The day after I got a positive pregnancy test with Reese I sat at my kitchen table with a notebook, post-its, pens, and my laptop for probably 4+ hours. I read and secretly pinned approximately 200 articles about pregnancy, ordered a couple of pregnancy books, and just generally tried to get a handle on exactly what was ahead of me. I’m nothing if not an excessive and detailed planner.

I didn’t want to screw up. I didn’t want to miss out. I didn’t want to look back with a laundry list of regrets or missed opportunities or unchecked boxes. I feel this way about almost everything. Some regret is obviously normal, for anything. But I’m all about careful planning to get the most out of an experience and to minimize regret.

I had never done this before, and it seemed incredibly foreign. I was also planning to work right up until having the baby, and teaching is no joke. With my workload, the holidays, and my general need to over-extend myself like an idiot – I thought it was best to be very aware of what was coming and everything that I needed to get done before my water broke.

And I am SO GLAD that I took those 4 hours to intensely research the 9 month pregnancy stretch and make a billion lists. Because I honestly felt so prepared, ready, and accomplished. It can be SO OVERWHELMING. Weirdly 9 months feels like the longest stretch of your life, but you also have 1,385,224 things to do in those 9 months and it will zoom right past you in blurred episodes. You walk around with a little person inside you, stressed about every choice you make and every food you bake. You juggle the side-effects of pregnancy with your normal responsibilities and the items on those to-do lists you get from your OBGYN/Pinterest/Mom/Babies-R-Us fliers. It’s a lot. I hope this helps.

I made the huge, exhaustive list as I went through all those blog posts and maternity appointment handouts. I noticed it was really scary – it’s like an entire page. Breaking it down by trimester didn’t feel as useful to me – I knew I’d put things off till the end and get stressed out. By week was so arbitrary and a guaranteed way to feel like a failure or get so far behind. I find I plan much better by month – it’s a big enough window for me to feel some flexibility, and the list of monthly items is much more manageable.

The important thing is to remember that you’re doing this for YOU and YOUR BABY. Not your OBGYN, not your husband, not your mom, not your blog or Instagram account. Don’t get overwhelmed or too tied down to completing every single task when it appears on an arbitrary to-do list. Even with this list, I’ve moved things around as I’ve seen fit! August was a disaster, so I did most of the Month 3 stuff in September along with the Month 4 stuff. For me, Month 7 is December and I know that it’ll be super busy with family & holiday stuff (Yay!) so I’m doing about a third of those activities in November, a third in December, and a third in January. You just have to make it work for you!

This list is simply a general overview of the stuff you need/want to do at some point during those 9 months. I broke it down into months, and tried to move things into the months that made the most sense to me (for example, a lot of the checklists have approximately 60% of the items in the last two months of pregnancy. NEWSFLASH that’s when you’re gonna want to do exactly ZERO of those items. So I try to space them out! stuff like that).

I used this list for Reese, and now I’m using it again for Baby Holdy #2 – I love it! Check it out and let me know what you think. I collaborated with my good friend Caitlin, who was kind enough to convert my simple bullet list into something cute for a printable – so feel free to take it and print it for yourself if you like it! Check out her brand new blog too – she’s smart and honest and hilarious and I love her.

Hi everyone! I’m Caitlin Miller, and you can find me very recently over at The Alcohol Cooks Out. It is not a recipe blog, though if I find a particularly lavish appetizer for your Fat Tuesday party, I will not keep it to myself! (I also rarely cook with alcohol, and never drink it, unless I accidentally spill vanilla extract on my hand while making cookies, in which case I’ll lick it off, and it never tastes as good as it smells.) I am your go-to how-to gal when it comes to home crafts so easy your cat could do them, simultaneously loving and hating exercise, West Elm decor on an IKEA budget, babies in helmets, faking beauty hacks, living with someone who doesn’t share the same religion, buying designer gear as a cheapskate, and lots of other arbitrary subjects where I claim to be an expert. Basically, I want everyone to think making things up as you go along is acceptable for a mom to do. 

My 9 Month Pregnancy Checklist

Month 1 (5-8 Weeks)

• Confirm with Positive Pregnancy test
• Mark your pre-pregnancy weight
• Research & Choose an OBGYN
• Book first appointment (usually between 6-10 weeks)
• Download a couple of pregnancy apps
• Begin taking prenatal vitamins
• Start a pregnancy journal
• Pick up a pregnancy book – What To Expect When You’re Expecting is a classic

Month 2 (9-12 Weeks)

• Find out what is/isn’t covered under your insurance plan
• Talk finances – make a baby budget and save for expenses
• Try various remedies for morning sickness if you’re suffering
• Make an exercise plan
• Tell your family & close friends

Month 3 (13-16 Weeks)

• Announce your pregnancy
• Begin moisturizing with a belly butter to prevent itchiness & stretch marks
• Start buying diapers & wipes – one pack each grocery trip is a great way to stock up
• Buy some maternity staples

Month 4 (17-20 Weeks)

• Find out & announce the gender
• Start your baby registry
• Plan & accomplish home improvement projects
• Begin doing regular prenatal yoga & stretches
• Take a halfway bump photo!

Month 5 (21-24 Weeks)

• Begin researching & planning to buy the big stuff: stroller, crib, carseat, diaper bag, etc.
• Talk about baby names
• Plan a babymoon
• Practice Kegels

Month 6 (25-28 Weeks)

• Take a prenatal/childbirth class
• Get a dental cleaning
• Begin planning, setting up, and decorating the nursery

Month 7 (29-32 Weeks)

• Finalize baby registry
• Schedule your baby shower before 36 weeks
• Buy a baby book
• Talk to your employer about maternity leave, research child care
• Have a date night – no baby talk allowed

Month 8 (33-36 Weeks)

• Take Maternity/Family photos
• Make freezer meals
• Stock up on groceries & household essentials
• Pre-register at the hospital
• Store, return, or exchange baby shower gifts
• Launder baby clothes & linens
• Send off all thank you notes for baby shower attendees
• Make a “go time” plan for your pets – and get them groomed!

Month 9 (37-40+ weeks)

• Pack your hospital bags
• Assemble a healing kit (pads, Tuck’s, etc.)
• Deep clean your home & cars
• Hair appointment
• Manicure & Pedicure
• Book a massage
• Sleep!

Click here to download & print our 9 Month Pregnancy Checklist!