First trimester pregnancy checklist

The first three months will be full of excitement, nervousness, and an overall feeling of “what am I supposed to do?

Don’t worry, what you’re feeling is completely normal.

Weeks 1-4

One peculiarity about the pregnancy timeline is that, in general, women don’t know they’re pregnant for the first four weeks. However, many women begin to adopt quite a few lifestyle adjustments in preparation for this monumental event, including:

• Learning your due date – One of the most exciting things about pregnancy is learning when your baby will come into the world! Your doctor will give you an estimated due date during your first appointment, but you can always estimate early from the comfort of your own home with a pregnancy calculator. It’s not an exact science, but the SneakPeek® Calculator utilizes the same logic as doctors do in predicting your due date.
• Taking prenatal vitamins – Growing babies need specific nutrients for optimal health like folic acid, which helps prevent congenital disabilities.
• Quitting smoking – Kicking smoking to the curb helps your baby get more oxygen, develop healthy lungs, and have a lower chance of being born underweight.
• Reducing or eliminating alcohol intake – While a series of studies conducted in Denmark showed no neuropsychological harm to the children of mothers who engaged in low to moderate alcohol consumption, the authors of the studies do not encourage the practice. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists firmly maintains its stance that drinking during pregnancy increases the likelihood of complications. The debate for this topic remains ongoing.
• Adjusting diets – According to your doctor’s recommendations, you might need to modify your daily menu to appease your growing guest.
• Drinking eight to ten glasses of water – Water will help keep your blood hydrated and reduce the risk of cramps, circulation issues, and uncomfortable urinary tract infections.
• Limiting caffeineintake – Any amount less than 200 mg, about two cups of coffee, a day is a safe range of consumption that won’t raise the risk of miscarriage.
• Checking with your provider about your medications – What you eat is what your baby eats, and the same goes for medication. Your physician will be able to tell you whether your current medications are safe to continue.

If this is your first pregnancy, check out our pregnancy tips for first-time parents.

Weeks 5-8

A day or two after your period typically arrives, you can finally consult some at-home pregnancy tests. Week 4 is around the time when most tests claim accuracy. Some even claim to be able to detect pregnancy up to 6 days before your missed period!

However, results increase in accuracy the more days you wait after your missed period because pregnancy tests measure human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG is a hormone that doubles every two to three days after egg implantation, which means low levels during early testing could cause false negatives. You can confirm an initial negative result by retaking the pregnancy test a few days later. From there, you’ll want to turn to a professional care provider to confirm your pregnancy and guide you through the rest of the journey. As you make this pivotal choice, be sure to:

• Review your insurance policy – It’s a good idea to look into what benefits you have and what procedures you might be responsible for before the bill comes. You can also discover what hospitals are in-network and, thus, might be cheaper.
• Consider your medical history – If you have pre-existing conditions or have had pregnancy complications before, then you may need higher care than can be provided in-network. Some insurance companies may even authorize outside care because it may save them money in the long run.
• Pick a hospital – Depending on what’s in-network, you can make your selection based on the level of NICU care provided, prenatal classes offered, or the amount of support included postpartum.
• Research your prospective doctor – Checking out online reviews, consulting your network for their experiences, or continuing the old-fashioned way of calling practices yourself can help inform your decision about healthcare providers.
• Trust yourself – If you don’t feel comfortable with your pick, you should trust your gut. There is nothing wrong with changing physicians, nor is there an obligation to settle.

While first appointments are usually scheduled around 6-8 weeks, in the meantime, you can prepare with your partner by creating a family chart to clarify medical histories and jotting down the date of your last period.

Interested in a SneakPeek?

It may be a shot in the dark, but someone interested in a pregnancy checklist might also be interested in discovering the gender of their future president. Is that your hand I see raising?

Don’t suffer any more aunts telling you that the position of your stomach signifies a boy or girl. And certainly, don’t attempt any more urine and boiled cabbage tests… Please.

Instead, consider taking a clinically-proven early gender test at home. With SneakPeek, you can put the rumors to rest as early as eight weeks into a pregnancy, and as quickly as 72 hours. Just:

1. Order the kit online
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It’s that simple.

Weeks 9-12

Doctor visits are going to be a common occurrence. Make sure to:

• Start your childbirth plan – Determine the optimal birthing method and location for you. Before you make arrangements, start with some research. In a childbirth plan, you can specify:
  • The atmosphere of the room: music, whether you want a video camera, who you want in the room
  • Labor requests: your position, birthing tools, pain relief
  • Post-delivery instruction: who cuts the umbilical cord and what to do with the placenta
• Get to the dentist – Pregnant women are more susceptible to gingivitis and inflamed gums, so stay on top of your oral health.
• Get your baby-related finances in order – If you haven’t before, now is the time to consider the financial aspect of raising another human being. Anyone who has glanced at a price tag on a pair of cute, tiny infant booties knows that this won’t be a cheap endeavor. Start by:
  • Listing everything you will need and building a baby budget.
  • Looking into your insurance policy to see what is covered and where you can find assistance if needed.
  • Checking your maternity leave protocol at work to guarantee a smooth transition.

Second trimester pregnancy checklist

The golden trimester is here, and with it, things are going to start moving quickly.

Weeks 12-16

A very special period of time: your baby bump should start to show anytime now. Hormones and heartburn might be close companions of yours, but that adorable bump is a good sympathy prize.

For some early second trimester suggestions:

• Upgrade your sleep setup – If you’re having trouble sleeping, try investing in a body pillow or dozing off in a recliner to ease the discomfort of sleeping with a bump. With a persistent problem, you may want to ask your doctor for safe sleep aids.
• Listen to your baby’s heartbeat – Consider a fetal doppler to hear your baby’s heartbeat at just 16 weeks, hiccups, movements, and more.
• Tackle heartburn– If heartburn is killing you, try eating smaller meals and stock up on the Tums to ward off any discomfort.
• Start considering some baby names– Picking a name, or narrowing down a name from your list of one hundred names, is so exciting.
• Start on a healthy skincare routine– As your belly expands, it’s essential to moisturize and help your skin as much as possible. Using pregnancy oils on changing body parts can help prevent or reduce stretch marks.
• Continue to take care of yourself and your relationship with your partner– Life is only going to get more hectic from here. Make sure you have time planned for your health and the health of meaningful relationships.
• Keep exercising– Just because you may have to reduce the weights or slow down a little, doesn’t mean you can’t exercise. Women have run marathons weeks before their delivery date.
• Work out your pelvic floor muscles – Studies have proven that Kegel exercises effectively treat and prevent urinary incontinence during pregnancy, and its benefits may continue postpartum. They may even shorten your labor time, according to a study that recorded faster pushing times in a controlled group that employed pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy.

Weeks 16-20

You’re approaching the halfway mark. During these four weeks, you may start to feel your baby kick and move around. Pregnancy gets a whole lot more real, and getting ready for the baby can be a whole lot more intimidating. That’s why during this time it may be helpful to consider taking some classes.

• Enroll in childbirth classes – Childbirth classes help to prepare mothers (and their partners) both physically and mentally. They also help to connect expecting mothers with other mamas-to-be.
• Try tailored exercise classes for pregnant women – Exercise classes designed for expecting mothers, like prenatal yoga, is another helpful way to meet others who are experiencing the same thing as you.

Weeks 20-24

With your mid-pregnancy ultrasound and doctor’s check-up completed, parenthood should be solidifying here. It’s the prime time to check the following things off your list:

• Build your nursery– This is a great time to bring your ideas to life and begin building or decorating the nursery.
• Make and send out a baby registry – Make use of your baby’s biggest fans and start picking out baby registry essentials.
• Start researching breastfeeding and formula– It can be helpful when your baby arrives to have in-depth knowledge of both so you can be fully prepared.
• Check out all the hi-tech monitors there are to offer– Nowadays, there are baby monitors that stream video, or you can stick with just audio. With a quality monitor, you can hear your baby as soon as they wake up or keep an eye on them at all times.
• Explore childcare options– Do you and your partner plan on returning to work after your baby is born? Getting in touch with childcare options before giving birth could mean one less thing on your to-do list. And you’ll get ahead of the curve considering some daycare waitlists feel longer than Harvard’s.

Third trimester pregnancy checklist

The third trimester is when your pregnancy checklist starts shifting from preparation to countdown mode. As delivery gets closer, staying organized can help you feel more confident and before you go into labor.

Weeks 24-28

At 24 weeks, you’ve cleared a safe zone where babies born this early still have a survival rate between 60%-70%. With one less worry on your plate, you can handle other details, such as:

• Finalize your birth plan – Start outlining your preferences for labor and delivery, including pain management options, support people, and postpartum care.
• Start to pack your hospital bag – Research what to pack in a hospital bag and begin gathering essential items like comfortable clothes, a bra, phone chargers, snacks, important paperwork, and basic toiletry items.
• Prepareing pets and older siblings for the incoming housemate addition – Help pets and older children adjust by gradually introducing new routines, baby gear, and household changes before your newborn arrives. Small steps now can make the transition smoother once the baby is born.
• Update or draw up a will – It may not be the most exciting item on your to-do list, but creating or updating a will can provide peace of mind as you start preparing for your growing family. Consider documenting guardianship preferences and inheritance details.
• Choose a pediatrician – Use this stage to research and choose your baby’s pediatrician before delivery. You can ask friends for recommendations, check insurance coverage, and even schedule introductory meetings with providers.
• Test for gestational diabetes – Additionally, between weeks 26-28, you should have a gestational diabetes test performed and your blood count checked. From the results, you may need to readjust your routine as deemed necessary
• Try to relax – Between appointments, nursery prep, and your growing to-do list, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Make time for rest, light exercise, or calming routines that help soothe stress and keep you feeling grounded during the final stretch of your pregnancy.

Weeks 28-32

Most logistical minutiae should be handled at this point. In addition to relaxing and sleeping, this is the right time to:

• Host your baby shower – Celebrate with your friends and family at your baby shower and be ready for all the hands rubbing your belly.
• Meal prep for postpartum– You can start to meal prep and freeze food, so that you can have a secure stock for busy nights to come.
• Prep and organize your baby gear– Start to prepare all the most important baby gear. Wash your baby’s bedding, clothes, and stockpile baby goods because time’s almost up!
• Remove rings– It may not come to mind, but this fashion (and health) tip is key. Remove and store rings if your hands are starting to swell to avoid discomfort.

Weeks 32-36

You’re in the home stretch! Save yourself stress:

• Pre-register at the hospital– Registering for your hospital visit in advance so the check-in process will be streamlined when it’s time is a great way to take something off your plate.
• Install the baby seat in your car– Getting your carseat set up before the baby arrives gives you one less thing to worry about in the hospital.
• Arrange for child or pet care for your hospital stay – Make a plan for who will care for your pets or older children while you’re at the hospital. Confirm schedules and prepare any instructions ahead of time for a smoother transition.
• Know the signs of labor – Learning the common signs of labor can help you feel more confident as your due date approaches. Symptoms like regular contractions, lower back pain, or changes in pelvic pressure may signal it’s time.

Weeks 36-delivery

You should be seeing your doctor weekly now and have a non-stress test and biophysical profile.

At this stage, feel free to focus on unwinding before the big day.

Until it’s time to time contractions, you should do what you enjoy before the hustle and bustle of afterbirth begins. Once the baby is here, say goodbye to quiet solitude.

Worry less with SneakPeek

You’ve found a list, and you will, undoubtedly, be checking it twice. Regardless of how much reassurance you receive, it can be difficult not to worry. Worrying is natural; pregnancy is a hectic journey, after all. But the arrival of your newborn will come with all-new terrains to traverse that will soon have you forgetting just how chaotic this moment is right now.

That’s a good thing, we promise. Just remember the happiness your little bundle of joy is about to bring into your life and the chaos will seem worth it.

Now that you’ve gained insight into the logistics of the nine-month-long journey, it’s time to learn more about all the things to do before baby arrives—including discovering the sex.

If you can’t wait to find out the sex of your baby, the SneakPeek® Early Gender Test offers results as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy—long before your baby bump starts showing or your anatomy scan is scheduled. Simply send in your sample and receive physician-reviewed results with over 99% clinically proven accuracy. Join more than 1 million expecting parents who’ve trusted the SneakPeek Test for an early glimpse at their little one.