I'm pregnant: What do I do now?

Start with the pregnancy basics

• Calculate your baby's due date. Don't bother with a pencil and paper – just use our handy due date calculator. Not only will it tell you the date you'll be looking forward to all pregnancy long, it'll give you a personalized calendar that shows when you'll hear your baby's heartbeat, find out your baby's sex, and more.
• Choose a doctor or midwife. You'll be seeing a lot of your obstetrician, family physician, or midwife over the coming months, so it's important to find a good match. Once you've made your decision, help get your pregnancy off to a healthy start by scheduling your first prenatal appointment. (Prenatal care providers typically schedule the visit for when you're at least 8 weeks pregnant.)
• Decide when to announce your pregnancy. Some women wait until after the first trimester, when the risk of miscarriage drops, while others announce it right away. Some wait to tell their co-workers or boss to avoid being treated differently at work, while others want their workplace buds to understand why they're a little green around the gills. Also consider how you'll make the news public – in person, by phone, in writing, or by picture or video.

Plan ahead before you have your baby

• Find out what to do in the first trimester. Want details on the first 13 weeks of pregnancy? Get a sneak peek at the months ahead with our first trimester pregnancy checklist.
• Figure out your finances. They're worth every penny, of course, but babies cost money. Use our baby cost calculator to get a feel for how expensive your bundle of joy is going to be in the first year. Then do what you can to get your bucks in a row.
• Brainstorm baby names. Finding the perfect baby name is one of the most exciting parts of the pregnancy journey – though it can be a bit overwhelming. You don't need to choose a name anytime soon (some people even wait until after their baby is born), but it can be lots of fun to start a list of possibilities. Read up on the pitfalls to avoid, and then browse our baby name inspiration lists and search for names in our Baby Names Finder.

Take care of your body and baby

• Pay attention to your health. A healthy lifestyle is always important – but when you're pregnant, it's that much more vital. So make sure you're getting enough folic acid, start taking a prenatal vitamin (your healthcare provider can recommend one for you), eat a healthy pregnancy diet, consider a pregnancy-friendly exercise routine, and try to get plenty of sleep.
• Avoid pregnancy no-nos. You don't have to live in a sterile bubble, but some things are dangerous during pregnancy. These include certain foods, alcohol, cigarette smoke, too much caffeine, some medications, recreational drugs like marijuana, and various toxins, as well as certain activities. Talk to your caregiver to find out more about what you may personally need to steer clear of.
• Be prepared for early pregnancy symptoms. Not every pregnancy symptom will happen to every woman, but educating yourself ahead of time can prevent you from being blindsided. You might experience nausea and vomiting, jaw-dropping fatigue, odd food cravings, sore breasts, and maddeningly frequent bathroom trips. And those are just the more common complaints. A host of other symptoms could lie ahead, too.
• Brace yourself for body changes. You're probably already expecting the amazing expanding belly and bigger breasts, but other body changes are in store that you may not know about. Be on the lookout for things like thicker hair, darkened skin, and acne breakouts – then, later in pregnancy, swollen ankles, stretch marks, and varicose veins. You might notice other body and beauty changes, too. Pregnancy affects every woman differently, but knowing what might happen can help you take your particular physical changes in stride.
• Follow your baby's development. Your baby is growing and changing incredibly fast. Taking a peek at your baby's development every week can keep your spirits up in the face of unpleasant pregnancy symptoms.

Get answers about your pregnancy

• Sign up for our free pregnancy newsletter. When you sign up, you'll get a weekly email about your pregnancy letting you know exactly what's going on inside you. It's always a thrill to see what your baby looks like and find out how much he or she has grown. It's amazing how fast your little blueberry grows to the size of a lemon!
• Get your free pregnancy app. Want a daily dose of great pregnancy information that you can access on the go? Check out BabyCenter's My Pregnancy & Baby Today appOpens a new window. It doesn't cost a thing.
• Join your Birth Club. Plenty of other parents-to-be are due in the same month as you – and going through the same things at the same time. Find a bunch of them in your online Birth ClubOpens a new window, where you can get advice and support on all kinds of pregnancy topics.
• Pick up a pregnancy book or two. Nothing quite beats the feeling of curling up with a book and a highlighter. Here are a few titles to get you started: What to Expect When You're Expecting (Heidi Murkoff), Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy (Mayo Clinic), and Your Pregnancy Week by Week (Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler).

Where to go next

• Calculate your target pregnancy weight gain
• Find out when you'll graduate to the next trimester
• See an astonishing animated video of your baby in the womb
• Watch how your body changes during pregnancy