Hello, beautiful, expectant
mama. Hopefully your pregnancy is trucking along just beautifully. You probably
have a plethora of emotions going on right now. I mean, hormone city is an
understatement. Sometimes crossing things off a to-do list will help you stay
focused, instead of focusing on your aches and pains and cravings of pickles and ice cream (or
Strawberry Quick and Leggo waffles). Besides the obvious of shopping for your growing self and for the baby’s nursery (nursery post coming soon), there are some things that might slip your mind during your time as a pregnant person. Here are my top 10 pregnancy to-do list items:
mama. Hopefully your pregnancy is trucking along just beautifully. You probably
have a plethora of emotions going on right now. I mean, hormone city is an
understatement. Sometimes crossing things off a to-do list will help you stay
focused, instead of focusing on your aches and pains and cravings of pickles and ice cream (or
Strawberry Quick and Leggo waffles). Besides the obvious of shopping for your growing self and for the baby’s nursery (nursery post coming soon), there are some things that might slip your mind during your time as a pregnant person. Here are my top 10 pregnancy to-do list items:
1. Keep your mind, soul,
and body healthy.
and body healthy.
Not
only is it important to stay as healthy as you can physically when pregnant,
you also need to stay mentally and spiritually healthy as well. Pray for
yourself and for your baby. I think this is the most important thing you can do
for yourself and your little miracle who will arrive soon. I mentioned in this post about a pregnancy
daily devotional. Praying always calms my nerves, and during pregnancy, it’s of the
utmost importance.
only is it important to stay as healthy as you can physically when pregnant,
you also need to stay mentally and spiritually healthy as well. Pray for
yourself and for your baby. I think this is the most important thing you can do
for yourself and your little miracle who will arrive soon. I mentioned in this post about a pregnancy
daily devotional. Praying always calms my nerves, and during pregnancy, it’s of the
utmost importance.
2. Do your research.
Being a former English
teacher, doing research was just a given for me. So when I became pregnant,
researching everything under the sun about being pregnant was high on the
priority list. Knowledge is power. Thankfully, there are so many great
resources available these days. Create a reading list of your favorite sources
for pregnancy and baby news. Sign up at Baby Center or What to Expect for daily emails about what you most likely will be experiencing each step of the way. Take advantage of Pinterest and pin all the
articles you love and can’t live without. Create a board (or a few) with all of
your favorite articles and go back to them for reference. Here is a link to my Pinterest page where I created several
boards about pregnancy and preparing for baby. Also, if you haven’t checked out my previous Pregnancy 101 posts, see my Must-Have Essentials here and the Must-Have Maternity Wardrobe here.
teacher, doing research was just a given for me. So when I became pregnant,
researching everything under the sun about being pregnant was high on the
priority list. Knowledge is power. Thankfully, there are so many great
resources available these days. Create a reading list of your favorite sources
for pregnancy and baby news. Sign up at Baby Center or What to Expect for daily emails about what you most likely will be experiencing each step of the way. Take advantage of Pinterest and pin all the
articles you love and can’t live without. Create a board (or a few) with all of
your favorite articles and go back to them for reference. Here is a link to my Pinterest page where I created several
boards about pregnancy and preparing for baby. Also, if you haven’t checked out my previous Pregnancy 101 posts, see my Must-Have Essentials here and the Must-Have Maternity Wardrobe here.
3. Buy a planner and
get organized.
get organized.
Call it the teacher in me,
but I love having a planner and being organized. Even if I don’t always have it
together, writing in my planner sure makes me think that I do. But in all
seriousness, there are a lot of doctor’s visits, parties, and events pertaining
to this little babe (or babes) that you have to keep track of. You will not be
able to remember all of these very important dates without a one-stop-shop planner. Pregnancy brain is real, people, and you will forget things, especially dates. Erin Condren stationery is my absolute favorite
when it comes to finding the perfect planner and staying
organized.
but I love having a planner and being organized. Even if I don’t always have it
together, writing in my planner sure makes me think that I do. But in all
seriousness, there are a lot of doctor’s visits, parties, and events pertaining
to this little babe (or babes) that you have to keep track of. You will not be
able to remember all of these very important dates without a one-stop-shop planner. Pregnancy brain is real, people, and you will forget things, especially dates. Erin Condren stationery is my absolute favorite
when it comes to finding the perfect planner and staying
organized.
4. Get to know your
insurance plan.
insurance plan.
I know. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Unless you are in the healthcare industry, there’s a good chance that you probably know very little about your insurance policy. Now is the time to educate yourself about it. No matter what insurance
plan you are on, your OB doctor will be expecting payment for services. My best advice is to get that little insurance card out and call the 1-800 number that is
conveniently located on the back of said card. Talk to an insurance specialist about your specific plan. Because just how much do you
know about your pre-natal and delivery coverage? I sure as heck didn’t
have a clue. You might want to make a payment plan after acquiring all of your information. Getting to
know the ins and outs of what bills will be coming your way is only an
advantage to you and your pocket book.
plan you are on, your OB doctor will be expecting payment for services. My best advice is to get that little insurance card out and call the 1-800 number that is
conveniently located on the back of said card. Talk to an insurance specialist about your specific plan. Because just how much do you
know about your pre-natal and delivery coverage? I sure as heck didn’t
have a clue. You might want to make a payment plan after acquiring all of your information. Getting to
know the ins and outs of what bills will be coming your way is only an
advantage to you and your pocket book.
5. Find a maternity &
newborn photographer.
newborn photographer.
I don’t know about you,
but pictures are a big deal to me. While doing my research about pregnancy on
Pinterest, so many beautiful maternity pictures filled my screen. Depending on
where you live, most maternity and newborn photographers book up quickly, so
you’ll need to schedule your maternity shoot and/or newborn session as soon as you enter into your
second trimester if professional photography is something you’re interested in. Here are some of my favorites from our maternity shoot.
but pictures are a big deal to me. While doing my research about pregnancy on
Pinterest, so many beautiful maternity pictures filled my screen. Depending on
where you live, most maternity and newborn photographers book up quickly, so
you’ll need to schedule your maternity shoot and/or newborn session as soon as you enter into your
second trimester if professional photography is something you’re interested in. Here are some of my favorites from our maternity shoot.
I had my maternity pictures done at 28 weeks. I was huge at this point, so I if I had to do it all over it again, I probably would have scheduled them a few weeks earlier.
If you are in the south
Texas/Victoria area, check out Lea Ann’s Photography. We were lucky enough to
work with her for our maternity portraits (as seen in pictures above), and I absolutely loved our session. She is actually a friend from high
school and does amazing work.
If you are in the Houston
area, I highly recommend JME
Portraits,
who specializes in newborn photography. Unfortunately, we did not have newborn
pictures done, and I regret it terribly. But JME is absolutely who I wish would
have done Charlotte’s newborn photos. She is an incredible person, and captures the miracle of a baby beautifully.
area, I highly recommend JME
Portraits,
who specializes in newborn photography. Unfortunately, we did not have newborn
pictures done, and I regret it terribly. But JME is absolutely who I wish would
have done Charlotte’s newborn photos. She is an incredible person, and captures the miracle of a baby beautifully.
6. Create a baby registry.
Many people will want to
shower your future little bundle of joy with gifts, and modest about gifts or
not, your little baby will undoubtedly need quite the smorgasbord of items.
Therefore, a baby registry is a must, whether it’s just for yourself or for your friends and family, too. We registered for baby items after I found
out I was having a girl. This is typically around the 20-week mark for most women if you
choose to find out the sex of your baby. Most stores
shower your future little bundle of joy with gifts, and modest about gifts or
not, your little baby will undoubtedly need quite the smorgasbord of items.
Therefore, a baby registry is a must, whether it’s just for yourself or for your friends and family, too. We registered for baby items after I found
out I was having a girl. This is typically around the 20-week mark for most women if you
choose to find out the sex of your baby. Most stores
7. Schedule a 4D
Ultrasound.
Ultrasound.
This by far was one of my
favorite things we did while pregnant. Seeing Charlotte’s little face in the 4D
ultrasound was breathtaking. Around 28-30 weeks pregnant, you’ll want to have to
have this done. That being said, you’ll want to find a location and book this
appointment a few weeks ahead of time. Most doctor’s offices don’t offer 4D
ultrasounds, since it is an elective procedure. You’ll have to research
ultrasound facilities in your area who provide this service. If you’re in the
Houston area, we used New Life
Ultrasound and
loved the experience they provided.
favorite things we did while pregnant. Seeing Charlotte’s little face in the 4D
ultrasound was breathtaking. Around 28-30 weeks pregnant, you’ll want to have to
have this done. That being said, you’ll want to find a location and book this
appointment a few weeks ahead of time. Most doctor’s offices don’t offer 4D
ultrasounds, since it is an elective procedure. You’ll have to research
ultrasound facilities in your area who provide this service. If you’re in the
Houston area, we used New Life
Ultrasound and
loved the experience they provided.
 |
| For reference, on the left is of course the amazing picture we saw with the 4D ultrasound. The picture on the right is of Charlotte the day she was born. It’s amazing how we were able to sneak a peek at what she would look like. |
8. Take a Labor, Infant Care, &
Nursing Class.
Some time in your last trimester or sooner, you’ll want to take these classes. There are only so many things that you’ll learn from each doctor’s visit, so signing up for these classes was great for my husband and me. I’m an auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learner so I loved having the classroom experience with other expectant couples. These were the classes that we were able to ask questions and get real answers. Most hospitals offer these classes, making this a perfect
time to visit your delivery hospital and know your way around.
time to visit your delivery hospital and know your way around.
9. Find
a pediatrician.
a pediatrician.
When you are in your third
trimester (or earlier if you’re ahead in the game), you’ll need to start
searching for a pediatrician. Ask your friends who they recommend. Word of
mouth is by far the best way to go, in my opinion. Also ask your OB if they
have any recommendations. You can also use this
resource by
typing in your zip code to find Board Certified Pediatricians in your area. Before
you deliver, you’ll need to have a pediatrician lined up because 1) they will
ask you for this information while in the hospital and 2) your baby will have
his or her first appointment with the pediatrician a week after he or she is
born.
trimester (or earlier if you’re ahead in the game), you’ll need to start
searching for a pediatrician. Ask your friends who they recommend. Word of
mouth is by far the best way to go, in my opinion. Also ask your OB if they
have any recommendations. You can also use this
resource by
typing in your zip code to find Board Certified Pediatricians in your area. Before
you deliver, you’ll need to have a pediatrician lined up because 1) they will
ask you for this information while in the hospital and 2) your baby will have
his or her first appointment with the pediatrician a week after he or she is
born.
10. Review your maternity
leave and nail down child care.
leave and nail down child care.
If you are working, you’ll want to make sure that you review
your maternity leave policy and all of the fine print. Know what paperwork will have
to be filled out and what steps you will need to take to have your maternity
leave go off without a hitch. Being a teacher at the time, I had to start the maternity
leave process well in advance to ensure a long-term sub for my classes. This is
also a good time to consider what your plans will be after your maternity leave
is up. Child care is one of the most important decisions you will make for your
child, so you’ll want to spend as much time necessary deciding who will
be watching and caring for your baby, whether that means you will be leaving your job to stay home with your baby or finding the perfect child care provider (nanny, daycare, or private babysitter) to fit your family’s needs. Also consider who will be helping you during your maternity leave.
your maternity leave policy and all of the fine print. Know what paperwork will have
to be filled out and what steps you will need to take to have your maternity
leave go off without a hitch. Being a teacher at the time, I had to start the maternity
leave process well in advance to ensure a long-term sub for my classes. This is
also a good time to consider what your plans will be after your maternity leave
is up. Child care is one of the most important decisions you will make for your
child, so you’ll want to spend as much time necessary deciding who will
be watching and caring for your baby, whether that means you will be leaving your job to stay home with your baby or finding the perfect child care provider (nanny, daycare, or private babysitter) to fit your family’s needs. Also consider who will be helping you during your maternity leave.
