In the early days of my first pregnancy, I remember brushing my teeth one morning and suddenly being struck by a strange, almost dizzying thought: I was carrying a tiny life inside me, and hardly anyone knew. I looked the same. Our apartment looked the same. The world outside carried on exactly as before, but everything felt different.

That feeling stayed with me for a long time. Early pregnancy is a strange in-between space. Your life has already changed, in a way, but there’s little outward evidence. For some people, seeing those two lines brings instant joy. For others, it’s shock, uncertainty, or a quiet sense of disbelief. Often it’s all of those things at once, in no particular order.

What made it feel real for me was an early ultrasound. It wasn’t medically necessary, but hearing a heartbeat and seeing that tiny flicker on the screen cut through the fog. I remember walking out of the clinic feeling slightly dazed, when my husband said, almost to himself, “Wow… we’re parents now.” That moment was a big moment for me. Even if the baby was still the size of a peanut (and actually, we called her 'Peanut' in those first months!), responsibility had already begun.

The first weeks of pregnancy don’t follow a script. You might feel completely normal physically, or you might be exhausted and nauseous almost immediately. You might want to plan everything at once, or feel stuck and unsure where to begin. All of that is normal.

For many of us, the instinct is to do something. Research, plan, prepare. I was no exception. I joined online pregnancy groups based on due date, and while I mostly read (lurked!) rather than posted, it was comforting to know I wasn’t alone. 

Looking back, the most helpful thing I did in those early weeks wasn’t buying anything or creating perfect plans. It was learning how to support my body and mind through a period of big internal change. Eating simply. Resting more than I thought I should. Letting myself feel whatever came up without judging it.

In early pregnancy your focus should be supporting your body with basic nourishment and rest. Protecting your mental space. Making a few notes and listening some podcasts about pregnancy can be nice as some form of first steps to 'prepare' - if you can ever really prepare for something as lifechanging as becoming a parent? 

In those first weeks of quietly getting used to the idea of a new, wonderful and quite often a bit (or a lot!) daunting, is where it begins.

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This text is loosely based on the first chapter of 'Preparing for Baby', out in February 2026.