Did You Know How Hard It Is to Get an Appointment When You're First Pregnant?

I didn’t.

I always assumed that once you found out you were pregnant, the doctor’s office would schedule your first appointment pretty quickly—maybe a few days later, depending on how far along you were. Turns out, it’s the complete opposite.

By November 10th, based on my bloodwork, I was estimated to be about two months pregnant. When I called my primary care provider at the time—NYU Langone—they told me the earliest OB appointment would be in January.

January?! For a first-time pregnancy, that felt like a lifetime away.

And in those early weeks, your mind spirals: Am I really pregnant? What if it’s ectopic? Is everything okay in there?

You have a million questions and absolutely no one to ask.

To make things more intense, I was planning to celebrate my 30th birthday in the Dominican Republic, well, not planning more like fully booked and finished paying off my room upgrade.

And suddenly, I felt like I had to talk to an OB before hopping on a plane—just to know the basics: the dos, the don’ts. I’ve traveled before, but traveling while pregnant?

Whole new world.New vibe. New kind of anxiety.

This trip went from “turning up on a beach” to “can I even drink anything?” and “will I enjoy the buffets at the all-inclusive?”

While I waited (and stressed), I started calling around, hoping to find a doctor who felt safe—someone who could give me peace of mind before I flew out. Thank God, one of my best friends worked as a medical assistant for an OB. Like a guardian angel, she got me in for a primary visit.

Game changer.

That one appointment gave me just enough clarity to breathe. But it also made me think: what about all the women who don’t get that lucky break?

Because let me tell you—once I found out I was pregnant, I never expected morning sickness to hit that hard. I needed professional advice, actual tips, and honestly? Reassurance.

I had friends who were pregnant over the years. I thought I’d be prepared. But going through it? Totally different from empathizing with someone else.

Pregnancy is a blessing—I was (and still am) so grateful for the experience…But let’s be real. I felt like a 29-year-old teenager suddenly trying to figure it all out. And I definitely had a moment of, Why do people go through this multiple times?!

(Says the woman who wants two… lol.)

But seriously—it’s humbling. And nerve-wracking. Beyond the nausea, I started to feel... disconnected. Like my body was no longer fully mine. Something was shifting. Everything I thought I knew about myself was evolving.

My 3-to-5-year plans? Flipped.

My relationship—which had just started getting serious—transformed overnight. We went from “learning each other” to “we’re literally creating a tiny human who’s 50/50 both of us.”

1 month before the pregnancy test