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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. 

> New! Start your personalized interactive checklist

> Print out a hard copy Click to download the pdf. Get Adobe Reader

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     

QA Index

Posted by Paula K
Filed under: , , ,

Comments

re: Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

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.

Posted by chrissy_LA    Friday, November 09, 2007 1:17 PM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

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!

Posted by Siapastar    Saturday, January 26, 2008 1:50 PM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

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.

Posted by CrawfordsLady    Thursday, February 14, 2008 10:23 PM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

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.

Posted by Lucky_Dragonfly    Tuesday, February 19, 2008 2:16 PM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

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.

Posted by happysparkle    Tuesday, February 19, 2008 2:31 PM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

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

Posted by boydannie    Monday, February 25, 2008 4:32 AM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

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!

Posted by kimpan_l    Tuesday, March 11, 2008 1:41 PM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

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

Posted by MommyPullin    Wednesday, April 09, 2008 8:25 AM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline Dr. Interview

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

Posted by Pacheco825    Friday, April 11, 2008 9:33 AM


Q: TTC to-do?

Q: With doctors, finances and everything else, there's so much to think about! What exactly do I need

Posted by Trying to Conceive Q & A    Saturday, April 26, 2008 3:01 AM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

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!

Posted by tazarus    Thursday, May 01, 2008 6:28 PM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

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.

Posted by kkingery    Tuesday, May 13, 2008 11:12 PM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy Timeline

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!

Posted by SabbyW    Sunday, May 18, 2008 3:59 PM


Q: Third trimester to-do?

Q: With doctors, finances and everything else, there's so much to think about! What exactly do I need

Posted by 3rd Trimester Q & A    Tuesday, May 27, 2008 10:41 AM


Q: Second trimester to-do?

Q: With doctors, finances and everything else, there's so much to think about! What exactly do I need

Posted by 2nd Trimester Q & A    Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:43 AM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy timeline

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? :)

Posted by ErikaLenore    Monday, July 07, 2008 10:20 PM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy timeline

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.

Posted by Mrs.Bible    Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:37 AM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy timeline

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!

Posted by elaurensmith    Friday, September 19, 2008 1:31 PM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy timeline

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

Posted by shs500    Tuesday, September 23, 2008 1:01 PM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy timeline

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

Posted by ally_pooh21    Tuesday, January 20, 2009 4:34 PM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy timeline

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

Posted by Ivana.Stolichnaya    Tuesday, February 03, 2009 10:03 AM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy timeline

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

Posted by chicklit828    Thursday, March 05, 2009 11:15 AM


re: Checklist: Pregnancy timeline

totally should move to Canada...

Posted by awilliams37    Tuesday, June 30, 2009 12:21 PM


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