So you’ve just seen that positive pregnancy test. Congratulations! Between doctor’s visits, building a baby registry, preparing for labor and planning for all the ways your life is about to change, pregnancy can feel like one long to-do list. But the next nine-ish months don’t have to be overwhelming, and you don’t have to do everything all at once.

We’ve broken it all down into small chunks, so you can take your pregnancy to-do list week by week. Each week has anywhere from one to four manageable tasks, from the big stuff (like scheduling ultrasounds and planning your baby shower) to the little things (like getting a massage and buying comfy maternity clothes).

This checklist is here to help you prioritize and stay on top of things throughout your entire pregnancy, as well as quickly look to the weeks ahead so you can anticipate what’s coming next. Think of it as your go-to guide for staying organized, calm and ready for baby, so you can spend more time enjoying your pregnancy journey—one week at a time.

And remember: you don’t have to do every single thing on this list. Consider it a loose guide—perfect for the Type A folks who love checking every box, but just as helpful if you’d rather pick and choose what works best for you.

If you’d like this list as a weekly installment, be sure to sign up for our week-by-week email series (in your registry profile’s email notification settings) so you can track your to-dos right alongside all your other pregnancy-related info.

Pro tip: Download this checklist and keep it somewhere highly visible!

First Trimester

4 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Make an appointment with your ob-gyn or midwife for your first prenatal visit, which will probably take place between week six and week eight.

✅ Start tracking any symptoms you might be having, in case your provider asks.

✅ Start taking a daily prenatal vitamin to help give both you and baby that extra boost of nutrients, especially if morning sickness is keeping you from eating much. If you’re too nauseous to swallow a regular pill or capsule, try prenatal gummies (though keep in mind that they don’t contain iron), or try taking your vitamins before bed instead of in the morning.

✅ Stop smoking (whether that’s tobacco cigarettes, vapes, marijuana or anything else) and drinking alcohol if you haven’t already.

5 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Learn what foods you should avoid during pregnancy, like raw fish, deli meats and unpasteurized cheeses.

✅ Start doing kegels regularly. As your pregnancy progresses and your pelvic floor encounters more strain, kegels will help keep that muscle group strong and stable. That’ll help reduce the risk of urinary incontinence and pelvic pain in the third trimester.

✅ Look into how your health insurance plan covers pregnancy expenses before you go to your first prenatal appointment. It's also a good idea to look into your coverage of birth, whether vaginal or C-section, so that hospital bill you’ll get in about nine or 10 months isn’t too big of a shock.

6 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Give yourself permission to rest. Go ahead, make time for naps—the fatigue and nausea of the first trimester may be ramping up, and you may be feeling extra tired over the next few weeks.

✅ Start a list of your pregnancy-related questions to ask your provider at your first appointment.

✅ Pick up a few pregnancy books. They can answer your many biggest questions, help you de-stress and also demystify childbirth and breastfeeding.

✅ Start a pregnancy journal to record all your appointments, symptoms, cravings and any other memorable milestones along this journey.

7 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Stock up on quick morning sickness remedies like ginger candies, saltine crackers, mints or ginger ale to help keep the nausea at bay.

✅ Buy a nice, large water bottle to keep nearby so you stay hydrated in spite of any morning sickness symptoms. And drinks like Gatorade and Liquid I.V. can replace any electrolytes you lose if you’re prone to vomiting.

8 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Go to your first prenatal appointment (probably this week or close to it).

✅ Swap out your scented skincare and cleaning products for unscented versions if strong smells are triggering your nausea. And stay away from air fresheners and scented candles, too, since those scents might set off nausea as well.

9 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Schedule chorionic villus sampling and/or the nuchal translucency scan in advance if you’re opting in. CVS usually happens between week 10 and week 13, and the NT scan between week 11 and week 14.

10 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Schedule your appointment for your 12-week prenatal visit if you haven’t already.

✅ Start thinking about your budget and savings plan for baby’s first year.

11 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Do some pregnancy-safe exercises if you haven’t started yet. Even if you’re still having bouts of morning sickness, light exercise can help relieve symptoms.

✅ Find a local prenatal yoga studio or some videos online to help you get some gentle, pregnancy-friendly movement.

12 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Go to your 12-week ultrasound appointment and get a good look at your baby for the first time!

✅ Contact a few daycare centers about availability and waitlists for after your baby is born. It may seem way too early, but planning for childcare early will help you tons in the long run since many daycare centers fill up fast, especially in major cities.

13 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Book your 20-week ultrasound, also called the anatomy scan (when they check your baby for any anatomical abnormalities, and also when you can find out the sex!).

✅ Review your employer’s maternity leave policy and plan how you’re going to tell work you’re pregnant.

✅ Decide if and how you’re going to tell your family and friends about your pregnancy if you haven’t yet.

Second Trimester

14 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Make an official pregnancy announcement (if you want to). Wondering when to tell your employer? There’s no hard-and-fast rule, but you should give them at least 30 days before your due date to schedule any leave you’ll be taking.

15 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Buy a few sets of maternity clothes. Maternity leggings are especially comfortable if you’re prone to swelling. Also consider renting some maternity items.

✅ Invest in some belly-friendly maternity underwear and a few supportive maternity bras that can grow with you over the coming months. Bonus points if your maternity bras can double as nursing bras when the time comes, in case you decide to breastfeed.

16 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Start planning your baby shower, if you want to have one. First steps: figure out the host, location, date and guest list.

✅ Start sleeping on your side, ideally, your left (it helps get nutrients to baby via blood flow). Don’t panic if you wind up on your back; just flip onto your side and try again.

✅ Try five minutes of meditation a day for one week. If you feel good, keep it going and add another few minutes each week, working your way up to 20 minutes.

17 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Thinking about going on a babymoon? Now’s the time to think about locations and start booking travel.

✅ Join online groups for expecting parents with similar due dates (Facebook is a good place to start). This can be a great way to find mutual support on your pregnancy and early parenting journey, and maybe even a few play date opportunities!

18 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Make a Spotify playlist just for baby (they can hear now!) that’s full of some of your favorite songs or soothing tunes.

✅ Buy a pregnancy pillow to help support your growing belly and keep you in a comfortable position overnight, especially if you’re not used to being a side-sleeper.

✅ Brainstorm baby names. Fun places for inspiration: Family names, current trends, nature, religion/spirituality and even baby’s Zodiac sign.

19 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Sign up for childbirth classes at your hospital or a local parent resource center. If they're not available in person, there are online courses too.

✅ Decide if you want to learn baby’s sex (if you haven’t learned through genetic testing already), since your 20-week anatomy scan is just around the corner.

20 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Create your baby registry! You can continue to refine it over the next few weeks until your shower date.

✅ Get your 20-week ultrasound. This is the point where you’ll see your baby more clearly, learn about how baby is developing and even find out their sex (if you want to).

21 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Research the best car seats, strollers, carriers and cribs and add your favorites to your registry.

✅ Finalize your baby shower guest list and send it to your host.

22 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Book your gestational diabetes lab appointment for between week 24 and week 28. (Tip: When scheduling, remember you’ll have to wait more than an hour at the lab.)

✅ Book a maternity photoshoot (if you want one) for around the middle of the third trimester.

23 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Buy a maternity belt or two to support your growing belly. These bands help take the pressure off your hips and lower back, leading to less pain both immediately and down the road.

✅ Get a prenatal massage to help alleviate any aches and pains. Massages are totally safe to do during pregnancy, just make sure you go to someone who’s licensed specifically for pregnancy massage.

24 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Add diapers to your registry (yes, you can do that!).

✅ Add smaller items to your registry, like baby clothes, toys, books and postpartum recovery products to your registry.

25 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Find out if you can get a free breast pump through your insurance and which ones you’re eligible for.

✅ Decide if you’re going to hire a birth doula.

✅ Get your free baby welcome box, plus any other free baby stuff you can get while pregnant.

26 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Start writing your birth plan and make a few copies to talk over with your healthcare provider. It doesn’t need to be complete just yet, but now is a good time to start thinking about all the different aspects of labor and delivery.

✅ Prepare your fur baby for welcoming your new (human) baby. If needed, sign up for dog training or hire a dog walker.

27 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Do your kick counts around the same time every day to figure out your baby’s patterns.

✅ Reevaluate your workout for the weeks ahead. During the third trimester, you may need to modify your routine or certain exercises a bit. Listen to your body, and remember that you’re accommodating a large, heavy belly now.

Third Trimester

28 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Get your Tdap vaccine to help protect your baby from whooping cough.

✅ Decorate your nursery! Nesting is real, and setting up baby’s space can be a fun way to kick off the third trimester.

✅ Make a to-do list for family and close friends so they can help with whatever you need in these final weeks, whether that’s helping you set up the nursery or meal prepping for after baby comes.

29 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Consider whether you’ll be doing cord blood banking once baby is born.

✅ Make a labor playlist, which can help you stay calm during the long, challenging hours. You might want soothing, quiet music, empowering, high-energy songs or a combination of both.

✅ Research what labor methods and pain management techniques you might want to incorporate during childbirth. If you’ll be working with a doula, they’ll be a good resource for information.

30 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Start preparing for your leave from work, including any paperwork for disability pay and parental leave pay.

✅ Run down your pregnancy to-do list (baby shower planning, setting up the nursery, finishing up any projects at work) and make a plan to finish what’s left by around week 36. You never know—you could give birth early!

31 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Pack your hospital bag. You’ll want to bring essentials like clothes and toiletries for yourself and maybe a few sentimental things for baby (diapers, wipes and lots of other newborn essentials are covered by the hospital). Let your partner or support person know that they might want to pack a bag too. To help you stay organized, here is an interactive hospital bag checklist.

✅ Make a few freezer meals to have once the baby is born. Stocking your freezer with heat-and-eat meals now means a lot less work for you to do later (when you’d rather be spending time with your newborn).

32 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Tour your birthing center or the labor and delivery ward of your hospital. Make sure you have questions prepared in advance, like what their pain management options are, where to park and what their visitor policy is.

✅ Enjoy your baby shower, if you’re having one! It's probably happening right around now.

33 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Schedule your Group B Strep test for between week 35 and week 37.

✅ Figure out your pet care and/or childcare situation for any older kiddos for when you go into labor. Will any older children or pets be staying with grandparents or friends? How many days will you need the extra care for?

34 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Write and send thank you cards for your shower.

✅ Take a childbirth class if you haven’t yet. Your hospital or birth center may provide them, or you can take one online from the comfort of your couch. You can find classes suited to every labor technique and all pain management preferences.

35 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Find out how to add your baby to your health insurance after they’re born.

✅ Install your car seat into your vehicle (after reading the manual thoroughly). You can also have a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) install it for you.

✅ Wash all of baby’s clothes and bedding in a baby-friendly laundry detergent so they’re fresh and clean for baby’s arrival.

36 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Get your Group B Strep test.

✅ Start perineal massage if you’re having a vaginal birth to help prevent tearing down there during labor and delivery.

37 Weeks Pregnant

✅ Choose your baby’s pediatrician. Your birthing team will ask about your baby’s pediatrician within the first day or so after delivery so medical records can be shared and the doctor will know to expect you. Have your pediatrician’s contact information handy in your hospital bag or on your birth plan.

Your Pregnancy Checklist: Week by Week

Pregnancy to-dos made simple: weekly steps with big milestones + small tasks to keep you organized and stress-free.

By Amylia Ryan

Fact Checked by Shannon Vestal Robson

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