When I took that first pregnancy test and it showed “positive,” my heart started racing. What should I do now? How should I act? What should I stop doing, and who do I need to tell?

Finding out you’re pregnant can feel life-altering in just a moment, and it can also be SUPER confusing. Of course, there is no right way to feel, and no “correct” things to do. There’s no checklist or playbook that every single expecting mom needs to follow—just recommendations!

In this list, learn about the things I have done when I’ve found out I’m pregnant (twice!), with some light suggestions and some essential things to do.

Tell your partner

If it’s your first pregnancy, you might scream with happiness (or shock), and call over your partner to look at your positive test. Or, if you’re more of a secretive person, maybe you’ll make a cute scavenger hunt for him to find out the news.

When I got my positive test, I panicked (a little bit), and showed Dan my positive result immediately. We both weren’t sure what to think, but I recall we were excited, because a baby is what we wanted!

Tell a best friend or family member (only if you want to)

When I found out I was pregnant, I was so wildly in disbelief that I texted a bunch of friends who had kids, and said, “What do I do now?!” They all helped me through the first days of pregnancy, and helped me keep my news a secret as long as I wished. Those are good friends!

I mainly confided in one best friend who happens to currently be pregnant for a second time, and knows a lot about pregnancy. It felt great and relieving to be able to share my symptoms and feelings with someone, rather than have my “news” be totally a secret. She is my ideal person to share this news with, because of her compassion and ability to listen!

Everyone has different opinions and levels of preference on who they tell about their pregnancy. For some women, they tell close family members: for me, I wanted to keep things a secret until the 12-week “safe mark,” which is when a lot of women choose as the time to announce pregnancy.

Download a pregnancy app

I tried two pregnancy apps, and downloaded them nearly immediately. I wanted to learn about my pregnancy, my baby’s development and other resources. The apps were perfect for that, and of course, you get a fruit or vegetable of the week as your baby’s size changes. (You’ll see what I mean!)

I wound up liking Ovia app the best. You can download it on the Apple Store, or the Google Play store.

Call your OBGYN for your first appointment

Even if it feels ridiculous, because you don’t look pregnant, and you may not even feel pregnant yet at 4 or 6 weeks pregnant, it’s important to make a first OB appointment with your doctor.

I called my doctor the same day I took a positive pregnancy test. I was given an appointment a week later. Most obstetricians want to see you for a first appointment between the 6-8 weeks mark, because when it’s that early, your pregnancy needs to be “dated” with an ultrasound!

If you’d like to know “how many weeks pregnant” you are, I recommend the What to Expect Due Date Calculator. (My note: from my experience, there are some factors that might throw this off, like if you have a long cycle!)

Abridge your workout routines

During pregnancy, I tried running during my first trimester, but my body was too sore. I then looked to a way of working out that helped me feel good, and that was biking.

To quote my favorite yoga teacher, you have to “Find what feels good.” This might mean taking off from exercise that strains your core or your abdomen, or something that makes you dizzy. For ideas, I wrote this list of the best ways to work out during pregnancy.

In particular, I learned that yoga, one of my hobbies and past times, had to be altered as my pregnancy progressed. I found prenatal yoga to be helpful, and some of the awesome prenatal YouTube channels that I’ve recommended have prenatal yoga programs that start as early as a class for 4 weeks pregnant.

Helpful Tip

For a super early pregnancy yoga class, check out this short online class for 4, 5 and 6 weeks pregnant from Bettina Rae on YouTube.

Start a prenatal vitamin

On the day I got my positive pregnancy test, I switched from my everyday gummy multivitamin (yes, I love gummies!) to a prenatal vitamin. Finding yours is one of the best things to do in the first trimester.

The reason to switch to prenatal vitamins ASAP, if you hadn’t already been taking them while trying to conceive, is because prenatal vitamins have folic acid, as well as other nutrients that are essentials to a newborn’s development in the womb.

There are loads of nice prenatal vitamins out there, from the Nature Made Prenatal (which I’ve taken for months) to the liquid berry-flavored Mary Ruth’s Prenatal, which comes in a huge glass bottle and I’ve taken it with a teaspoon in the mornings. I was happy to try a few different ones, knowing that they were mostly the same.

Stop drinking and doing other things to avoid when pregnant

Sadly, there is a long list of things you can’t do while pregnant, and some of the ones that make me the saddest are laying off wine, excess caffeine, a limit on flying and ending travel plans when it gets too close to my due date.

So, getting that positive pregnancy test is time to curb all those high-risk habits or activities, like skydiving and going on rollercoasters (if you are that type of person, and I very much am not).

In good news, though, there are loads of things you can still do while you’re pregnant, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy pregnancy. For example, here are some things to love about being pregnant from my experience.

Dream up your go-to pregnancy fun drinks and treats

When I got a positive pregnancy test, I already had plans to go to a big birthday party the upcoming weekend. Darn—I had wanted to drink wine in a sundress with my friends and enjoy the vibes.

Alas, I committed to drinking canned seltzer for the evening. Luckily, I was with a pregnant friend, and a friend who was 3 months postpartum, so we all drank our seltzers together. For all the times when there’s no seltzer, consider all the things to drink at parties when you’re pregnant. There are so many options I enjoy!

Try your best to curb nausea

I’ve never had extreme nausea during pregnancy; rather, I’ve only had slight nausea: just enough to not want to eat (which isn’t healthy during pregnancy, naturally).

Nausea may come on for pregnant women at all different times. During pregnancy, I was only nauseous a few times, and it was closer to weeks 10-12 of pregnancy, but had recurring “slight” nausea starting at 6 weeks.

I recommend: trying your best to stay distracted so as to not let nausea take over your life, if you had it mildly like I did. For more extreme nausea during pregnancy, check out this list of guidelines from the Mayo Clinic. I hope it passes soon for you.

Stay hydrated, eat well and sleep plenty

Some of the best tips for what to do as soon as you find out you are pregnant is to take care of yourself.

For me, this meant unabashedly going to bed at 9:45 pm, making sure I was always drinking water, eating a balanced diet and staying active. These things can be hard, especially with work, or the time of year, or balancing other obligations. You can do it!

(For extra hydration motivation, check out a “Motivational Water Bottle” that’ll guide you toward finishing your water!)

Cut out the noise

If you are overwhelmed with the pregnancy whirlwind, take some time to step back, cut out all the tips and advice and take care of yourself. I tried to do the things I loved, and not let pregnancy dictate my world or my mind.

Because it was my first pregnancy, things got overwhelming fast, as I worried about what life with a baby would be like.

Here is what I did:

  • Took time to stop asking friends and family for pregnancy questions or advice and just let myself “be.”
  • Muted social media accounts that were causing me to only live and breathe “pregnancy topics.”
  • Took part in my favorite hobbies like walking in the city, seeing a friend or biking.
  • Delayed doing things like joining online forums for pregnant women or other pregnancy groups where there is constant chatter about pregnancy.

Read the internet for early pregnancy tips

I find myself Googling everything about pregnancy as soon as I have a question. My internet search history looks like:

  • “How long does first trimester nausea last?”
  • “What is the best prenatal vitamin?”
  • “What if I took an expired pregnancy test by mistake?”
  • “When should I see my OB after a positive pregnancy test?”

A lot of the internet is really helpful in figuring out how to go about pregnancy issues, or taking advice from pregnant women who have been in your situation. I read a lot from What to Expect, The Bump, Parents.com and health websites. I felt armed with information, confident with my choices and informed about things that were around the corner for my and my baby’s development, early on.

Follow some pregnancy social accounts

During my pregnancy, I followed some pregnancy social media accounts (but not too many!). I found the most inspiration from moms whose pregnancy was along the same timing as mine, meaning they were posting weekly photos (down the line) about the same week of pregnancy that I was in.

They would answer questions from their audiences, recommend things to do and ways to cope and of course, share their countdowns to the baby.

Here are a few helpful pregnancy Instagram accounts to add to your feed:

Above, I include some prenatal yoga Instagram accounts and some accounts about pregnancy health. I eventually found some accounts led by doulas or midwives, all about labor and delivery, and healthy recovery. This is for later on, but if you’re curious and want to get started, go for it.

This tip is not for everyone, so if the hype and pressure from social media is not fun for you, I’d sit out for this suggestion.

Relax

Above all, relax, if you can. Remember to do the things you love and stay grounded. I tried my best to do this, for my sanity and mental health in the early pregnancy days.

For me, this was going biking every night of spring and summer, during my first and second trimesters, if I was feeling good.

I had the same memories I had every summer in NYC, biking at sunset, taking photos by the water and admiring all the other people working out at the river. This was my “me time,” and my way to unwind and find my inner peace before the baby came.

I recommend doing what you enjoy so that you can relax. Cook with your partner, take a little trip, go out to dinner to celebrate your body’s progress and try your best to stay positive during this special time.