In this Month's Newsletter You & Your Baby Taking Care of Yourself Things to Think About   Hot Tip of the Month An excellent book to read while pregnant is What to Expect When You Are Expecting. The book includes information on working while apregnant, in-depth coverage of complementary and alternative birthing techniques, second pregnancies, the role of the father and lifestyle.		The Good Birth Countdown: Weeks 4 to 8... Congratulations on your pregnancy! You may be feeling elated, shocked, nervous, surprised, overwhelmed or a mixture of all of these. Don't worry if your emotions change from hour to hour or day to day - this is absolutely normal whether it's your first pregnancy or your fifth. You may already have firm ideas about your pregnancy and birth, or you may feel completely unsure, but you have plenty of time to find the information you need to make the choices that are right for you. The Good Birth Company is here to help you in your search for information, and every month we'll be helping you to think through your choices on different aspects of your pregnancy, labour and birth. You and Your Baby this month Because a pregnancy is dated from the first day of your last period, you are already four weeks pregnant by the time you miss your period. You may already be noticing changes in your body such as your breasts being swollen and tender, feeling nauseous or perhaps a strange metallic taste in your mouth. The fertilised egg has become an embyro and is busy transforming itself into a recognisable shape with a head, body and limbs. Taking care of yourself You may be feeling very up and down emotionally and some women, although not all, are already feeling nauseous and tired. If you haven't already, its a very good idea to give up smoking and alcoholic drinks. The Department of Health also advises that you take a Folic Acid supplement to reduce the chances of spina bifida in your baby. There are also some foods that you should avoid, which are mainly a precaution, so don't worry too much if you have already had some before you realised you were pregnant. The NCT's book Foodfacts for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding (£5.99) is a great resource for information and advice on eating healthily at this stage of your pregnancy. Things to think about this month Choosing your antenatal care Almost every area has its own system of antenatal care but most women have a choice between midwife only care and 'shared care' with both midwife and GP. Whilst there is a financial benefit to your GP if you opt for shared care you are not obliged to do so. Equally, if you are known to be “high risk,” you may be offered care that is shared between the obstetrician at your local maternity unit and your community midwife. It is still entirely up to you whether you accept this. Although many women go to their GP to confirm the pregnancy and arrange maternity care, this is not compulsory. Once you know you are pregnant, all you need do is phone or write to the supervisor of community midwives at your chosen maternity unit to inform her of your pregnancy and to ask her to arrange midwifery care for you. Not every area has a choice of maternity unit but if you look at BirthChoiceUK you will be able to find details of what is available to you locally. Depending on local policy, you should be offered a “booking-in” appointment with your midwife at some time between 8 and 12 weeks or possibly even later, but if you need support or information before then, your maternity unit or community midwife will be able to advise you. When choosing your hospital or maternity unit you might like to look at factors like their normal birth rates, their waterbirth facilities, their homebirth rates and any other factors which are important to you. Some women decide to use an independent midwife, allowing them to have more control over who cares for them and make sure that their birth carer is committed to their birth choices. To find out more about independent midwives, visit the Association of Independent Midwives website where you will be able to find a midwife near you. Where to have your baby Now is a good time to start thinking about where you want to have your baby. Many women assume that they will have their baby in hospital, particularly if it is their first, but this is not necessarily the best idea if you are hoping for a straightforward birth. Visit our site for more information about giving birth at home.   You are receiving this newsletter from The Good Birth Company because at some point in the past you have signed up to receive our The Good Birth Countdown newsletter. If you you would like to unsubscribe to this newsletter, please reply to this mail, removing its content and with the text UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject title. The Good Birth Company has a strict Privacy Policy governing the use of the information we hold about you.