10 Pregnancy Milestones you Should Cherish While they Last
Track these ten pregnancy milestones that will remind you of the wonders of pregnancy, and remember that every milestone - even the unpleasant ones - gets you closer to finally meeting your baby.
Above: Pink Polka Dot Robe
During pregnancy, youโll learn to celebrate every little moment, even the ones you wish would pass by quicker. When you inevitably face the less glamorous pregnancy milestones (hello, morning sickness), just remember that itโs part of the process and youโll be thankful you went through it all. Ignore the Instagram models who make pregnancy look like a glamorous experience and accept that no pregnancy is as easy as it looks on social media. Regardless, youโll cherish every pregnancy milestone while they last! Youโll look forward to these top pregnancy milestones until the day you deliver.
The Most Exciting Pregnancy Milestones to Celebrateย
Telling your Partner
Whether you find out about your pregnancy together or surprise your partner with the news, youโll never forget their reaction. For many parents, especially those with years of fertility struggles, the moment you both discover youโre pregnant will be one of the happiest of your life.
Hearing the Babyโs Heartbeat
Nothing makes pregnancy feel more real than hearing the babyโs heartbeat for the first time. Your first prenatal visit is very memorable, and your doctor can both confirm you and the baby are healthy and demonstrate how well they can help you through upcoming pregnancy milestones. Itโs the beginning of an exciting process!
First Ultrasound Photo
Having a tangible photo of your baby-to-be after your first ultrasound is such an exciting pregnancy milestone that you can cherish long after your baby is born.
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Finishing the First Trimester
Because studies have shown that most miscarriages occur during the first trimester, starting the second trimester can be a tremendous milestone! This also marks the decline of things like morning sickness for many women, so itโs truly a time to celebrate.
Telling your Family and Friends
If you thought telling your partner was emotional, just wait til you tell your parents! Surprising family and friends with the news of your pregnancy is such an emotional but exciting time for expecting couples. Itโs a pregnancy milestone that allows your closest relationships feel like theyโre part of the process with you, and the outpouring of support will instantly lift your spirits for the remainder of your pregnancy.
Feeling the First Kick
As soon as your baby grows and begins moving around, youโll feel a strange sensation that is sure to put an instant smile on your face (that is, once you get over how weird it feels at first). Itโs an amazing feeling and one that will remind you โthis is real.โ Similarly, the first time your partner feels a kick is another milestone youโll cherish.
Learning the Babyโs Gender
If you decide to find out the babyโs gender, it can be a fun pregnancy milestone that gives you a big wave of inspiration for nesting and brainstorming potential names. Not every parenting team chooses to find out the gender before birth, which is completely up to the couple!
Brainstorming Baby Names
Even if you decide to keep the babyโs gender a surprise, you and your partner will probably spend a lot of time brainstorming potential baby names. Make a list of all the possibilities, and you may spend weeks or months trying to persuade each other one name is better than the other. Sometimes, you might just not know which name is best until you meet your baby for the first time.
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Baby Shower
As you approach the due date, youโll love celebrating your babyโs upcoming arrival with friends and family. After the baby shower is a great opportunity to start nesting and finding a place for all of your new baby supplies, from newborn coming home outfits to bibs and swaddles.
Delivery
Of course, nothing beats meeting your baby for the first time! Despite the potentially long labor and awful contractions, it will feel worth it when you see your baby, hear that first cry and hold them for the first time. You and your partner will never feel more in love.
The Pregnancy Milestones You Probably Wonโt Miss
Start of Morning Sickness
Sure, morning sickness can be something to celebrate if youโve had trouble conceiving, but you probably wonโt miss it after the first trimester. Morning sickness - or any other nausea for that matter - is the first negative pregnancy milestone youโll be happy to put behind you.
First Food Aversion
Does your favorite food suddenly make you feel sick? Yeah, that can happen. Youโll crave strange food combinations and suddenly find yourself disgusted by certain foods, but this too shall pass. Not all women experience food aversions during pregnancy, but if you do, youโll replace them with new cravings.
Advice and Judgement
Youโre bound to begin receiving judgement from those around you, including your parents, your friends, your coworkers and even strangers on the street. Mom shaming can apply to pregnant women too! Every time you order that one cup of coffee or continue working your day job up until your due date, there will be judgement around you. Youโll also receive a lot of unsolicited advice, but just remember that you donโt have to listen to it if you donโt want to. Trust your doctor and trust your body.
Remember to take the unpleasant pregnancy milestones with the good ones. Every pregnancy is different, and yours is sure to be beautiful for you!
What was/is your favorite part about pregnancy?
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Comments
Lisa said:
I think I can agree with all these, except the baby shower! Baby showers just aren’t my cup of tea, so whatever. But hearing my son’s heartbeat and finding out he was a boy were my FAVORITE memories!
Kendall | Is it nap time yet? said:
Reading all of these took me back. I honestly miss being pregnant. Not the sickness and aching body, but all of the things like the movements and finding out the gender. I tell all expecting moms to cherish it while it lasts as hard as it is because you’ll miss it!
Beth said:
Oh, how I miss all of these milestones! I love having my little guy here (that’s the whole point!) but all the little moments, pure joy, and anticipation leading up to your first meeting are just so special. Thanks for sharing these!
Sabrina Jackson said:
Yes Yes cherish them all. I am going through last baby blues lol. Remember every moment of your pregnancy no matter how annoying.
Tricia said:
Oh how I miss my babyโs kicks! That was one of my favorite things about being pregnant! I was fortunate to not have to deal with morning sickness.
Chocoviv said:
Thank you for this info! I miss ITV sometimes.
Adrianne Reelie said:
I seriously admired every single bit of this article. I am on baby #3 (4th pregnant. I had a miscarriage last time!) and so I totally resonate with finishing first trimester!
Antonia Napier said:
These are all great ideas! I wish I had celebrated all these milestones with my first two! Maybe if Iโm lucky enough to have a third baby !
Brittany said:
The first kicks were incredible! And now that I have her in my arms and see her kicking around I find it so crazy that, thatโs what she was doing inside me! Definitely DO NOT miss morning sickness. I was sick my whole pregnancy!
Jordan | Mindful Mama Health said:
These moments were all so special! I started a journal while I was pregnant, and wrote down all of these milestones! It’s so fun to look back and read how excited we were with anticipation. There is nothing as special as feeling that first heartbeat!