Pregnancy care follows a schedule — certain scans, blood tests and vaccines are timed to specific weeks because that's when they give the most useful information. This checklist lays out what typically happens in each trimester, so you know roughly what to expect and when, without memorising the whole calendar yourself.
Use this as a guide to the conversation with your own doctor, not a replacement for it — your specific plan may differ based on your health, your scan findings, and whether your pregnancy is being monitored as higher-risk.
First trimester (0–12 weeks)
- Confirm the pregnancy and get an early viability scan
- Book your first pregnancy check-up and baseline blood tests
- Start folic acid daily, as advised
- NT scan and dual marker test, done at 11–13+6 weeks
- Manage nausea with small, frequent meals
- Avoid alcohol, smoking and self-medication
- Seasonal vaccines (influenza, and others) if due — ask your doctor which apply to you and when
Second trimester (13–28 weeks)
- Start or continue iron and calcium supplements as advised
- Anomaly scan at 18–22 weeks — see our guide to what it checks
- Tdap vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks (as FOGSI recommends), to protect your newborn from whooping cough
- Glucose tolerance test at 24–28 weeks
- Daily walking or pregnancy-safe exercise
- Start noticing your baby's movements
- Routine blood pressure, weight and urine checks at every visit
This is also the trimester to build a few habits that carry you through to delivery:
- Start pregnancy yoga, meditation, or breathing techniques for delivery preparation
- Sleep on your left side for comfort and circulation
- Keep your belly moisturised if you want to, to help with stretch marks
- Buy maternity clothes that are actually comfortable, not just "pregnancy" branded
- Start Kegel exercises for your pelvic floor
- Drink water through the day — roughly a glass an hour is a reasonable habit to aim for
- Build your plate around fresh fruit, leafy vegetables, seeds and nuts
- Maintain good oral hygiene — untreated gum disease has been linked to a higher risk of preterm birth, so dental check-ups count as pregnancy care too
- Talk through any fears about childbirth with your doctor rather than carrying them alone
Third trimester (29–40 weeks)
- Daily kick counting, once your doctor tells you to start
- Growth scan if advised
- Anti-D injection at 28 weeks, if you're Rh-negative
- Finalise your delivery hospital — see our hospital checklist
- Pack your hospital bag by 32–34 weeks — see our ninth-month checklist
- Learn the signs of labour and when to head to the hospital
- Sleep on your left side for better circulation
- Keep up supplements and hydration
Timely care at the right week is what makes the real difference — for you and for your baby.
Frequently asked
Do I really need all these tests if I feel completely fine?
Yes — many of the conditions these tests screen for (gestational diabetes, anaemia, thyroid changes, blood pressure trends) don't cause symptoms early on, which is exactly why they're checked on a schedule rather than only when something feels wrong.
What if I miss one of these milestones — can it still be done later?
Some tests are time-sensitive and lose their usefulness outside a specific window (the NT scan and dual marker test are the clearest example), while others like blood pressure checks or iron levels can simply be done at the next visit. If you've missed a window, tell your doctor rather than skipping it — they'll advise what's still useful to check.
Is this checklist the same for every pregnancy?
No — this is the general pattern for a straightforward, low-risk pregnancy. If you're being monitored for a higher-risk pregnancy, twins, or a pre-existing condition, your doctor will likely add extra scans or tests and may adjust the timing of some of these.
When should I actually start preparing for delivery — the hospital bag, the hospital choice?
Start thinking about your delivery hospital in the second trimester, once major screening is underway. Aim to have your hospital bag ready by 32–34 weeks. That's earlier than many women expect, but it means you're ready if labour starts before your due date.