Nobody tells you how much admin comes with a baby. Between scans, forms and deciding which pram you can actually fold, it's a lot to hold in your head. This list breaks it down by trimester so you can tick things off without the 3am panic. Save it, screenshot it, share it with your partner.
First trimester (up to 12 weeks)
- Contact a midwife or GP as soon as you know you're pregnant, so your booking appointment can happen in good time.
- Take folic acid (400 micrograms a day) until 12 weeks, plus 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day.
- Ask for a maternity exemption certificate. In England it gives you free NHS prescriptions and dental care while you're pregnant and for 12 months after the birth. Your midwife or GP can apply for you.
- Check if you can get Healthy Start. From 10 weeks pregnant, if you're eligible, you can get money towards milk, fruit and vegetables, plus free vitamins.
- Have your dating scan, usually between 10 and 14 weeks.
Second trimester (13 to 27 weeks)
- Have your 20-week scan, usually between 18 and 21 weeks.
- Get your MATB1 form from your midwife or GP. You can get it from 20 weeks before your due date, and you'll need it to claim maternity pay.
- Tell your employer by the 15th week before your due date (around 25 weeks). Telling them earlier means protections like paid time off for antenatal appointments apply sooner.
- Book your whooping cough vaccine. It's offered from 16 weeks of pregnancy, to help protect your baby in their first weeks.
- Look at antenatal classes, NHS or private. They fill up fast.
- Start thinking about childcare if you're going back to work. Waiting lists can be long. Our guide to funded childcare in England explains what you can get.
You don't have to do it all at once. You just have to do the next thing.
Third trimester (28 weeks to birth)
- Have your RSV vaccine. It's offered from 28 weeks of pregnancy to help protect your baby from a common chest infection.
- Write a birth plan and talk it through with your midwife and birth partner. Our guide to creating a birth plan can help.
- Pack your hospital bag by around 36 weeks, even if you're planning a home birth.
- Get the car seat fitted. You'll need it to bring your baby home by car, so practise fitting it before the big day.
- Know your baby's movements. If they slow down, stop or change, contact your maternity unit straight away. Don't wait until the next day.
- Batch cook and stock up. Freezer meals and nappies are gifts to your future self.
The first weeks after birth
- Register the birth within 42 days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (Scotland has different rules).
- Claim Child Benefit. You can claim 48 hours after registering the birth, and it can be backdated up to 3 months. It's currently £27.05 a week for your eldest or only child. Even if you earn over £60,000 and might have to pay some back, claiming protects your National Insurance record.
- Register your baby with your GP.
- Book your postnatal check, usually 6 to 8 weeks after the birth.
When should I tell my employer I'm pregnant?
By the end of the 15th week before your due date, which is around 25 weeks pregnant. Telling them earlier means some protections apply sooner.
When do I get my MATB1 form?
Your midwife or GP can give you a MATB1 from 20 weeks before your due date. You need it to claim maternity pay.
Do I get free prescriptions when pregnant?
In England, a maternity exemption certificate gives you free NHS prescriptions and dental care during pregnancy and for 12 months after the birth.
How long do I have to register my baby's birth?
42 days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has different rules.
Keep reading
- Your rights when you're pregnant in the UK: the 2026 guide
- The newborn money list: what UK parents should sort in month one
- Creating a birth plan
- Budgeting for your growing family
This checklist is general information, correct as of October 2026, mainly for families in England. Some schemes differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Your midwife is the best person to ask about your own care. See the NHS pregnancy guide and GOV.UK Child Benefit.
If you’re trying to conceive (TTC), you probably know that there are certain foods and nutrients that become especially important once you’re pregnant. But nutrition plays a vital role even when trying to conceive, much like laying a strong foundation before constructing a house.
Certain nutrients create that foundation by supporting egg and sperm health (yes, nutrition matters for both partners), hormone balance and creating a hospitable environment for a fertilized egg to implant. In fact, studies show that certain nutrients can help increase fertility and improve success rates for both natural conception and fertility treatments.
In other words, nutrition is a key player in the TTC journey, but getting the right nutrients in the right quantities can be tricky. That’s where supplements come in. Just as you’d take a multivitamin to fill in nutritional gaps for optimal health, fertility supplements can give you that extra nutrient boost.
Choosing supplements for your fertility journey
When choosing a supplement to support your fertility journey, look for science-backed, high-quality ingredients. Our editors are careful to select and partner with brands that use ingredients that have been clinically studied to support fertility. Eu Natural® (pronounced you) covers all those bases and more. We love knowing that Eu Natural® products contain zero artificial additives, binders, or fillers and are lab-tested to ensure purity and potency.
When choosing a supplement to support your fertility journey, look for science-backed, high-quality ingredients. Our editors are careful to select and partner with brands that use ingredients that have been clinically studied to support fertility. Eu Natural® (pronounced you) covers all those bases and more. We love knowing that Eu Natural® products contain zero artificial additives, binders, or fillers and are lab-tested to ensure purity and potency.
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