Surprise pregnancy

The Family Planning Association estimates that about 50 per cent of pregnancies are unplanned
You may be feeling shock and disbelief, especially if you have been using contraception or taken the morning-after pill or have continued having periods
You may be worried about things you have taken, drunk or eaten before you knew you were pregnant

Try not to worry about things you may have done before you knew you were pregnant – your baby will almost certainly be fine
Lots of pregnancies are unplanned and very few babies are harmed by anything their mothers did before they knew
Instead focus on eating healthily from now on, not drinking alcohol and, if you smoke, quit
If you are still in the first trimester of your pregnancy, start taking folic acid supplements
Make an appointment to see your GP – she can advise you on your diet and lifestyle and answer any questions you may have
She will also give you a check-up and hopefully set your mind at rest about your baby's health
If you have an intra-uterine device (IUD) in place, your GP will usually remove it to reduce your risk of miscarriage
If you are still taking the Pill, stop – your baby will not have been harmed in any way
If you have taken the morning-after pill there is no evidence that it will have harmed your baby
If you are not sure how many weeks pregnant you are, a dating scan at 11-13 weeks will give you an accurate due date