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Pregnancy courses for each trimester

Courses based on Australian advice about eating well, avoiding listeria, iodine and folic acid, caffeine and planning for birth, with checklists to take to your midwife or GP.

  • 6 courses
  • Tools in every course
  • Certificate included

You do not need to eat for two. Eat for Health suggests pregnant women have about 8½ serves of grain foods and 3½ serves of lean meats and alternatives a day, slightly more than before pregnancy, along with 5 serves of vegetables and 2 of fruit. National advice is to keep taking at least 400 micrograms of folic acid through the first 3 months and 150 micrograms of iodine throughout pregnancy.

Food safety matters more now because of listeria. FSANZ advises avoiding foods such as sliced deli meats, ready-to-eat cold chicken, pre-prepared salads, soft and surface-ripened cheeses like brie, camembert, ricotta and feta, soft-serve ice cream, raw seafood and rockmelon. Some fish need limits because of mercury, caffeine should stay at or below 200 mg a day, and the NHMRC advises no alcohol in pregnancy.

Your midwife or GP leads your pregnancy care, through a public hospital antenatal clinic, GP shared care or another model available where you live. Our courses bring the official advice together and turn it into practical tools: a fridge list, a caffeine tracker, supplement checklists and a birth plan to fill in with your midwife. For questions between appointments, call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436.

All pregnancy courses

Foundation

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Nutrition for Beginners

Pregnancy eating made simple in about an hour, with a plate guide, a daily checklist and a starter shopping list.

  • 1 hour 5 min
  • 4 tools
  • 6 modules
A$24.99Buy
Focused

Pregnancy

First Trimester Nutrition

Gentle, realistic eating for weeks 1 to 12, with sickness-friendly foods, a small meals planner and a checker for when to call your midwife.

  • 2 hours
  • 6 tools
  • 6 modules
A$27.99Buy
Focused

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Food Safety

Clear, printable pregnancy food safety: what to enjoy, cook first, limit or avoid, plus a cheese checker and caffeine counter.

  • 2 hours
  • 6 tools
  • 7 modules
A$24.99Buy
Focused

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Vitamins and Supplements

A stage-by-stage guide to pregnancy supplements, with a checklist, a daily tracker and a label checker. No brand recommendations.

  • 2 hours
  • 4 tools
  • 6 modules
A$27.99Buy
Focused

Pregnancy

Creating a Birth Plan

A fillable birth plan, a birth options checklist and questions for your midwife, so you can make informed choices that stay flexible on the day.

  • 2 hours
  • 5 tools
  • 7 modules
A$24.99Buy
Premium

Pregnancy

Complete Pregnancy Nutrition Course

Every trimester covered, from first-trimester sickness to the weeks after birth, with meal planners, shopping lists and a midwife question sheet.

  • 4 hours 40 min
  • 9 tools
  • 10 modules
A$44.99Buy

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Find the right pregnancy course

What the pregnancy tools do

  • Fridge list and cheese checker: quick answers on what is safe, what needs care and what to avoid, for shopping and eating out.
  • Caffeine tracker: adds up coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and chocolate against the 200 mg daily limit.
  • Supplement tracker and label checker: records folic acid and iodine each day and flags products with vitamin A (retinol) or kelp.
  • Trimester meal planners and shopping lists: plan the week around what you can face eating, stage by stage.
  • Birth plan, options checklist and midwife question sheet: write down your preferences and bring them to appointments.

When to call your midwife or hospital

Call your midwife or your hospital's maternity unit straight away, at any time of day or night, if you have:

  • vaginal bleeding, or fluid leaking from your vagina
  • a change in your baby's usual pattern of movements, or fewer movements
  • severe or ongoing tummy pain
  • a severe headache, blurred vision, or sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet
  • vomiting so often that you cannot keep fluids down

Do not wait until the next day to report fewer movements. In an emergency, call 000.

Pregnancy courses: your questions

Which foods should I avoid while pregnant?

FSANZ lists foods with a higher listeria risk, including sliced deli meats, ready-to-eat cold chicken, refrigerated pâté, pre-prepared salads, raw and smoked ready-to-eat seafood, soft and surface-ripened cheeses, soft-serve ice cream, unpasteurised dairy and rockmelon. Freshly cooked food eaten hot, hard cheese and pasteurised dairy are safer choices.

How much caffeine is safe in pregnancy?

Healthdirect advises no more than 200 mg a day. That is roughly 1 espresso, 2 cups of instant coffee or 4 cups of tea. A 250 mL energy drink has about 80 mg.

Which fish should I limit?

FSANZ advises either 1 serve (150 g) a fortnight of shark (flake) or billfish such as swordfish or marlin, with no other fish that fortnight, or 1 serve a week of orange roughy (deep sea perch) or catfish, with no other fish that week. Other fish can be eaten more often, and your midwife can help you plan.

How much weight should I gain?

RANZCOG gives ranges based on your BMI before pregnancy. For example, the range for a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is 11.5 to 16 kg. Dieting during pregnancy is not advised, so talk to your midwife or GP about what is right for you.

Do these courses replace antenatal classes?

No. They are general education you can do at home, at your own pace. Keep going to your appointments, and ask your hospital or midwife about antenatal classes near you.

Can my partner use the courses too?

Yes. Many lessons have tips for whoever does the shopping and cooking, and the birth partner briefing sheet is written for them.

Official sources

More topics

Know what is safe on your plate

Start with the beginners' course, print the fridge list and stick it up the same day.

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