Download ME Preg. Your ultimate guide for all things pregnancy!
Review Your Insurance Policy Regarding Pregnancy Coverage.
Vaccinations. Make sure your vaccinations are up to date; wait one month following new vaccinations to become pregnant.
Visit the Dentist for a Healthy Smile.
Start Taking a Prenatal Vitamin.
Congratulations! You have a positive pregnancy test.
Interview & Choose Your Health Care Team.
Schedule Your First Prenatal Visit For Around Week 8.
hCG & Progesterone Levels. These levels may be checked due to a history of miscarriage & ordered before your first prenatal visit.
Depression & Anxiety. Discuss any symptoms with your health care team. Exercise Options. Talk with your health care team about your exercise program. Don’t begin a vigorous routine now.
Nutrition. Nourish your body & your baby with a rainbow of delicious, nutritious foods! Cut out deli meats, avoid high-mercury seafood, and undercooked & unpasteurized foods. Limit refined carbohydrates. Remove or limit caffeine. Drink your water, Mama!
Lifestyle Changes. Eliminate smoking & alcohol. Unless medically advised or prescribed, stop any & all drugs (over the counter, illegal or otherwise). Use optimal hygiene. Stop changing cat litter pans. No sharing drinks & food with small children to prevent infections, such as Cytomegalovirus (CMV), being passed to you & your developing baby.
Your Maternal Health Matters, Mama! Taking an active role in your pregnancy is essential to you & your baby’s health.
Mama, It’s So Important to Take Care of Yourself. If you notice any of the following symptoms during or after pregnancy, call your health care team immediately: dizziness or fainting, fever, chest pain, nausea and throwing up, swelling, severe or chronic headache, bleeding, changes in your vision, overwhelming tiredness, belly pain, trouble breathing, chronic cough, or thoughts about harming yourself or your baby. Don’t wait – your well-being comes first.
Your First Prenatal Visit is Today. It will involve a complete medical history, a pap smear, blood test, urine test, blood pressure & weight. An ultrasound will confirm your baby’s heartbeat & gestational age. Share all concerns, questions & symptoms with your health care team.
Measure Estimated Placental Volume (EPV). This measurement will make sure that your placenta is the correct size to nourish your baby adequately.
Further Tests. Your health care team will help decide the right tests for you, such as: Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) and Nuchal Translucency Screening Test (NTS).
Pregnancy Announcement. Plan how you’ll share the exciting news with loved ones.
Buckle Up. Keep your baby safe in utero while in any vehicle.
Plan Your Babymoon. ACOG advises it’s best to travel Weeks 14-28.
Quad Marker Screen. Decide if this is right for you as it determines a high or low risk of birth defects.
Be Aware of Your Sleeping Position. Discuss this with your health care team.
Depression & Anxiety. Discuss any symptoms with your health care team.
Be Aware of Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP). The main symptom of this liver disorder is itching.
Plan Your Baby’s Gender Reveal.
Preeclampsia. May occur during the last half of pregnancy & after childbirth. Typically there’s a rise in blood pressure & protein may be present in your urine. Be evaluated at every visit.
Begin to Check Fundal Height to Measure Baby’s Growth.
Your Baby’s 20-Week Ultrasound. Examines your baby’s anatomy & uterine environment. Assesses the umbilical cord & placenta for insertion (central, marginal or velamentous), normal development & position. Count ten fingers & ten toes!
Find Out The Sex of Your Baby.
Amniotic Fluid. This is the watery fluid inside the amniotic membrane (sac). Polyhydramnios or Oligohydramnios may cause complications & close monitoring may be needed.
Learn Your Baby’s Movement Patterns. You’ll begin daily movement counting at Week 28.
Register at Your Favorite Stores for Your Little One’s Arrival & Let the Fun Begin!
Be Aware of The Symptoms of Preterm Labor. These contractions differ from Braxton Hicks. Indications are regular painful contractions, four or more contractions per hour that may or may not become stronger, & may include low backaches, spasms or twinges. Other signs are alterations in your vaginal secretions such as bleeding, spotting, or water emitting or oozing from your vagina. Call your health care team & go to Labor & Delivery or the Emergency Room for evaluation.
Cord Blood Stem Cells. Research & decide by Week 34 if this is right for you.
Start Preparing Your Baby’s Nursery.
Research, Tour & Decide Where to Deliver Your Baby.
Research & Choose Your Baby’s Pediatrician.
Research Sibling & Infant CPR Classes.
Glucose Challenge Screening for Gestational Diabetes.
Be Aware of Fetal Hiccups. Some babies’ hiccup daily until delivery day. By Week 32 hiccups should lessen. Past Week 32, if your baby suddenly begins having hiccups, has hiccups that last longer than 15 minutes, or is having a series of hiccups 3-4 times within 24 hours, ask to be evaluated to make sure there are no umbilical cord issues & that your baby is well.
Begin Movement Counting Around Week 28. Count every kick, move, punch, nudge, jab, flip, roll, & twirl (not hiccups). Once daily, time how long it takes for 10 movements in 1 hour (max 2 hours) to make sure that your baby is well. If you notice any changes in your baby’s movement patterns, such as a decrease, increase, or absence in fetal movement, CALL your health care team immediately. If you are unable to reach or visit your health care team, go to Labor & Delivery or the Emergency Room. Do not wait until the next day or next appointment! You know your baby best, so always trust your instincts.
Research Childbirth Classes.
Schedule a Fabulous Maternity Photo Shoot to Capture You & Your Gorgeous Baby Bump.
Depression & Anxiety. Discuss any symptoms with your health care team.
Begin Working on Your Birth Plan.
Glucose Challenge Screening for Gestational Diabetes.
Request an Ultrasound During Your Third Trimester. This examines your baby’s umbilical cord & placenta for normal development & position making sure that your baby is well. Depending on the results, further monitoring or ultrasounds may be needed.
Doppler Ultrasound. This checks the blood flow within the umbilical cord. It can detect umbilical cord issues & may prevent further complications with frequent monitoring.
It’s the Perfect Time to Celebrate You & Your Baby at Your Baby Shower.
Nuchal Cord. This is extremely common; most babies wriggle their way out of one! Still, all nuchal cords have the potential to be problematic. If your baby starts having changes in patterns of movement or heart decelerations when monitored, further evaluation may be recommended.
Preeclampsia. May occur during the last half of pregnancy & after childbirth. Know the signs. Be evaluated at every visit.
Vaccinations During Pregnancy. Influenza (Inactivated) & Tdap vaccinations may be recommended.
Vaccinations for Others Before Your Baby Arrives. The Tdap vaccine is suggested for relatives, friends & caregivers.
Third Trimester Testing. Speak with your health care team about including Fetal Non-Stress Tests (NSTs) & a Biophysical Profile (BPP) with a Doppler Ultrasound to make sure your baby is well.
Continue to Track Your Baby’s Movements Until Your Baby is Born. Your baby’s movements & heart rate will basically stay the same now. If you notice any changes in your baby’s movement patterns, such as a decrease, increase, or absence in fetal movement, CALL your health care team immediately to make sure baby is well. If you are unable to reach or visit your health care team, go to Labor & Delivery or the Emergency Room. Do not wait until the next day or next appointment! Always trust your instincts.
Inform Your Insurance Company of Your Expected Baby’s Arrival.
Your Fourth Trimester & Postpartum Plan. Now is a great time to think about what happens after your baby arrives. Talk to your health care team about postpartum symptoms and conditions. Which visitors do you want in the hospital & at home? Meal-prep? Pelvic floor exercises? Your self-care needs? It’s OK to ask for help! This is a meaningful time for YOU & your baby.
Prepare for Breastfeeding. Learn about proper techniques, positions, and potential challenges. Buckling Baby Up. Have your baby’s installed car seat checked by a Certified Car Seat Technician. Your baby will soon be a passenger in your car, always remember to remove your baby when leaving the car, “Look before you lock.”
Stripping Membranes. Discuss the benefits & risks of possible methods of induction before your due date. You may not be asked before “stripping” or “sweeping” of your membranes is performed. If you have tested positive for GBS tell your health care team not to strip your membranes.
Prepare to Introduce Your Baby to Your Pets. Familiarize your pets with new scents & your baby’s furniture.
Prepare Your Hospital & Diaper Bags.
Choose a Photographer for Your Baby’s First Pictures.
Cord Blood Stem Cells. Make your decision now.
Recheck for GBS at Weeks 36-38. If you previously tested negative for GBS, be rechecked now! If you tested positive, remind your health care team or nursing staff of this on delivery day. Moms who test positive must be given antibiotics during labor. Be aware of the signs of GBS that your baby may exhibit in the months after birth; if this occurs have your baby checked in the Emergency Room immediately.
Continue to Track Your Baby’s Movements.
Finish The Nursery & Baby Proofing.
Begin Thinking About Birth Announcement Ideas.
Your Water Breaks or Labor Starts. Call your health care team immediately.
Be Informed About Meconium. If you notice a greenish-brown discharge in your amniotic fluid, call your health care team immediately, and go to Labor & Delivery or the Emergency Room.
Your Plan if Your Baby Does Not Arrive by His or Her Due Date. When should you expect delivery day? How long beyond your expected due date you will be allowed to wait if labor does not begin spontaneously? What special tests will be needed? Can you plan your delivery date? Is an induction feasible? What about scheduling a C-Section? Assess the pros & cons making the best-informed decision for you & your baby with the help of your health care team. Continue movement counting until delivery day.