The partner's pregnancy to-do list
By Hamid Ouchlah, founder of DueDuo · Last updated Wed, October 14, 2026
Pregnancy planning can easily land on one person. This list gives the partner their own jobs, stage by stage, so the birthing parent isn't the only one remembering. It's the partner's half of the DueDuo plan: 27 jobs, plus a few you do together.
How to use it: the partner owns each job from start to finish. Book it, add it to your shared calendar, and say when it's done.
Weeks 0 to 6
- Book the first prenatal appointment. First visits usually happen around weeks 8 to 10, and slots fill up.
- If you have health insurance, check what it covers for prenatal care, scans, the birth and the newborn.
Weeks 7 to 8
- Take over the strong-smell chores: cooking, bins and the fridge. If you have a cat, take over the litter box too, because cat litter can carry toxoplasmosis, which is risky in pregnancy.
- Book time off to join the first visit, and put every appointment in a shared calendar.
Weeks 11 to 13
- Ask family and friends not to post the news before you announce it.
Weeks 14 to 16
- Research childcare and join waitlists. In some areas they're many months long. Note what each option costs.
Weeks 17 to 19
- Book the anatomy scan, usually at 18 to 22 weeks.
- Book antenatal and baby-care classes. Popular classes fill fast, and most people take them between weeks 28 and 36.
Weeks 20 to 22
- Request your parental leave. Tell your employer and agree dates now, so it isn't a last-minute scramble.
- Ask friends with older babies for hand-me-downs before buying anything.
- Price the big items: stroller, car seat and crib. Decide what to buy new and what second-hand.
Weeks 23 to 25
- Choose a pediatrician or family doctor for the baby. Check they're taking new patients.
- If a glucose test is offered, book it (usually at 24 to 28 weeks) and ask whether fasting is needed.
Weeks 28 to 30
- Add the more frequent appointments to the shared calendar. Visits often move to every 2 weeks or so now.
Weeks 31 to 33
- Pre-register at the hospital or birth center, and do the tour if you haven't.
- Buy and install the car seat. Follow the manual exactly, and have it checked by a certified technician if you can.
- Wash baby clothes and bedding in a fragrance-free detergent.
- Set up a meal train so friends and family can drop off food in the first weeks.
Weeks 34 to 35
- Plan the route to the hospital and a backup. Know where to park and which entrance to use at night.
- Tell family your hospital visitor plan before anyone makes travel plans.
- Arrange care for pets or other children, with a backup person available at any hour.
Week 36
- Set up a recovery station by the bed: maternity pads, a peri bottle, comfy underwear, nipple cream, snacks and water.
- Save key numbers in both phones: the labor ward, your doctor or midwife, the pediatrician, lactation support and a backup driver.
Weeks 37 to 39
- Ask family to wait for your news, with no calls during labor.
- Send your home visiting rules.
- Find the deadline for adding the baby to your health insurance. In the US, many plans give you about 30 days after the birth.
- Do a final check of the bags and the car seat.
Do these together
- Weeks 9 to 10: set up your baby budget, and read both parental leave policies for notice deadlines and pay.
- Weeks 26 to 27: agree who does what after the birth: night feeds, leave dates, chores, pets and visitors. Write it down and review it at week 36.
- Weeks 28 to 30: draft your birth preferences.
- Weeks 34 to 35: pack the hospital bags.
- Weeks 37 to 39: ask your doctor or midwife exactly when to call or come in, and write it down.
Get all our printables in one PDF
The hospital bag checklist, appointment questions, the partner's list, the baby starter list and the who-owns-what sheet. Free, for both of you.