Figuring out what to do after you find out that you are pregnant can be quite overwhelming! There are so many questions like, when should I schedule an appointment? What should I eat and not eat?
The first trimester can seem like a long and hard one too, as your energy dips and you start to feel the morning sickness kicking in.
If you want to start preparing for the arrival of your little one, making sure you are doing everything you can to take care of yourself and your baby, this is the Ultimate First Trimester Checklist! Everything on here is to ensure that you stay healthy, take care of yourself, and get started on early preparations so that you don’t get overwhelmed closer to the due date.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or any kind of health care professional. I am just a fellow mom and am sharing things that I did for my own pregnancy that really helped me. Also, please note that every pregnancy is different and while some of these things helped me and lots of other moms, it may not be for you. None of the advice should be taken as medical advice so please check with your own doctor.
*This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I receive a small commission from any purchases made through the links (at no extra cost to you). This does not affect what items I recommend, as I only list items that I use or truly believe are the best!
Begin Taking a Prenatal
Ideally, it is best to start taking a prenatal before you become pregnant. However, this is not possible for every scenario so find a prenatal and begin taking one as soon as you can, if you are not already. It is important for your body to have all the nutrients it needs to support you and your little one during the pregnancy as well as the post-partum period.
For me, it was important to find a prenatal that not only had all the vitamins and minerals but one that was also metal and pesticide-free. I would recommend researching this to find a prenatal that is clean and works for you!
Schedule an Appointment With an OB/GYN
The first OB appointment is usually around weeks 6-8. This is to confirm the baby’s heartbeat, make sure you and baby are healthy, and answer any questions you may have. This is also the perfect time to ask any questions you may have!
I would make a list prior to your appointment so that you don’t forget anything! You may want to know what normal things to look out for are, and what are some abnormal signs that should prompt you to call the doctor.
Create a Pinterest Board for Inspiration
This is the exciting part! When preparing for your baby, you may want to start a Pinterest board with all of your favorite baby clothing, gear, and nursery inspirations. Deciding on what items to get for your baby may be overwhelming because there are so many things out there!
A good approach to picking out baby gear and essentials is to read other moms’ reviews and ask other moms you may know as to what their favorite baby items are. I have a post that lists my top favorite baby essentials that I loved and used daily.
Begin Planning a Nursery
If you are planning to have a nursery when the baby arrives, make sure to start planning the design as soon as you can! It may take a while to find your favorite nursery items and have all the DIYs done and ready for your baby.
Cut Down on Caffeine
One of the things that your OB will advise you to do is to limit your caffeine to 200 milligrams per day. This is equivalent to one 12 oz cup of coffee. Caffeine can increase your blood pressure and cause dehydration. It can also make you feel nauseous or lightheaded.
Caffeine does pass through the placenta, and some say it may increase the risk of miscarriage while others say it doesn’t. That is why the best thing to do is just to limit caffeine intake and if you have any questions regarding this just ask your doctor!
Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking water is especially important when you are pregnant! Your baby grows in amniotic fluid and not drinking enough water can affect the amount of amniotic fluid. Making sure you have a good intake of water decreases bloating, constipation, swelling, and the risk of preterm birth and labor. It also increases your energy and keeps you from overheating.
Rest
This is the perfect time to get all the rest your body needs! Your body is working 24/7 to grow your precious baby and you may feel extra tired and sluggish, especially in the beginning.
This may be difficult to do if you have other children. One thing that can help is planning nap or sleep-in times in advance and asking your partner to watch the kiddos for an hour or two during those times so that you both are on the same page and you are able to get some rest in.
Begin Documenting Pregnancy
Documenting your pregnancy is something you will be so grateful for doing! This can be done by writing down different cravings or aversions, how you feel physically and mentally as the pregnancy progresses, any physical challenges, and milestones. It’s also fun to take weekly or monthly bump pictures to look back to! There are many different journals out there that you can use to document and track your pregnancy.
Schedule Maternity Shoot
If you do hope to have a professional maternity photoshoot, this is something good to book right away as photographers tend to be booked out far in advance. I personally regret not thinking about this earlier. By the time I got around to looking for a photographer, everyone was already booked out.
Plan Announcement to Family and Friends
It is so exciting to break the news to loved ones! There’s no rule as to when you should break the news, and I remember I wanted to tell my family and friends right away. However, we decided to wait until the second trimester because most miscarriages tend to happen in the first trimester and I didn’t want to share the exciting news and then tell everyone of our loss if anything did happen.
Download a Pregnancy App
A pregnancy app is a great way to keep track of your baby’s development, the size of your baby, and the different symptoms you may experience.
Some also allow you to track your weight, see realistic images of the baby in the womb, take notes, and time contractions. These are the best pregnancy apps in my opinion:
-Baby Center
-Pregnancy Tracker
-What to Expect
-Sprout Pregnancy (favorite)
Prepare for Morning Sickness
Morning sickness usually (not always) kicks in around week 6 and (usually) lasts until week 12-14. This may be different for every pregnancy and some moms experience morning sickness all day, not just in the morning or evening. It may also last longer or shorter since every pregnancy is different.
It is good to prepare for morning sickness by making sure you have snacks that can help you feel better like saltines, carby foods, and morning sickness drops. I have personally found that I feel better if I eat small portions throughout the entire day because if I didn’t eat for several hours I would start to feel sick. Snacking throughout the day is something I have also found to help.
Having some hard morning sickness candy to chew on can be helpful:
Vitamin B6 and Unisom can also help with morning sickness. Talk to your provider about this!
Find Out What Is Safe and Unsafe
As soon as I found out I was pregnant I went online and googled what is safe and what is not safe to eat or do during pregnancy. This is also one of those things to talk to your doctor about too since I am just a fellow mom. However, the first appointment doesn’t happen until around week 8 and I wanted to know everything right away!
There are certain foods you should stay away from such as deli meats, raw fish, high-mercury fish, raw eggs, unwashed produce, unpasteurized dairy, and alcohol. I would make sure to research this as soon as you find out so that you know you are being on the safe side of things right away.
Make a Dental Visit
Be sure to let your dentist know you are pregnant so that you don’t have any x-rays or other treatments done that are harmful to the baby. However, it is good to have a dental check and cleaning done to make sure your teeth are healthy and that you do not have any infections because changes in hormones can cause the gums to swell and increase the risk of gum disease or infection.
I hope that you found this First Trimester Checklist helpful and not too overwhelming. While it is nice to start planning things early, keep in mind that the most important thing is to make sure you get plenty of rest and take care of yourself and your baby. If you are reading this, I hope that you have a smooth and enjoyable pregnancy! Also, be sure to check out my other posts on pregnancy where I share experiences and pregnancy must-haves.
