Pregnant for the first time: Hooray - but help.....

Unfortunately, there aren’t any easy solutions. Explain the problem to your other half and see if he can help by doing the supermarket shop and preparing whatever you can face for supper. Ask yourself if you can avoid going to work by public transport – could your man go out of his way to drive you to work?

When you have figured out which food you can actually keep down (for many women it’s water biscuits) carry them round in your handbag with a bottle of water.

Forget about mealtimes, and try and eat small quantities of whatever you can very frequently. Cancel your evening social life for the time being, and when you get back from work, go to bed.

Even if you’re lucky enough to escape the nausea, most women are surprised to find that rather than ‘blooming’ they feel pretty lethargic.

Again, it’s difficult for your husband to realise that this is normal. You're not being a wimp and you might feel as if you're on an emotional rollercoaster.

You may find you:

• Burst into tears for trivial reasons
• Find the people you are closest to quite irritating
• Be unable to make decisions
• Find it difficult to remember things
• Lose your self-confidence and self-assertion
• Become more dependent on your husband
• Sleep badly at night
• Start studying baby-gear catalogues

Ask your husband to be patient - he might not have anticipated all these changes in you.

General suggestions – now is NOT the time to:

• Buy a puppy.
• Start a new job (and not tell them you are pregnant).
• Sign up to study for another degree, as you think this is something you can do with a baby.

Talk to other mums-to-be at the same stage as you.