Your Pregnancy To-Do List
By Julie Knapp
Pregnancy to do list
Between preparing for your baby and staying as healthy as possible, you have a lot to think about for the next 9 months. Follow our week-by-week to-do lists to make it easy.
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Week 1 of Pregnancy
Congratulations! You're actively trying to conceive—and you might even be pregnant already! Here's what you need to do now:
- Start taking a prenatal vitamin if you haven't already.
- Write down the date of your last period or two.
- With your partner, create a family health history, including any genetic or chromosomal disorders.
- Quit smoking, and focus on having a healthy diet and lifestyle.
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Week 2 of Pregnancy
- Reduce your caffeine intake.
- Talk to your doctor about safe medications during pregnancy.
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
- Talk to your doctor about your exercise routine. Note: It won't harm your baby, and your body will tell you when it's time to slow down.
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Week 3 of Pregnancy
- Look for the early signs of pregnancy.
- Buy an at-home pregnancy test.
- Learn what foods you should avoid during pregnancy.
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Week 4 of Pregnancy
- Take a pregnancy test if you've missed your period.
- Tell your partner the news!
- Make an appointment to see your doctor to confirm your pregnancy.
- Consider the alternative of a certified nurse-midwife.
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Week 5 of Pregnancy
- Pick up a pregnancy book.
- Download a pregnancy app to help you stay organized.
- Buy a journal or memory book to record your milestones, symptoms, and questions for the next nine months.
- Join an in-person or virtual pregnancy support group.
- Be sure to drink lots of water.
- Talk to your insurance company to find out which local doctors and hospitals are covered by your plan.
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Week 6 of Pregnancy
- If you're ready, start sharing the good news with family members and close friends.
- Make your partner the official kitty litter changer.
- Experiment with morning sickness remedies.
- Decide whether you like your doctor enough to stick with them through delivery. If not, start looking for a new one.
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Week 7 of Pregnancy
- Schedule and prepare for your first prenatal visit, which typically happens between 8 and 12 weeks.
- Compile a list of questions for your first doctor's appointment.
- Clear your beauty cabinet of any chemical-laden products like DEET-filled insect repellent.
- Buy a belly band to extend the life of your pants.
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Week 8 of Pregnancy
- Shop for a new bra, whether it's a maternity bra or just a bigger, softer style.
- Make Kegel exercises a part of your daily routine.
- Pick up antacids in preparation for pregnancy heartburn, along with other drugstore staples.
- Make a dentist appointment.
- Discuss recommended prenatal tests with your doctor.
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Week 9 of Pregnancy
- Create a baby budget.
- Make a pre-baby to-do list of all the things you want accomplish or enjoy before the baby arrives.
- Look at your household cleaners and swap in eco-friendly ones for any toxic ones.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
- Go for a walk, or do 30 minutes of another moderate exercise, and make it a part of your daily routine now.
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Week 10 of Pregnancy
- Wash your hands frequently to avoid getting a cold or the flu.
- Try natural remedies for indigestion.
- Go shopping for maternity clothing.
- Review your company's parental leave policy.
- If you're hoping for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) but your doctor isn't on board, consider jumping ship for a practitioner who will consider it.
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Week 11 of Pregnancy
- Moisturize your belly, hips and thighs daily to prevent itchy, dry skin as it stretches.
- Avoid hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, intense hot-weather workouts, super-hot baths, or anything else that could raise your body temperature above 102 degrees.
- Get a first-trimester screening to help your practitioner decide what tests may be warranted.
- If it's recommended by your doctor, get tested for chromosomal abnormalities through a nuchal translucency (NT) and chorionic villus sampling (CVS).
- Listen to the baby's heartbeat with a Doppler at your doctor's appointment, if possible.
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Week 12 of Pregnancy
- Plan a babymoon vacation.
- Buy a body pillow for sleeping.
- Be sure to stretch and warm up before exercise because your ligaments and joints are loosened up now.
- If you're having multiples, your doctor will be able to spot the extra babies at your next ultrasound.
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Week 13 of Pregnancy
- Begin thinking about baby names.
- Start sleeping on your side.
- Research pediatricians.
- Eat smaller meals more frequently to stave off heartburn.
- Consider borrowing previously worn maternity clothing from friends or family.
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Week 14 of Pregnancy
- Tell your family and friends your good news if you haven't already.
- Break the news to your boss, too.
- Take advantage of your second-trimester energy boost by checking things off your to-do list at home and at work.
- Start taking weekly pictures of your beautiful belly.
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Week 15 of Pregnancy
- Sign up for a prenatal yoga class.
- Strengthen your abs with pelvic tilts.
- Talk to you partner about finding out the sex of your baby.
- Over 35? Schedule an amniocentesis if it's recommended.
- As your doctor about the quad marker screen.
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Week 16 of Pregnancy
- Be sure to get plenty of calcium now, from low-fat dairy foods or supplements.
- Tour local birth centers.
- Start your baby registry.
- Ask friends and relatives about their birthing experiences.
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Week 17 of Pregnancy
- Combat your forgetful "pregnancy brain" with lots of notes and reminders.
- Treat yourself to a prenatal massage.
- Sign up for a childbirth class.
- Start a college fund for baby-to-be by opening a 529 account or a special savings account.
- Pick up a saline spray or humidifier to alleviate congestion caused by pregnancy.
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Week 18 of Pregnancy
- Consider signing up for infant CPR, prenatal breastfeeding, or newborn-care classes.
- Check your desk chair to see if a more supportive one or a footstool could help with back pain.
- Get ready for your mid-pregnancy ultrasound.
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Week 19 of Pregnancy
- Share ultrasound photos with friends and family.
- Have a date night.
- Research nursery furniture.
- Considering a home birth? Research the pros and cons.
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Week 20 of Pregnancy
- Talk to your partner about how you'll handle life after baby.
- Know the symptoms and risks of preeclampsia.
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Week 21 of Pregnancy
- Research the pros and cons of breastfeeding. Decide what's best for you and your baby once you have all the facts.
- Get organized and tackle pending projects around the house.
- Buy new clothes for your changing body.
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Week 22 of Pregnancy
- Work with your gracious baby shower host to plan party logistics.
- Prevent varicose veins. Avoid crossing your legs and long periods of sitting or standing, which may result in blood pooled in the legs.
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Week 23 of Pregnancy
- Take time to rest when you can—your body's doing lots of work and sleep might be getting more difficult by now.
- Test your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.
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Week 24 of Pregnancy
- Look into child care options for after baby.
- Start planning the nursery.
- Get tested for gestational diabetes.
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Week 25 of Pregnancy
- Update or attain life and disability insurance, and add chosen guardianship to your will.
- Write a birth plan.
- Pre-register at your hospital or birthing center, if possible.
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Week 26 of Pregnancy
- Interview potential pediatricians. Find out which local doctors are covered by your insurance and seek recommendations.
- Plan any last-minute travel—which is generally fine right up until your baby comes, though you might want to reconsider flying during the last month of pregnancy.
- Take the glucose-screening test.
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Week 27 of Pregnancy
- Start finalizing where the baby will sleep.
- Research cord blood banking.
- Find a birth doula, if desired.
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Week 28 of Pregnancy
- Start seeing your doctor or midwife every two weeks.
- Help your partner to feel the baby's kicks.
- If your fingers are swollen, take your rings off and store them in a safe place until after delivery.
- Depending on your and your partner's blood types, you may receive an injection of RhoGAM.
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Week 29 of Pregnancy
- Enjoy your baby shower!
- If you live in an older home, ask your partner to test for lead-based paint in the nursery and remove it if necessary.
- Eat a high-fiber diet to help prevent constipation and hemorrhoids.
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Week 30 of Pregnancy
- Buy a car seat, stroller, and any other important baby gear that you didn't receive at your shower.
- Count fetal kicks.
- Pack your hospital bag—and make sure your partner gets their's ready, too.
- Know the signs of premature labor.
- Try exercises designed to help prepare your body for D-day.
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Week 31 of Pregnancy
- Eat foods rich in iron.
- If you plan to hire a baby nurse, start seeking recommendations.
- Prepare a baby first-aid and emergency kit.
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Week 32 of Pregnancy
- Plan care for your other children or your pets for when you go into labor.
- Get a haircut.
- Start seeing your doctor or midwife weekly through delivery.
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Week 33 of Pregnancy
- Start reading about newborn care.
- Clean out your car to make room for baby.
- Install your car seat and visit an inspection station near you so you can be sure you did it correctly.
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Week 34 of Pregnancy
- Call your insurance company to add your baby-to-be to your policy.
- Get tested for Group B strep (GBS).
- Buy any items you'll need for postpartum recovery.
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Week 35 of Pregnancy
- Buy a baby book.
- If you plan to try chestfeeding, consider getting contact info for a lactation consultant in advance.
- Review your baby registry to see what items you still need to purchase before baby's arrival.
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Week 36 of Pregnancy
- Review your birth plan with your doctor, midwife, doula, or any others involved.
- Sleep in, take naps, and get as many extra Z's as you can.
- Send thank-you notes for your shower gifts.
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Week 37 of Pregnancy
- If you have other children, be sure to prepare them for their sibling's arrival.
- Plan for your first few weeks with baby by cooking and freezing a few nights' or weeks' worth of dinners—or asking for others to do it for you!
- Stock up on diapers and formula.
- Wash the baby clothes and bedding.
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Week 38 of Pregnancy
- Tie up any loose ends with finances or medical insurance.
- Make a list of who you want to contact when the baby arrives, including phone numbers and email addresses.
- Nail down your final choices for baby names.
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Week 39 of Pregnancy
- Practice any relaxation or breathing techniques you've learned.
- Wrap up at work and touch base with your team, just in case you go into labor before your due date.
- Discuss with your partner the option of cutting the umbilical cord.
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Week 40 of Pregnancy
- Be ready for your water to break, or for the mucus plug or bloody show.
- Time your contractions.
- Buy a few cold packs at the drugstore to use when the perineal cold packs from the hospital run out.
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Week 41 of Pregnancy
- Enjoy those last few kicks and the amazing feeling of having your baby inside of you.
- Do squats to help prepare your body for labor.
- Take advantage of the extra time to rest.
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Week 42 of Pregnancy
- Try a few tricks to bring on labor (or at least keep your mind off it): eat spicy foods, have sex, take a walk, or stimulate your nipples.
- Discuss with your doctor about going to the hospital to get induced.
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By Julie Knapp