Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

Posted Thursday, July 05, 2007 2:02 PM

This handy month-by-month pregnancy guide takes you through every stage of the journey, from TTC to your beautiful three-month-old baby. Click the links for more detailed checklists and QAs. 

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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