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Pregnancy courses for eating well and staying informed

From the first trimester to labor and delivery: what to eat, what to avoid, which vitamins matter and how to write a clear birth plan with your care team.

  • 6 courses
  • Tools in every course
  • Certificate included

Your prenatal care team, usually an OB-GYN or a certified nurse-midwife, is your main source of advice in pregnancy. Our courses sit alongside those appointments and help you put everyday advice into practice. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 name iron, folate and iodine as top priorities in pregnancy, and suggest iron-rich meats, leafy greens and legumes, eggs for choline, dairy for calcium and low-mercury seafood.

Food safety matters more than usual: the CDC says pregnant women are 10 times more likely to get a Listeria infection. That is why the courses cover unpasteurized milk and cheeses, deli meats and hot dogs (heat them to 165°F or until steaming hot), raw sprouts and undercooked meat, poultry, eggs and seafood. The FDA and EPA advise 8 to 12 ounces a week of lower-mercury fish, ACOG recommends keeping caffeine under 200 mg a day, and the 2025–2030 guidelines say pregnant women should completely avoid alcohol.

The CDC also publishes weight gain ranges based on your weight before pregnancy, which the courses explain without setting personal calorie targets. If money is tight, you may qualify for WIC, which offers healthy foods, nutrition education and breastfeeding support to eligible pregnant women.

All pregnancy courses

Foundation

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Nutrition for Beginners

Pregnancy eating basics in about an hour, with a pregnancy plate, a daily food checklist and a starter shopping list.

  • 1 hour 5 min
  • 4 tools
  • 6 modules
$16.99Buy
Focused

Pregnancy

First Trimester Nutrition

Weeks 1 to 13 made manageable: foods that sit well with nausea, small meals, hydration and what to ask at your first prenatal visit.

  • 2 hours
  • 6 tools
  • 6 modules
$19.99Buy
Focused

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Food Safety

Runny eggs, soft cheese, deli meat, fish, caffeine and takeout: clear US answers, with a cheese checker and a caffeine counter.

  • 2 hours
  • 6 tools
  • 7 modules
$16.99Buy
Focused

Pregnancy

Prenatal Vitamins and Supplements

Folic acid, iodine, vitamin D, iron and what to skip, stage by stage, with a supplement label checker and WIC signposting.

  • 2 hours
  • 4 tools
  • 6 modules
$19.99Buy
Focused

Pregnancy

Creating a Birth Plan

Know your options and write a flexible birth plan, with questions for your OB-GYN or midwife and a briefing sheet for your birth partner.

  • 2 hours
  • 5 tools
  • 7 modules
$16.99Buy
Premium

Pregnancy

Complete Pregnancy Nutrition Course

Every trimester covered: three meal planners, a fridge-door enjoy, heat-first and avoid list, shopping lists and a supplement tracker.

  • 4 hours 40 min
  • 9 tools
  • 10 modules
$29.99Buy

Related topics

Choosing a pregnancy course

Food and nutrition

Safety and supplements

Getting ready for the birth

  • Creating a Birth Plan: understand your options and write a flexible plan to discuss with your OB-GYN or midwife.

What the pregnancy tools do

  • Fridge list: a printable list of foods that are safe, need care or are best avoided.
  • Cheese checker and eating-out card: quick checks for restaurants, parties and the deli counter.
  • Caffeine tracker: adds up coffee, tea, soda and chocolate against the 200 mg limit.
  • Supplement tracker and label checker: confirm amounts of folic acid, iodine and vitamin D.
  • Trimester meal planners and grocery lists: simple meals, including ones that work when you feel sick.
  • Fillable birth plan and questions sheet: ready to take to your prenatal appointments.

When to call your OB-GYN or midwife

Call your OB-GYN or midwife right away, or go to labor and delivery, if you have:

  • vaginal bleeding or a gush or trickle of fluid
  • a severe headache, changes in your vision or sudden swelling of your face or hands
  • severe or constant belly pain, or a fever
  • fewer movements from your baby than usual, later in pregnancy
  • vomiting so often that you cannot keep fluids down

Call 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing or a seizure. Low mood or anxiety in pregnancy is common and help is free: the HRSA maternal mental health hotline takes calls and texts 24/7 on 1-833-TLC-MAMA, which is 1-833-852-6262.

Pregnancy courses: your questions

How much weight should I gain during pregnancy?

The CDC ranges for a single baby depend on your BMI before pregnancy: 28 to 40 pounds if under 18.5, 25 to 35 pounds for 18.5 to 24.9, 15 to 25 pounds for 25 to 29.9, and 11 to 20 pounds for 30 or more. Your OB-GYN or midwife can tell you what applies to you.

What fish is safe to eat when pregnant?

The FDA and EPA advise 8 to 12 ounces a week of lower-mercury Best Choices fish, such as salmon, sardines and trout. Avoid king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, bigeye tuna and tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico.

Can I eat deli meat while pregnant?

The CDC advises avoiding deli meats and hot dogs unless they are heated to 165°F or until steaming hot, because of the risk of Listeria. Pregnancy Food Safety covers this and the other foods to check.

How much caffeine is safe in pregnancy?

ACOG recommends limiting caffeine to under 200 mg a day, which is about two cups of coffee. Caffeine is also in tea, soda, energy drinks and chocolate, so the tracker adds them all up.

Do I need a prenatal vitamin?

Folic acid matters throughout early pregnancy, and the American Thyroid Association advises 150 mcg of iodine a day in pregnancy. Many prenatal vitamins contain no iodine, so check the label with your doctor or pharmacist.

Is the birth plan course useful if I am having a C-section?

Yes. It covers planned and unplanned cesarean births as well as vaginal births, and the plan template lets you record your preferences for each.

Official sources

More topics

Make your fridge list first

Open Pregnancy Food Safety and print the fridge list, so everyone in your home knows what to check.

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