listen to everything else Hello
bumb related in this podcast.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Feed, and while you're there, we'd love if you could
give us a five star rating and maybe leave us
a review or even shared this episode with a friend.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
This episode was produced by Courtney Ammenhauser with audio production
by Tom Lyon. We'll catch you next time.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
This episode of Hello Bump was made in partnership with
Huggies Bye Bye
You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast. Mamma Mia acknowledges
the traditional owners of the land. We have recorded this
podcast on the Gatagoul people of the Eora Nation. We
pay our respects to their elders past and present, and
extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Hello Producer Courtney here, coming into your ears with a
special treat because we have launched a brand new season
of our pregnancy podcast, Hello Bump. This season is a
week by week guide to pregnancy, holding your hand as
your baby grows from the size of a tiny poppy
seed all the way to the size of a pumpkin.
And in this new season, it's hosted by Olympian mother
(01:03):
of six and training obstetrician Yanna Pittman, as well as writer,
podcaster and first time mum Grace rope Ray. So if
you or someone you know is pregnant were just interested
in learning about pregnancy, then this podcast is for you.
We'll leave a link in the show notes so you
can listen to every single episode of Hell Bump wherever
you get your podcasts, and for now enjoy. We hope
(01:25):
you love this episode of Hello Bump.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I am pregnanted.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Welcome to Hello Bump.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
We're making pregnancy less overwhelming and more manageable, hopefully. I'm
Grace Riefrey, a writer, actor, podcaster, and I am also
pregnant for the very first time.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
And I'm Yana Pittman. I am a former Olympian, mother
of six and obstetric and gania registrar, which basically means
I deliver babies for a living.
Speaker 5 (01:51):
And with our experience combined, each episode will be holding
your hand week by week through the mysterious, perplexing, and
sometimes scary miracle that is pregnancy, all the way from
a poppy seed to a pumpkin.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Week four.
Speaker 5 (02:04):
So we're starting this podcast series at week four because
that's usually when you've found out that you are pregnant.
There's not a lot that happens between week one and three,
and they will backdate it from your last period. So, Yana,
how big is the baby at this point?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Well, your baby's about the size of a poppy seed
at this point point, or just like a speck of
dust or glitter, yeah, a little cheers or something very small.
It's basically a small clump of cells that's just embedded
into the lining of your uter it's about two point
five millimeters, so it's tiny.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
What what's happening to me?
Speaker 4 (02:35):
So tell me what's going on in our bodies this week.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Well, implantation has just occurred, so your sperm has met
your sperm, your partner sperm hopefully has met the egg,
and then it's made its way down the flopin and
she you've embedded into the uterine wall. So it's just
now that you'll be starting to get a positive pregnancy
test because you're making that beta HGG hormone that's the
hallmark of pregnancy. The placenter itself is actually starting to grow.
Your baby comes from different cells from the placenter, so
(03:00):
they grow at the same time, but independently. And right
now your baby's actually only the size we actually call it,
well it's not even quite an embryo yet, but it's
two layers at this point, and it'll slowly start differentiating
into all the organs and the heart and the lungs
and things over the next few weeks.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
When does that placenter actually start to take over Because
at the moment, our body is just feeding everything and
giving it all.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Of its life. When is that plercenterally take over.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Well, it's funnily enough, it's actually not for several weeks,
so around between nine and ten weeks. I heard that
at this point the baby has what's called a yolk
sack that's actually feeding it. So when you go for
an early ultrasound, but guys way too early, do not
make an ultrasound booking yet, because that is one of
the biggest problems. Women go now and they can't see
anything and then they freak out that they're already having
a miscarriacter. That's just simply too early. But there is
(03:43):
a yolk sack, which will be one of the first
signs on ultrasound that there's a baby inside your belly,
and that is what feeds the baby for the first
couple of weeks of pregnancy.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
What I found interesting about this stage is that everything,
all signs kind of led to it being my period. Yes,
I was very bloated and I had cramps, and so
I assumed that it was my period until it kind
of got to like maybe two more days that I
normally maybe my period would have come, and it didn't,
So I took a test.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
But why do all signs lead to it being your period.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Unfortunately, they're pretty similar to the hormones of pregnancy. Obviously
easy and progesterer. In our main two big wammies changed
quite considerably breastenders. I don't know if you got that
at all, but that was my first sign. I remember
walking outside in the cold and my nipples killing me
and thinking what is going on? So all of those
signs that can often, as you say in the Kate
pregnancy are unfortunately fluctuating hormones, which happen the same when
(04:33):
your period is due.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
So is that why they're backdate when you are technically
your pregnancy starts, because it's all sort of part of
the same journey, you know how, Like when you find
out you're pregnant already four weeks, you're already four weeks by.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Yeah, so we go gestational age or pregnancy age. So
the age of the fetus is only like two weeks
by the time you actually find out you're pregnant, But
the pregnancy age, the whole lot of pregnancy starts from
the first day of your last period. So theoretically, every
month we're two weeks pregnant until our period comes and
then we're not.
Speaker 5 (05:04):
It's I just find this fascinating about how much I
didn't know about my body until I got to this
stage and exciting, yeah, or like embarrassing.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
And for some daunting because obviously not all of us
want to be pregnant, and some of us get a
little scared and find out that we are so, and
that's when it is tricky to sort of think, well,
do I want to continue with the pregnancy? Is this
something I planned? What is it going to do to
my life? And I can tell you as a mother
of six, it does a lot. So it's a hard
conversation to have with yourself when you first get those
positive lines. And most of us, like yourself, for I
don't know whether you were you excited.
Speaker 5 (05:32):
Or no, not at all, Like even though it was
like wanted and I was aware of what unprotected sex
could do. Yes, there was no contraception, I think for
anyone listening. I had had my account tested and it
was on the lower side in the high nines, which
I'm thirty five, So it was a maybe start thinking
(05:52):
about it.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
So I know a lot of.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
People who have struggled for years, So we did start,
and then it just happened very quickly, so I wasn't prepared.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
But I do think it's a really good point to
discuss because you know, some people do have the desire
and really, you know, really want to get pregnant and
then all of a sudden it's happened. And I know
a lot of women, certainly some of my patients have
discussed with me then in those first few weeks with
all the hormonal changes and started to feel pretty crappy
that they think, well, this is not really what I
signed up for, and do I even want to continue
(06:20):
even though it was a planned pregnancy, And I think
we need to honor that that's a normal part of
this process. A huge life change is on the up.
So please don't feel if you're listening to this, if
that was you, that it doesn't mean later you won't
bond with your baby or love the pregnancy and you know,
and it's also okay if you actually do change your mind.
Like I think, that's a conversation that we're very lucky
in Australia we can have and we need to highlight
that all women feel very differently through this period of gestation.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
What what's happening to me?
Speaker 5 (06:45):
Well that leads us into what is actually happening and
what might be feel like. What are some common symptoms
that could happen around this time.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Well, I think you highlighted them pretty well, thanks unfortunately
to you experiencing them all. Breast tenderness, bloated feeling around
your tummy, twiny pains, even some spotting. So sometimes we
get to what's called an implantation bleed, and that's actually
that little weaker than parasites. Little parasite is basically nesting
into your individual lining of your uterus, so eventually you
know you'll make your little spiral arteries is part of
(07:12):
your makeup. Anatomically, we'll join the supply so that you'll
start eventually feeding your baby. But at this point they're
pretty robust. Many people pregnant very easily, particularly not wanting
to earlier on in life.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
It's funny I call it a parasite, but for different reasons,
which we'll get to.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Is this normal?
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Is it normal?
Speaker 5 (07:36):
A couple of things about is it normal at this time?
There's the symptoms that are the ones we spoke about,
the implantation pain or potentially bleeding what you do think
is your period. But one of the first things I
noticed was an aversion to alcohol Okay, it was I
hadn't taken a test yet, and now looking back, it
feels like that was a potential signing.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Is that quite early for avergins to come in now?
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Look, I mean I think you guys were trying so
psychologically each month you are preparing it as possible. So
there is that psychological factor that we avert foods we
know will consider to be something we should avoid. In pregnancy,
you're starting that whole modal change already, so your body's
doing remarkable things. And for some women I've even had that,
they've said they are starting to feel nauseous already at
that four to five week mark. It's not even though
(08:19):
the BEATA hat CG hormones are not really high, which
is obviously what triggers a lot of the nausea, it's
not impossible. So if you're already feeling yucky, the last
thing you want to go is, you know's neck a
bottle of wine. So I mean, hopefully it's a good thing.
You know, this is something that we're trying to continue
to have the discussion around. Lots of people, by the way,
don't know they're pregnant yet though, and are drinking and
doing fun things in life, because you know, we need
(08:39):
to live. I think it's so it's also important that
to highlight that if you don't know you're pregnant yet,
that we don't beat yourself up for the things that
did happen prior to that. Yes, I think that's more
common than not, you know, because I think there are
a large number of pregnancies that are unplanned and people
don't find out sometimes, so there are nine or ten
weeks pregnant, so they've made lots of decisions during that
time that weren't you know, pregnancy related. You know. Ideally,
I think let's be medical here for a second. I've put
(09:00):
my little doctors had on you have had prenatal discussions
with your with your GP. Ideally, have had some serroology,
which is the blood tests looking at you know in
anti natal markers, infection markers, even things like your fol
eight level. Your blood group's really important in pregnancy to
know whether your H negative, which do you have a
negative or a positive blood group?
Speaker 5 (09:16):
Is that where they test whether my blood is attacking
the baby. Yes, okay, and it's.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Kind of little important because it's not at this four
weeks pregnant. It doesn't matter because we wouldn't do anything.
So if you came in, it matters, if you come
in bleeding, it matters if you've had a car accident
or something like that, because it's basically where your baby
makes a different blood group to you, and your own
body will make antibodies against your baby's blood group. Now
it doesn't matter in this pregnancy at all. It's actually
about subsequent pregnancy. So you don't want your body to
(09:41):
make those antibodies against the positive blood group because you're negative.
So what that means, though, is if you find out
you are what we call RH negative, if you have
an inciting event like a miscarriage or an accident where
there could be some fetal cells that crossover, we need
to give you an anti d So it's basically a
medication that stops that from happening, and we consider that
after sort of twelve weeks. So you just basically talk
(10:03):
to your doctor about it and I'll make a plan.
But it's important to know it so you can at
least raise the question, Hey, I'm RGE negative, do I
need to do anything different from an RH positive mum?
Speaker 5 (10:12):
Which leads me into the important things that we should
be doing at this stage you mentioned fall a. A
lot of people say folic acid and that you should
be on it if you're trying.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
To ideally, what does that? What are you actually trying
to do? And is it bad if you haven't been.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Taking again, A lot of us don't know we're pregnant,
but ideally you start taking you know, a women's multi
item about three months before pregnancy starts, or as soon
as you find out you are pregnant, because so FOLLO
is actually to do with neural tube defects. So it's
the way your baby's brain and spinal cord form prevents
things like spiner befitter from occurring. So you know, many
many years ago, so our mums and grandma's had much
(10:46):
higher rates of that before they found out that FOLLA
can make a difference. So for most of it, you know,
between four hundred and eight hundred milligrams is enough, but
you need to triple check if you're at higher risks.
So people with a high BMI, people who have are
on antiepolectic medication, people have had previous miscarriages or spliner
befitter may need a high dose. So I think it's
a conversation to have but the best thing you can
do is just get started as soon as you find.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Out so your plan. It's never too late, never too
absolutely no correct.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Never too late.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
And what are some like nice to do things, things
to think about, maybe not necessarily about our body, but
things to start having to think about in the future.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Great, Ay, look, it's very early, but I would actually
say start thinking about what model of care you want
to do, because you have obstetric which is what I'm
training to be, so coming with the doctor's program. You
have what I love and I went with my last pregnancy,
which was actually my second last pregnancy MGP. So whether
you want to be MIDW free group practice, low risk
pregnancies lovely holistic care, and I know my midwives out
(11:42):
there will love me for saying this day. I'm much
better at counseling around birth and making it normal, you know,
making normalizing what birth and pregnancy is. But you do
an unfortunately to be relatively low risk in that program,
and they fill up so fast. So they're the ones
that you get a positive pregnancy test and you're like,
contact your local hospital and say, I'd love to go
on the MIDWI free group practice program and get in early.
(12:03):
So that's why it's important now, even this early in gestation,
to have a think about what you want to do.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
Okay, we're going to need a lot of help along
this pregnancy. It's only week four, so what can we
put in our toolkit for this week?
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Did you pick an app? Because I think having an app,
particularly for first time mums, can be really helpful to
sort of track babies development and some of the things
you might be experiencing.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Have you, Oh, yes, I have the flow out.
Speaker 5 (12:25):
Yes I like it, but I was using it to
track my period, so I sort of had it already
and then once you log that you're pregnant, it switches
into this whole new mode.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Ye.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
What I like about this is it.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Gives you, like the stats, Yes, what week you are,
here's the size of your baby, Here's what's happening to them,
and then here's what's happening to your body. So you're
kind of covering these sort of major things which I like.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yeah, And I mean you can also use it in
pregnancy too, and as you're trying to get pregnant. That's
what I liked about flow Pregnancy plus is another really
good one. I have both. I have to say I
liked both and I checked between them to see if
there was differences. And Baby Centers another good one as well.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Hello bum. We
have so many episodes of this series filled with tips
and stories from women and experts who've been through it
all before.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
You can go back and listen to everything else Hello
bumb related in this podcast.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Feed, and while you're there, we'd love if you could
give us a five star rating and maybe leave us
a review or even shared this episode with a friend.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
This episode was produced by Courtney Ammenhauser with audio production
by Tom Lyon. We'll catch you next time.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
This episode of Hello Bump was made in partnership with
Huggies Bye Bye
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