Bile filled my mouth. I realized I needed to heave immediately. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me to the nearest toilet just in time for the chicken tikka masala I had for lunch to come heaving out in nauseating chunks. "Could I be pregnant?" I said out loud with excitement.

It was rather a rash conclusion but the thought of it made me feel as if I was on cloud nine.

Or could it have been something I ate? But I’ve had tikka masala countless times without ever being this sick.

I didn’t want to start celebrating and getting my hopes up without knowing for sure.

I snatched my phone from my pocket, while still sitting on the floor of the toilet. I immediately started researching to figure out if I had any symptoms of being pregnant, other than morning sickness.

11 Common Pregnancy Symptoms¹:

• Do you have morning sickness (vomiting 3-4 times daily with unrelenting nausea)?
• Are you experiencing light bleeding or spotting?
• When was your last period? More than a month ago?
• Are you experiencing unusual hunger or cravings?
• Are you having lower back pains?
• Do you get tension headaches? Like tight bands of pain around your head or around the back of the neck?
• Do you get wild mood swings? Like suddenly tearful or easily irritated?
• Are your breasts swollen and tender?
• Are your areolas getting darker?
• Are you urinating more frequently? Or experiencing constipation?
• Are you tired all the time for no good reason?

Does checking off most of the symptoms above mean that you're pregnant? Are there more steps involved to finding out for certain? What do women do when they realize they're pregnant? Here's a step-by-step guide:

Comprehensive step by step guide if you think you're pregnant:

• Take blood test²
  • Doctors often order these tests to confirm pregnancy as early as 11 days after conception. A quantitative hCG test (beta hCG) measures the exact amount of hCG in your blood. It can find even very low levels of hCG.
  • Doctors also take blood tests to check if you're positive for diseases such as Hepatitis B,³ HIV or Syphilis, as these can be passed onto your child or give them serious problems.

• Lifestyle changes: beware pregnancy no-no’s⁴
  • Smoking
  • Alcohol
  • Limited caffeine
  • Dehydration
  • Raw fish
  • Certain cheeses
  • Wariness of medication (antibiotics)

• Decide when to/if you will tell your family and friends
  • Who should you tell first?
  • When do you want to tell them?
  • Is your job stressful? More time off work?

• Finding the right gynecologist - Kickoff pregnancy care (book appointments)⁵
  • How experienced are they?
  • Do they work for a hospital you trust?
  • Do you feel comfortable with them?

• How financially stable are you?
  • Health insurance - cost of childbirth can be steep
    • More than the added responsibility of housing a new life within your body, pregnancy comes with a very real financial obligation. Even in the early days of finding out that you're pregnant, it may be prudent to evaluate all. 
    • Depending on the hospital that you want to give birth in, the rates in Malaysia can vary from rm4,000 - rm17,000. These rates also depend on the type of birth (e.g. natural, caesarian)⁶
    • Cost of raising a child - In Malaysia today, the approximate cost of raising a child can vary from 400,000 to 1.1m depending on the type of life and education you want for your child e.g. government school or private school?⁷

• Find out what's in store throughout pregnancy⁸
  • Changes in your body - Your belly will grow and you will gain weight as well as your breasts usually growing a cup size.
  • Peeing more frequently - Due to your increased blood flow and pressure on your bladder due to your growing uterus
  • Feeling breathless and heartburn are common problems of pregnancy
  • These will reduce once your child is born, as long as you take care of your body.

Months from now, I will be able to see the happiness on the face of my loved ones as they welcome our new addition to the family into this world. Someone to show unconditional love to and cherish. My family will be there to help take care of my child once they are born but it is my responsibility to take care of them while I’m still pregnant. In order to take care of my child when I’m pregnant, some lifestyle changes may be necessary such as quitting any bad habits. As well as drinking and eating things with the right nutrients.

6 lifestyle changes that need to be made for a successful pregnancy:⁹

• Prenatal vitamins - Helps to cover any nutrient gaps that are being neglected
• Quitting bad habits e.g. smoking and drinking - This could seriously affect the development of your child and even lead to a miscarriage.
• Cooking healthier meals - Now is not the time for you to be on a diet, you need to be able to have the right nutrients for a healthy pregnancy.
• Lifestyle norms - Things you may do on a daily or weekly basis such as tanning and painting, may have a bad effect on your pregnancy.
• Exercise - Do a light workout for about 30 minutes, a couple times a week. This will ease your back pains and help lose the baby weight once you deliver but do not overdo it.
• Relax and remember to breathe - To reduce stress, try yoga or meditating.

References:

¹ http://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/early-pregnancy-symptoms/
² https://www.healthline.com/health/hcg-blood-test-quantitative#reasons-for-the-test
³ https://www.babycenter.com/0_common-first-trimester-blood-tests_9273.bc
⁴ https://www.babycenter.com/0_the-ultimate-pregnancy-to-do-list-first-trimester_10341205.bc
⁵ https://www.healthline.com/health/endotough/choosing-a-gynecologist#1
⁶ https://www.imoney.my/articles/how-much-does-it-cost-to-give-birth-in-malaysia
⁷ https://www.aia.com.my/en/what-matters/finance/cost-of-raising-a-child-in-malaysia.html
⁸ https://www.babycenter.com/2_how-your-body-changes-during-pregnancy_10408343.bc
⁹ http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/