Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

Tick, tock! Get our step-by-step pregnancy checklist from TTC to birth and beyond.

Photo: Angela Weedon Photography

This handy month-by-month pregnancy guide takes you through every stage of the journey, from TTC to your beautiful three-month-old baby.

Try our interactive and personalized pregnancy checklist >>

TTC
[  ] See the dentist
[  ] Preconception checkup
[  ] Get tetanus booster and German measles and chicken pox immunizations
[  ] Talk to relatives about family medical history including birth defects, miscarriages and genetic disorders
[  ] Start taking prenatal vitamins
[  ] If self employed, apply for a private disability policy 

Weeks 1-8*
[  ] Take pregnancy test
[  ] Tell your partner the good news
[  ] Find an OB/GYN
[  ] Schedule prenatal checkup
[  ] Research insurance -- how does it deal with pregnancy and children?
[  ] Make sure partner has short and long term disability
[  ] Figure out how pregnancy, baby and maternity leave will affect finances
[  ] Create a savings plan for your child's future expenses
[  ] Make a budget to start saving now
[  ] First prenatal checkup (week 4-8)

Weeks 8-12
[  ] Start buying maternity clothes
[  ] Chorionic villus sampling
[  ] Nuchal translucency screening (week 10-12)
[  ] Chromosomal disorder screening (week 10-14)
[  ] Doctor visit

Weeks 12-16
[  ] Start planning maternity leave and postpartum work schedule
[  ] Tell boss about pregnancy
[  ] Doctor visit
[  ] Milestone: Tell friends and family? 

Weeks 16-20
[  ] Start planning nursery
[  ] Look into childcare options
[  ] Doctor visit
[  ] Standard mid-pregnancy ultrasound
[  ] Amniocentesis and triple screen (week 15-18)
[  ] Milestone: Find out baby's gender?
[  ] Milestone: Hear baby's heartbeat with stethoscope?
[  ] Milestone: First baby kick?
[  ] Milestone: Belly starting to show?

Weeks 20-24
[  ] Start pediatrician interviews
[  ] Research and sign up for childbirth classes
[  ] Figure out baby shower logistics (date, host, location, guests, etc.)
[  ] If banking cord blood, figure out where and order kit
[  ] Doctor visit

Weeks 24-28
[  ] Update or write will, including directions for child's inheritance and guardianship
[  ] Purchase life insurance
[  ] Update 401K and retirement account beneficiaries
[  ] If using doula, start interviews
[  ] Start childcare interviews
[  ] Send out shower invites
[  ] Register for shower gifts
[  ] Doctor visit 

Weeks 28-32
[  ] Babyproof house
[  ] Start fetal kick counts
[  ] Prepare birth plan
[  ] Baby shower
[  ] Send thank-you notes for gifts (start one week after shower)
[  ] Cook and freeze meals for after delivery
[  ] Start childbirth class
[  ] Doctor visits (two this month)
[  ] Milestone: Others feel baby move?

Weeks 32-36
[  ] Buy any baby items still needed
[  ] Prepare all baby first aid and emergency items
[  ] Print and fill out emergency sheets
[  ] Get a low-maintenance haircut
[  ] Finish painting nursery
[  ] Get car seat inspected
[  ] Pack hospital bag
[  ] Contact local cord blood bank if interested in donating
[  ] Find out what screening tests your hospital routinely gives newborns
[  ] Speak with doctor about any additional tests you'd like run
[  ] Doctor visits (two this month)
[  ] Group B strep test (week 35-37)
[  ] Milestone: Last day of work
[  ] Milestone: Last week to fly safely (week 35)

Weeks 36-delivery
[  ] Doctor visits (weekly until delivery)
[  ] Non-stress test
[  ] Biophysical profile

Month 1
[  ] Hepatitis B #1 (birth-two months)
[  ] Pediatrician visit (week 2-4)

Month 2
[  ] Baby old enough to be accepted at some daycares (week 6)
[  ] Meet with manager to discuss work hours and return to projects
[  ] Hepatitis B #2 (month 1-4)
[  ] Milestone: First day back at work

Month 3
[  ] Pediatrician visit
[  ] DtaP, Hib, polio, PCV and rotovirus vaccines
[  ] Milestone: First smile

*We start counting pregnancy from the last menstrual period  

-- Paula Kashtan

See More: 1st Trimester , 2nd Trimester , 3rd Trimester , Pregnancy Tools

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Um... am I just not seeing it, or did you guys leave off picking the baby's name???!! That's the one I'm struggling with :) It would be nice to see when I "should" have that figured out.

by chrissy_LA

I don't think there's a "should" date for picking the baby's name... sometimes it just doesn't feel right till you meet the little guy or girl in person. My husband and I have three names picked out for a boy or a girl... we'll decide when we meet our new baby!

by Siapastar

Ha, I like how you guys put "last day of work" in the 32-36 week catagory. In a perfect world. And maternity leave would be paid for at least six months.

by CrawfordsLady

In a perfect world all maternity leave would be covered. Where I work we get maternity leave, but you have to use vacation and sick time in order to still get paid for the time off.

by Lucky_Dragonfly

I feel very thankful to be in the Netherlands now, where mothers get between 14 and 16 weeks of maternity leave PAID - every woman, regardless of what she does or how much she makes. You can take additional time (I believe up to a year) after that at reduced pay.

by happysparkle

I kinda wish this was interactive like the one on the knot or the nest. I liked being able to click things off.

by boydannie

I agree with boydannie - I would LOVE to see an interactive checklist similar to the wedding planning one on The Knot. That would help SO much!

by kimpan_l

I thought I would find an interactive checklist, too. Rather disappointed that it isn't.

by MommyPullin

Has anyone done the dr interview yet? Did you schedule an appt. I dont know I feel weird Interviewing a Dr.

by Pacheco825

With my first child I had a named picked out throughout the last 6 months of pregnancy and changed it when I saw him. I love the name I have picked out for my little girl growing inside me now, but again wasn't what we had originally intended throughout our relationship before we got pregnant. So my advice: dont finalize a name until you see your precious gem!

by tazarus

I second or third that comment about I thought there would be an interactive checklist also. I was looking for it and realized they didn't have one - they need to add it - would be one of the most useful tools.

by kkingery

In Canada we get a year of parental leave, which can be divided however you wish between Mom and Dad. Sometimes the Mom takes the full 12 months, sometimes she'll take 9 months and the Dad will take 3 months to be home with her at the start. You only get it if you work full-time I believe, and you only get 55% of your salary, but still I am so thankful for it. I don't how you ladies manage with the 4-6 weeks you get in the U.S. - Bless you all!

by SabbyW

I wish NestBaby had a planning feature - for example, to help plan the shower - like the Knot has for wedding planning. I loved keeping track of guests attending and not attending, etc. NestBaby - you can do it! Please? :)

by ErikaLenore

I have my name picked out - but then it was easy because it is a family name - and I pretty much knew I was having a girl (...my husband has children from a prev. marriage - 4 Girls - this man cant make a boy for anything - LOL). I would have like the interactive thingy too - but hey this is better than nothing.

by Mrs.Bible

if you're looking for an interactive list go to babycenter.com - it's another site like the nest baby and lets you check things off!

by elaurensmith

YES!!! INTERACTIVE Checklist PLEASE!! Doesn't anyone check up on these posts??

by shs500

For Matt leave you should just move to Canada. I'm off for a year paid a percentage of what I made at work.

by ally_pooh21

An interactive checklist would be so much better. Printing this out...it'll just get lost in the clutter.

by Ivana_Stolichnaya

at the top of this page there is a selection called "New, start your personalized interactive checklist.

by chicklit828

totally should move to Canada...

by awilliams37

I work for the state and i have to apply for FMLA where i wont get paid but ill have my job. Also my husband and i picked out the names way before we started IVF. Also some people like the plan everything early!

by dsmspd20

Leaving work between weeks 32-36 would be great. I am trying to get my short-term disability and PTO and sick time together now so that I can get 50-75% of my pay for 3 months.

by Joelana

thank you

by Cherronie

Wow, I'm so happy to be in Canada. I can't imagine not having 52 weeks of paid maternity leave! I would have such a hard time going back to work and leaving a 3 month old with a sitter. I only make about half my wage, but at least its something.

by KristyC81

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