Hopefully you’re feeling better now that you’re in your second trimester. Which makes it the perfect time to start working on your second trimester to do list.
Most pregnant women tend to feel best during the second trimester. First trimester symptoms tend to subside and disappear. And even though the second trimester may come with some pregnancy symptoms, they’re typically easier to handle than, say, that awful morning sickness.
Not only are you far more likely to feel better, you’ll probably have a lot more energy than you did in the first trimester. And since fatigue can return in your third trimester, it’s a good idea to get some of the bigger baby prep tasks out of the way while you’re feeling good.
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Ultimate Second Trimester To Do List
Now, before you start knocking off tasks on your to do list, it’s important to remember that you do have some limitations in your second trimester. Even if you’re feeling awesome, you still have to be careful.
As you go about getting ready for your baby, remember to avoid picking up or moving anything heavy. If something heavy does need to be moved, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Putting too much strain on your body can be harmful for baby, and puts you at a greater risk of getting hurt yourself.
Also remember to take time to rest. You might find yourself feeling the need to nest, and while you’re feeling so much better, it’s easy to overdue it. Try to take regular breaks, and keep drinking plenty of water as you work.
Alright, let’s talk about about what you should try to knock off your second trimester to do list.
Finish All First Trimester To Do’s
First off, make sure you’ve finished all your first trimester to do’s! It’s easy to miss a few things in the first trimester, especially if you felt lousy.
Ultimately, the most important things to do in your first trimester is to consistently take a prenatal vitamin, make your first prenatal appointment, and start regularly seeing your OBGYN or midwife.
Of course, now is the perfect time to finish off anything else you might have missed.
Announce Pregnancy
If you haven’t announced your pregnancy yet, now is the time to do it. It doesn’t take long for your bump to begin showing, and it won’t be a secret much longer.
While some women like to announce it as soon as they find out, others are more comfortable waiting until the second trimester. This is because most miscarriages occur in the first trimester. For some, it makes them more comfortable to keep the pregnancy quiet, or only tell close family, until the second trimester.
There’s no right or wrong answer to when you should announce your pregnancy. Do it whenever you feel comfortable with it.
Gender Reveal
One of the most exciting parts of the second trimester is the anatomy scan. During this sonogram, you’ll get to see your baby, possibly for the first time.
Although you may have had a sonogram at or shortly after your first prenatal appointment, your baby was likely too small to really see anything. But at your second trimester sonogram, you should not only be able to see and recognize your baby, but also find out the gender!
While some choose to not find out the gender until birth, learning the gender is often a highlight of your pregnancy. And once you learn it, it’s time to start planning a gender reveal to announce it to all your family and friends!
Deep Clean House
Before your baby arrives, it’s a good idea to do a deep clean of your house. You definitely don’t want to bring a baby home to a dirty house.
And although birth is still a ways off, doing a good, deep clean can help you keep up with it better during your third trimester. Besides, you don’t really want to have to deep clean when you’re starting to feel tired again. Not to mention having a huge bump to work around later on!
Knocking this task off the list now is a whole lot easier than waiting till later. If you need some help staying organized, go ahead and grab my free spring cleaning checklists. With these room-by-room checklists, you’ll be sure to get everything cleaned up well before your baby arrives.
Create Baby Registry
Creating a baby registry is probably one of the funnest parts of the second trimester. It’s so exciting to look through all the baby stuff, pick out items for your dream nursery, and choose adorable baby clothes. It’s a good idea to start working on your registry in your second trimester, well before any baby showers.
Personally, I highly recommend setting up an Amazon Baby Registry. Not only is it super easy to set up and for friends and family to access, but it has a ton of advantages. An Amazon Baby Registry allows you to add things not only from Amazon, but also from any other website as well.
You can also get a free baby box for setting up a registry, big discounts on anything that isn’t purchased for you, and extended return periods.
As you add things to your baby registry, it’s a good idea to use a baby registry checklist to stay organized and ensure to get all the essentials on there.
Research Baby Names
Another thing you want to put on your second trimester to do list and start working on is researching baby names.
When I was pregnant, I started thinking up and looking for baby names right in my first trimester. And we still didn’t decide on a name until a few weeks before he was born!
Coming up with the perfect baby name takes time. It’s something that should be thoughtfully considered—your child is going to live with this name for the rest of his life, after all.
The sooner you get started, the more time you have. And the more likely you are to find a name that you absolutely love!
Go On A Babymoon
Hold on a sec—maybe you’re wondering what a babymoon even is. Basically, a babymoon is a vacation with your hubby before your first baby arrives. It’s sort of like a honeymoon getaway, but before you have a baby.
The idea behind a babymoon is to have one last vacation with just you and your spouse. It’s a last chance to spend focused, quality time together before things get crazy with a baby.
Now, don’t take that to mean you won’t have opportunities to spend time together anymore after you have kids! Because that is just not true.
I’m a big believer in continuing to travel after you have kids. But it may be a little bit before you have the opportunity to go somewhere with just the two of you.
Start Preparing Nursery
Preparing a nursery is what most people tend to think of when they think of preparing for a baby. While getting ready for your new little addition includes a lot of of other things, setting up a nursery is still an important task.
Depending on the space you have available, you might have a whole room to convert into a nursery. Or, if you live in an apartment or small space, you may need to make due with a “nursery corner” in your bedroom.
Whether you do a themed nursery or a gender neutral nursery, have plenty to spend or are saving on baby items, it’s a lot of work to pull together a nursery. Even if you haven’t had a baby shower yet, it’s a good idea to start planning out your setup.
Start Taking Birth Classes
Are you feeling excited yet?
The second trimester is a great time to start taking birth classes. My recommendation is to take an online birth class in your second trimester, and then review it in your third trimester.
Putting a good birth class on your second trimester to do list gives you plenty of time to go through it in depth. And then, when you’re closer to birth, you can review anything you need to.
Plus, a birth class will help you think through your ideal birth and help you put together a good birth plan.
If you’re looking for a good birth class, I highly recommend Mommy Labor Nurse’s online birth classes. She’s a labor and delivery nurse, and her courses are amazing resources for new moms! And they’re very affordable.
She has one specifically for new moms wanting a natural birth, and one for moms who know they want an epidural. I’ve taken both, and they are both excellent!
She also has an all access pass available to access all her birth courses, including tons of pregnancy, birth, and newborn resources for a whole year.
Start Taking Newborn Classes
Birth classes aren’t the only classes you should think about taking. It’s also a good idea to take a class on newborn care, newborn sleep, and breastfeeding.
And with so many hospitals canceling their new parent education classes, it can make everything feel even more overwhelming. Thankfully, you still have access to online courses—I’d actually argue they’re better than the classes offered at hospitals.
For newborn care, I recommend Mommy Labor Nurse’s Newborn Basics 101 course. Her courses are phenomenal, and this one is no exception.
You’ll learn everything you need to know to care for your baby, from feeding and diaper changes to cord care. And much, much more. And I love that you can review any lesson if you run into trouble or can’t remember something.
I also highly recommend a Newborn Sleep course. Baby sleep is a topic that new moms are often undereducated on. However, it is one of the top things that new moms struggle with.
Taking a newborn sleep course will set you up for sleep success. And I love that it’s taught by an actual baby sleep consultant!
And finally, if you’re hoping to breastfeed, I highly recommend taking a breastfeeding class! Getting good breastfeeding education makes a world of difference in your experience. And it can easily make the difference in your own breastfeeding journey.
While I haven’t taken it myself, Milkology is an online breastfeeding course that is highly recommended by moms, and taught by a lactation consultant.
Work On A Birth Plan
Next up on your second trimester to do list, a birth plan is a great way to put your birth preferences in writing. Having your birth plan written out can help you to be clear on what you want. It can also help to communicate those desires to your doctor and birth team.
Remember, a birth plan is not set in stone. It’s your plan for your ideal birth.
Your birth plan should contain details on your preferences, with the understanding that things may change in the moment. If you’re not sure where to start, try grabbing my free birth plan template pack to get you started.
Decide On A Doula
And by decide, I mean, do you plan to hire a doula, or not?
Doulas are basically hired birth support, and can help you tremendously throughout your labor and delivery. They are specifically trained to help you throughout labor, including helping you change positions, massaging, counter-pressure, and so much more.
Doulas can also help you communicate your birth preferences to your birth team. This can be incredibly helpful in the later stages of labor, when you may not be able do so yourself.
The second trimester is the perfect time to start researching and decide if you’d like to hire a doula. And if you decide to hire one, your second trimester to do list should include looking for ones in your area. Beginning the process early can help ensure you’ve made your decision in time.
Research Vaccines, Circumcision, And Eye Drops
Alright, look, I’m not telling you what to do or not do. I wholeheartedly think every parent needs to make a decision on these topics that they feel benefits their family the best. And I also support and respect whatever that decision ends up being.
That being said, I do think it’s important to do your research. Research each of these topics in depth, and then make the decision that you feel is best for your child and family.
It’s important to have fully informed consent—but you will only have that if you’ve done your research. Know what decision you want to make, and why you want to make it.
I would definitely get started on this as soon as possible. Research can take time, and you want to give yourself plenty of time to think it over before deciding.
Buy Maternity Clothes
In the second trimester, you can expect to start seeing a growing baby bump! Which also means that it won’t be too long before you’ll need to grab some maternity clothes.
Looking for maternity clothes can be a fun and exciting part of your second trimester to do list.
Even if your bump isn’t too big for your regular clothes yet, you should start looking around for clothes you might like to buy when it’s time. Maternity clothes can be expensive, so looking around beforehand can help you to save money on your maternity wardrobe.
Prepare For Maternity Leave
Are you working right now, and plan to return after you have your baby? Then it’s time to start preparing for your maternity leave. This is not something you want to leave until the last minute.
Setting up your maternity leave can take time. And depending on your employer, the length may vary greatly. If your employer does not offer you a sufficient maternity leave, you may need to negotiate for a longer one or combine it with vacation days.
Bottom line: the sooner you start, the better off you’ll be. Make sure your employer knows you’ll be taking leave, and be sure to fill out any forms or notices necessary to make it official.
Stretch & Prenatal Exercises
Want an easier labor and delivery? Then it’s a good idea to make it part of your regular pregnancy routine to stretch. Better yet, do some prenatal exercises to keep you in the best shape.
I’m a really big fan of doing Pilates with The Balanced Life. Robin Long’s mantra, grace over guilt, is so perfect for moms, and I appreciate her outlook on fitness and wellness. I have felt so much better since I joined this membership and started Pilates.
And, Robin even has a prenatal program! You can buy it separately, or get it at a discount with a membership. Either way, it’s a great investment in your prenatal health!
Search For A Pediatrician
I know, it may feel early to be looking for a pediatrician. But, finding a good pediatrician that shares your health and wellness views can take time.
Take your time and start looking now. Ask for recommendations from friends, and don’t be afraid to ask for a consultation with the ones you are interested in.
Regularly Apply Belly Butter
As that bump starts to show, it’s time to start doing what you can to prevent stretch marks. While a lot of it comes down to genetics, you can still minimize, and possibly prevent, stretch marks.
Buying and regularly applying belly butter or lotion should definitely be on your second trimester to do list. If nothing else, it will help prevent your skin from drying out and becoming itchy.
What tasks are you working on to prepare for baby?
It may feel like a lot, but if you start working on your second trimester to do list early, you can easily get it all done. Just commit to working on it a little every day, every week, and it will quickly add up.
So, ready to start work on your second trimester to do list? What are you working on right now?
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