# Pregnancy To-Do List UK — Trimester-by-Trimester Checklist | Clever Mum > A calm, trimester-by-trimester UK pregnancy checklist — appointments, paperwork, buying decisions and the things everyone forgets until week 39. * [ Home ](/) * › [ Pregnancy ](/pregnancy/) * › Pregnancy To-Do List: What to Sort Each Trimester Pregnancy # Pregnancy To-Do List: What to Sort Each Trimester [ EW ](/authors/emma-whitfield/) By [ Emma Whitfield ](/authors/emma-whitfield/) · Pregnancy & Baby Writer Published 10 July 2026 · Updated 12 August 2026 Quick answer — When do I need to tell my employer I am pregnant? First trimester: see your GP or self-refer to a midwife, start folic acid and vitamin D, and book your 12-week scan. Second trimester: tell your employer by week 25 for maternity pay, book antenatal classes and start big purchases. Third trimester: pack your bag, install the car seat, wash baby clothes and apply for anything with a waiting list. Who should skip this Skip this if you are already in labour — use signs of labour and the hospital bag list. Skip buying sections if you already own the kit from a previous baby; keep the paperwork dates. Pregnancy admin arrives in waves, and almost everything has a natural deadline. First trimester: self-refer, folic acid and vitamin D, dating scan. Second: tell work by week 25 for maternity pay, MATB1, anomaly scan, start the slow purchases. Third: bag by 36 weeks, car seat installed, clothes washed, triage number in your phone. This is a UK checklist, not a shopping haul. ## Who should skip this pregnancy to-do list? Skip this if you are already in labour — use [signs of labour](/pregnancy/signs-of-labour-what-to-expect/) and the [hospital bag checklist](/pregnancy/hospital-bag-checklist-uk/). Skip it if you are planning a home birth and your midwife has given you a trust-specific list: that list wins. Skip the buying sections if you already own the kit from a previous baby; keep the paperwork dates. ## What should you sort in the first trimester (weeks 1–12)? Self-refer to maternity (you often do not need to wait for a GP), start folic acid 400 micrograms daily until at least week 12, start vitamin D, check medicines with a pharmacist, and book the dating scan. The NHS vitamins page is the source ([NHS — vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/vitamins-supplements-and-nutrition/), checked 12 August 2026). Tell work when you choose, but remember: legally you must tell your employer by the 15th week before the due date to protect maternity pay. Telling earlier unlocks paid antenatal appointments and a risk assessment. See [maternity leave and pay](/pregnancy/maternity-leave-and-pay-uk/). ## What should you sort in the second trimester (weeks 13–27)? Tell your employer in writing. Get your MATB1 from your midwife from around week 20 — it is the key to Statutory Maternity Pay. Book the 20-week anomaly scan. Book antenatal classes now; NHS ones are free and fill months ahead. Start the slow purchases: pushchair, car seat, cot. Delivery and research time is the constraint, not Instagram. Use [best pushchairs](/best/best-pushchairs-uk/) and [best car seats](/best/best-car-seats-uk/). Safer-sleep guidance is baby in your room for six months, so a full nursery can wait. If you will need childcare, join waiting lists now — city nurseries routinely run 6–12 months. ## What should you sort in the third trimester (weeks 28–40+)? Pack the bag by 36 weeks (32 for twins). Install the car seat and practise. Wash baby clothes in non-bio. Save your maternity triage number. SMP starts when you stop work if you qualify; Maternity Allowance needs a DWP claim if you do not. Write a short birth plan and treat it as a conversation, not a contract. Week-ishDo thisWhy8–10Self-refer + folic acidCare pathway and neural-tube protection12Dating scanDue date15th week before dueEmployer notified (latest)SMP / leave protection~20MATB1 + anomaly scanPay paperwork + anatomy screen28+Childcare list / classesWaiting lists36Bag packed, seat installedEarly labour is not a planning window ## What does everyone forget until week 39? A TENS machine if you want one (hire by 36, do not buy the night you pack). Hospital parking. Going-home clothes that still fit a bump. Who gets the first message from the ward. Wills and guardians — unglamorous, and the hour that pays back. See [making a will](/family/making-a-will-parents-guide-uk/). One next action: put the triage number in your phone today, then only pack the bag when you hit 36 weeks. ## Which gear is worth getting right? Shortlists we actually research — rankings can't be bought, and every pick links to retailers we've verified. [ Best-of guide ### Best Pregnancy Pillows UK The best pregnancy pillows in the UK — full-body, wedge and multi-use options compared for side-sleeping, back support and feeding afterwards. 5 picks compared ](/best/best-pregnancy-pillows-uk/)[ Best-of guide ### Best Maternity & Nursing Bras UK The best maternity and nursing bras in the UK — wire-free comfort, one-handed clips and sizing guidance for pregnancy and breastfeeding. 5 picks compared ](/best/best-maternity-nursing-bras-uk/)[ Best-of guide ### Best Pregnancy Skincare UK Best pregnancy-safe skincare in the UK — moisturisers, stretch-mark oils and bump care compared, with NHS-aligned ingredients to skip. 6 picks compared ](/best/best-pregnancy-skincare-uk/) ## What questions come up most? When do I need to tell my employer I am pregnant? Legally, by the end of the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth (roughly week 25). Telling them earlier gives you the right to paid time off for antenatal care and a workplace risk assessment. What is a MATB1 form? The Maternity Certificate your midwife or GP issues from around 20 weeks. Your employer needs it to pay Statutory Maternity Pay, and the DWP needs it for Maternity Allowance claims. When should I buy a pushchair? Research in the second trimester and order by around week 30 — popular models and colours regularly have 4–8 week delivery times, and you want it assembled and practised before week 38. ## Sources & further reading * [ Your pregnancy to-do list ](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/) — NHS * [ Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy ](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/vitamins-supplements-and-nutrition/) — NHS * [ Maternity pay and leave ](https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave) — GOV.UK ## On this page * [ 1 Who should skip this pregnancy to-do list? ](#who-should-skip-this-pregnancy-to-do-list) * [ 2 What should you sort in the first trimester (weeks 1–12)? ](#what-should-you-sort-in-the-first-trimester-weeks-112) * [ 3 What should you sort in the second trimester (weeks 13–27)? ](#what-should-you-sort-in-the-second-trimester-weeks-1327) * [ 4 What should you sort in the third trimester (weeks 28–40+)? ](#what-should-you-sort-in-the-third-trimester-weeks-2840) * [ 5 What does everyone forget until week 39? ](#what-does-everyone-forget-until-week-39) ## At a glance Folic acid 400mcg daily to week 12+ Tell employer by 15th week before due date MATB1 issued ~week 20 Hospital bag Packed by week 36 Free classes NHS antenatal — book early Our promise Health-adjacent points cite NHS or equivalent guidance. This article is general information, not medical advice — see our [editorial policy](/editorial-policy/). ## Keep reading [ Pregnancy ### Hospital Bag Checklist UK: What to Pack (and When) UK hospital bag checklist: pack by 36 weeks. What to take for labour, you and baby, what NHS wards provide, and who can skip this list. ](/pregnancy/hospital-bag-checklist-uk/)[ Pregnancy ### Maternity Leave and Pay in the UK, Explained Simply UK maternity leave and pay: 52 weeks leave, 39 weeks SMP (90% then £194.32 in 2026/27), Maternity Allowance, Shared Parental Leave, and who should skip this. ](/pregnancy/maternity-leave-and-pay-uk/)[ Pregnancy ### Return to Work After Maternity Leave: Your Rights, KIT Days and Flexible Working A practical UK guide to returning to work after maternity leave — Keeping in Touch days, your right to request flexible working, and what your employer must do. ](/pregnancy/return-to-work-after-maternity-leave/)