Pregnancy timeline of sorts. STMs?

nda_roxybabe

You know how when you're planning your wedding there's all sorts of lovely timelines that tell you what you should have done by when? I want one of those for pregnancy and I can't find anything. I know this is probably just the over planner in me. Maybe you ladies can help me build one of sorts?

When should I register? Everything says 2 weeks before the shower, but uh...I like to research crap, I need more time. Also my 2nd Q...
When should one have their shower? I know I'm not planning this myself, just wondering.
When should the nursery be complete?
When should I get maternity photo's taken?
When should I take any prenatal sorts of classes? Also, honestly, should I bother with any?
When should I research pediatricians? My OB actually told me to go ahead and do this, but I have no idea what I do once I feel I've picked one. I can ask her at next appt though.

Any other Q's from fellow FTM's?

mamatowildones

I think with my first I registered a few months before my shower. I didn't know what I was doing and wanted to take my time researching and whatnot 
With my first I had 2 showers given. One was by my aunt and sister and the other was on my husbands side by my MIL and SIL. One was 3 months before my due date which was nice because I felt good and energetic and I wasn't huge yet haha. The second was less than a month before. It was just as wonderful but I was pretty large and uncomfortable. 
I finished the nurseries for both boys about 2 months before my due date. And I'm glad I did that with my second because he came 3 weeks early and everything was done. 
I never did maternity photos but my cousins did and it seemed that there's were about their 6th or 7th month. 
The only classes we took were for my first and they were through the hospital. Check with them on the timeline for that. I don't remember. 
I asked around for pediatricians but I didn't feel rushed. In fact we made a change a few times after babies were born and we took them in and got a feel for different practices and docs. 

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

When should I register? Whenever you want.  Remember that some stores turn over inventory fairly quickly.  So if you register for certain clothes at Target, they may not be in stock in a month. If you get the Target app on your phone, you can scan things to the registry whenever you are in the store.

When should one have their shower? I'd say 4-6 wks out from your due date?

When should the nursery be complete? DD's nursery was a work in progress my entire pregnancy.  This kid's room still needs to be painted and I haven't picked a theme.  Whatever works for you.  DD didn't sleep in her nursery for the first 6 months, but we used it to change her and store her stuff.

When should I get maternity photo's taken? My photographer prefers 2-4 weeks before your due date.  I thought that was a little late and I still feel like I look puffy in those pictures.

When should I take any prenatal sorts of classes? Also, honestly, should I bother with any? We took them a little too early with DD, but I don't remember when that was.  You want them to be late enough that you remember crap but not too late that you might miss them.  We took a general birth class that discussed all types of births and after-birth mom & baby care.  We also took a breastfeeding class.  I thought both were very helpful as a first time mom.  It was nice for DH to attend the BF'ing class because he learned what he could do to support me while I nursed.  I've been thinking of taking a "refresher" birth course this time around.  I've forgotten so much.  Last time I was induced so I didn't have to remember much of the "when to go to the hospital" or "getting through labor" stuff.

When should I research pediatricians? Good question.  We have a great pediatrician in central-ish PHX.  If you want the rec, I can PM you.

slam1110

When should I register? I would say start researching the big items now and get your registry started whenever you feel like it.  The only items I think you would want to register close to your shower for are for items like clothes b/c they tend to be out of stock or change so frequently that they may not be available once people start shopping.
When should one have their shower? Again, really depends on everyone's schedule, but I wouldn't do it any later than 4 weeks before your due date. 
When should the nursery be complete?  Ideally right after your shower, so you can organize all of your items.
When should I get maternity photo's taken?  Agree with OP above.  In your 7-8 month.
When should I take any prenatal sorts of classes? Also, honestly, should I bother with any? I took the BF class at the hospital that was totally worthless in my opinion.  And also the labor class, which was a bit more helpful, only because my plan was to go med-free and it helped explain the whole birthing process.
When should I research pediatricians? Yes do this now.  You should be able to interview your pediatricians to make sure they are on the same page as you.  And make sure they have visiting privileges at the hospital where you are delivering, because they will come do check ups on the baby when you are still at the hospital and possibly can do the circumcision too (if you have a boy and if you want one).

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

I think the visiting privileges issue is specific to the local area.  My pediatrician's office is a pretty big practice and they only have visiting privileges at the local children's hospital.  The children's hospital doesn't deliver babies. The hospital where I deliver has it's own pediatrician that handles the post-birth check-ups and circumcisions.  

nda_roxybabe

Thanks! I know the pediatrician my OB recommended that is near my house has visiting rights at my delivery hospital. Do I call to set up an interview of sorts with them? I can tell from their website (very informational!) that I think we're on the same page. Though I'm not even 100% sure of everything I'm looking for.

Whoa starting to feel a bit more real

onebadmotha

When should I register?

Whenever. I started my registry on Amazon around 12 weeks. I kept it private, but wanted time to research what I actually wanted/needed...also, it's super fun. I also regularly showed one of my best friends who had a 1 year old at the time, to get advice on what I'd registered for. I made it public when the shower invites went out. 

When should one have their shower? 

I believe I was around 33 weeks? It depends on the host/preggo's schedule, as well as the pregnancy. If I were high risk or anything like that, I'd probably have been more pro an earlier shower, just in case. I liked having time to get everything unpacked and put away, and to write my thank you cards well before baby arrived. 

When should the nursery be complete?

Honestly, it didn't need to be complete until baby was like 6 months old. As long as you have diapers handy and a place for baby to sleep, you'll be fine. That being said, my nesting instinct kicked in hardcore around my shower, so I set up the sh*t out of that nursery pretty much the day after the shower.

When should I get maternity photo's taken?

No first hand advice on this, as I didn't take any. I would think whenever your bump is bumping and before you're feeling like a whale. Maybe early 3rd tri?

When should I take any prenatal sorts of classes? Also, honestly, should I bother with any?

DH and I took a ton, but honestly most were not super useful. I'd say the musts were first aid/infant CPR (which we're actually taking again before this baby arrives), and a general labor class. The labor class was very thorough, and I think it really helped DH understand what was happening. He also took a "bootcamp for new dads" class which was apparently amazing. Dads who had taken the class previously brought their babies in to help teach how to change a diaper, burp babies, and they also just gave advice on how to be helpful in the first few weeks. 

When should I research pediatricians? 

I did this towards the end as well. I didn't interview a bunch of doctor or anything like that. I looked up peds group in my HMO, then did online research on their credentials and picked one. We ended up going with a different doctor in that practice because she was on call when DS was born and we loved her. 

slam1110

@nda_roxybabe  Yup I would just call them and tell them you are pregnant and looking for a pedi!  Hopefully they do interviews or at least you can tour the office and get a feel for the practice. 

emilyalso

When should I register? I registered as soon as we found out the sex and announced the pregnancy (around 12 weeks). I know this is earlier than most will say, but I'm nutzo and love to use that scanner at the stores!

When should one have their shower? My 'big' shower was at 28 weeks and we had a family party/shower around 32 weeks. I wanted to go ahead and have them before I was huge and uncomfortable AND to give me time to fill in the gaps and do exchanges before the baby came. 

When should the nursery be complete? My little guy didn't sleep in his nursery until he was 4 months old, so we honestly didn't need it until then. However, it's probably easier to work on it when you aren't caring for a newborn. Maybe aim to finish painting (if you are) and have furniture assembled beforehand, but decorating and finishing touches wouldn't stress me out if they weren't complete. 

When should I take any prenatal sorts of classes? We took one class that was offered through my OBGYN, and I would recommend it if there is a convenient one for you. I can't remember exactly, but I'm going to guess I was in the low 30's (weeks) and it was about what to expect toward the end of pregnancy (mucus plug, BH, when labor starts) and what to expect during labor. They touched on medicated/unmedicated birth, postpartum issues, breastfeeding, c-sections... They also had some guest speakers (cord blood registry, pediatrician, formula rep) that had good info as well. 

When should I research pediatricians? Our OB gave us a LONG list of peds in our area and I went through pretty quickly and ruled out 70% just based on location. From there, I did a little online research and asked around to several moms. We only went on 1 tour around 35 weeks and decided to use that office. We didn't have to do much ahead of time... We called before we left the hospital to set up our first appointment, and the hospital sent us with a pack of paperwork to take with us. Most offices leave a few spots open for new babies - they know the drill. 

Some things to think about when looking for a ped... Do you want a 1 Dr practice where you will always see the same person? Are you OK with a large practice where you might be able to be seen more quickly for a sick visit? If they have multiple locations, are you willing to visit any of them to be seen? Are you a 'normal' vaxxer or are you looking for an alternative schedule? How does the office feel about that? Do they take your insurance (that should be first!)? Do you care if you are seeing a man/woman? What if you have an issue after hours - how are those handled? 

Good luck! 

nda_roxybabe

Ooh, my hospital has a New Dad class! I dont think H will want to take it (he's kind of shy), but maybe.

Hospital tour? How about that?

onebadmotha

nda_roxybabe said:

Ooh, my hospital has a New Dad class! I dont think H will want to take it (he's kind of shy), but maybe.

Hospital tour? How about that?

I would definitely try to get him in the new dad class! I feel like parenting helps people get out of their shells a bit- may as well start now! 

We did a hospital tour as part of the labor class- they brought us around the labor and delivery floor, showed us the rooms, and all of the labor equipment they had (ball, peanut thing, bar on the bed to lean on, etc), then brought us to mother/baby. It was really nice knowing exactly where to go and what to expect once we went in for the big event. 

psherman42wwsa

When should I register? I'm a super crazy product researcher. I was researching the best car seats and strollers even before I was pregnant. I say start whenever your ready, it's never too early. There are so many baby items out there it can be overwhelming. I will say that all of my hours looking at baby crap paid off because I used every single baby item that I purchased and registered for. I didn't want any unnecessary baby crap laying around wasted.

When should one have their shower? I think 2 months in advance. This way you will have plenty of time to organize things and find out what you still need for the baby. Plus the planner in me likes to have everything ready to go super early just incase.

When should the nursery be complete? For my first, my nursery was ready pretty darn early. I painted the walls before I even knew the gender. Also something to know is that some places take months to delivery baby furniture. Mine took about 2 months. This time around I know that it's pretty pointless since my child just now started sleeping in his room (15 months old lol ) . Get the nursery ready at your leisure and don't feel the need to stress about it getting done. Some people use their nursery from day 1 and some people had it just for looks and a place to store stuff (like me).

When should I get maternity photo's taken? I got mine taken the month before my due date and I look pretty darn huge. I sort of wished I got them taken a little earlier. However they turned out so beautiful I am happy I have the photos to look back at.

When should I take any prenatal sorts of classes? Whenever your ready. I took a class sort of early and I found it to be very helpful. I wanted the information early on so I could be prepared and I was also pretty scared about delivery. Taking the class and reading a bunch of books helped calm my fears.

When should I research pediatricians? I did this probably a month or two before delivery. I chose based on recommendations from family members with children and proximity to my house. Also I wanted to stay within the same health system.

Kipperoo

Ooh! I am an extreme planner, too! I love this stuff:

When should I register? I'd say you can start whenever you want. It takes me forever to do the research/make a final decision. Just be prepared for things (especially bedding and clothing) to get discontinued or sold out. If you check up on your list pretty regularly and then again 3 weeks or so before your shower, you should be good! The big stuff that requires the research should still be available, though.  

When should one have their shower? I had my shower at 6 months with my son because I had to travel across the country for it. I'm not sure there really is a standard time for it, though. 

When should the nursery be complete? I'm shooting for 25 weeks with this one, mostly because I remember being totally exhausted in the 3rd trimester and I just really want that time to relax and get myself mentally ready for the babe. Also, because I will have help from my visiting family (parents and sister) next week, so I plan to put them to work!

When should I get maternity photo's taken? I didn't do them, but it seems to be like 7 months, maybe? The photographer you pick should have a good idea. And, while I did not do maternity photos, I DID do newborn, 6 month, and 1 year photos and I'm SO glad I did. Especially the newborn ones--everything was such a haze those first 2 weeks. It's nice to have some pretty pictures from a time that I felt very much not pretty. And those are the best pics I have of my little guy as a newborn. 

When should I take any prenatal sorts of classes? Also, honestly, should I bother with any? I took a breastfeeding, child birth, infant care crash course. It was basically a full day. I'd say it was marginally useful? If nothing else, it's a good way to help get yourself mentally prepared for what's to come.
 
When should I research pediatricians? I researched pediatricians at some point (honestly can't remember how far along I was) basically based on location and recommendations from other local moms. I brought the name with me to the hospital and they used it on the discharge forms so that they knew where to send the medical records from our hospital stay. The hospital staff also called and arranged our first pediatrician appointment for us, but that likely varies from hospital to hospital. 

nda_roxybabe

You guys are awesome! I'm glad the consensus is to register whenever as I've got a pretty good, full registry already complete, haha.

I like your points about maternity photos and it has me thinking, maybe I'll do Feb/March before it gets HOT here.

achays11

When should I register? 
The first time around I registered before Christmas since my family was asking what we wanted for the baby, I was due in March. This time my registry was done by 10 weeks just so I could add and change things later and also, again, because family was asking what we wanted for Christmas. 

When should one have their shower? 
With my first, my showers were a month and a half before she came.

When should the nursery be complete? 
Her nursery was a work in progress all throughout my pregnancy, but we finished it after the showers because I wanted to get everything's out away. 

When should I get maternity photo's taken? 
My photographer recommended taking photos between 32 and 34 weeks. I pushed her to wait and I think I was 36 or 37 weeks when we did ours. 

When should I take any prenatal sorts of classes? Also, honestly, should I bother with any?
We only took the birthing class and I think it was T the beginning of third tri. 

When should I research pediatricians? 
My research consisted of asking a friend who she used and reading the reviews on the Doctor. We love her and I hope we never have to change doctors. I would definitely ask if the pediatrician that you pick comes to your hospital for check-ups. We didn't know to ask that and we ended up seeing a different pediatrician during our stay when ours was there all along. 

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

Re: hospital tour.  Some hospitals move you out of labor and delivery as soon as you are stitched/cleaned up.  In my experience, the labor and delivery was sort of the Hilton and the recovery room was Motel 6.  It was all fine and I'm delivering there again. They just rarely show you the recovery rooms on the hospital tour.

ETA: friends that birthed in my home midwest state stayed in their delivery room for their entire hospital stay.

vrj0522

When should I register?  I say a couple of weeks before your baby shower invites are sent out. That way, you have time to add or change stuff on your registry. Like pp said, inventory can change if you do it sooner. 

When should one have their shower? 28-34 weeks is ideal. You'll be in 3rd tri by then so it's not too early. If you wait any longer you risk the baby already being here if for any reason you end up with a preemie. I had mine at 32 weeks which I thought was perfect. I tried to not buy much of anything until after the shower and that gave me plenty of time to get things purchased and ready for baby's arrival. 

When should the nursery be complete? With DS, we built the crib the day before I went into labor! I don't recommend that but you don't need to feel in a rush. If you can get it done early great, less to do after baby is born, especially in case baby comes early, but most likely baby won't be in the nursery for a while so there shouldn't be a huge rush. 

When should I get maternity photo's taken? I would plan for the 8th month, so between 33-36 weeks. That way you are not as bloated/swollen/big and you'll still like what you see in the pictures.  

When should I take any prenatal sorts of classes? Also, honestly, should I bother with any? I took the birthing classes and found them helpful. I think it was 4 week series that ran for me between 7-8 months. I didn't take a breastfeeding class until I was pregnant with my 2nd... and while I was bf'ing all I could think of was the instructors words: "if it hurts, then the latch is bad, and you need to relatch and keep relatching until it doesn't hurt anymore." I did not have a single painful breastfeeding session as a result. There were a couple other things that I felt I learned, so for me it was totally worth it. 

When should I research pediatricians? You can start at any time. I would meet with the one(s) you like the most about a month and a half before baby comes to ask some questions and see how you feel about them. 

pshaortao

When should I register?
Whenever you want. I did the registry in store after the anatomy scan with my first. I did start it online with some must have items that was not clothes etc. I already started a private one online for this one and adding as we go. 

When should one have their shower?
Whenever it's most convenient for everyone. I think at least a month minimum is ideal so you can have the time to figure out what else you need to get. I flew to TX from CA for mine when I was around 32 weeks. It was also a good time for my sister to fly in from MA as well a couple of close out of town friends.

When should the nursery be complete?
There's no right answer to this really. This think as long you have all the things you need for baby then you're good. We had the crib and dresser/closet pretty much ready and all necessities  (diapers, wipes, cream etc). We still had a queen bed in the nursery where I slept for 6 months while DD started out in a RNP next to the bed then moved to the crib. 

When should I get maternity photo's taken?
I didn't do this but I remember other moms in my last BMB said 30-32 weeks was a good time because they were still comfortable but had really popped then. If you are planning on maternity photo, I would at least start looking for a photographer and work details out early.

When should I take any prenatal sorts of classes? Also, honestly, should I bother with any?
I didn't care to take any type of birthing classes because I kept hearing it was pointless since once you go into labor its like everything you learned goes out the window. It really depends on the type of birth you hope for though and your personality. I'm very go with the flow and give me drugs when it starts to hurt too much. I did however attend a breastfeeding class and I'm glad I did. It was still difficult to nurse at the start but it helped to understand it better beforehand.

When should I research pediatricians?
I was with Kaiser for my first pregnancy so everything was through one website which was fantastic. My OB just told me go to this specific webpage to see the list of pediatricians so we can get an idea of who we might like, and we would get to finalize who we want (if available) after DD was born. I stalked the local mom group and put in a couple names and they popped up with glowing recommendations.

I had to find a new one under a new plan when we moved since DD was due for her 2yr checkup so I used the local mom group on facebook to get an idea of which practices they liked. I was more open minded about who we ended up with as long the overall practice was good. I wanted to be able to email them with questions anytime or have a nurse line to call since those two things were fantastic to have with Kaiser. It was nice to shoot an email with a picture of something (rash or whatever) without having to schedule an appointment to get (said rash) looked at.  I think I have to make arrangements with the practice about this LO in advance, but since DD is due for a 2.5yr check up in March (I *think*), I will just inquire then.

SKZW

When to: register?
Nothing wrong with starting early! I used my registry as a way for me to keep track of the items I've chosen and looked at, to purchase later. A general shopping list, if you will. (Plus it spreads the costs out more evenly over the next half-year.) You're absolutely right, there are a lot of items for which you'll want to take time and research (car seat, crib, high chair) (which may or may not actually be made available for someone else to purchase... but some people do like to pitch in with those bigger items).

Be given a shower?
Agree with the above. The 7-8 month mark is close enough to the delivery date to be nicely timed but not so close that you'd run the risk of not being able to attend because you're in active labor! (Also, your doc may have some guidelines about travel during that 8th month, if travel is an issue, so earlier may actually be better.)

Nursery?
Also agree with the above. With my first, I had a bunch of time on my hands and was in full nesting mode, and got everything all set up, art on the walls, clothes and blankets washed and folded, everything was all set... and then we didn't transition him into that room (full time) for some time. That said, I wouldn't have had the time later on (living with a newborn) to have done everything perfectly the way I wanted, so I'm glad I didn't wait, but I absolutely could have let a lot of things go and found time during the next year to do all those things. If you have time now, great, go ahead and hit it, but don't sweat the small stuff. Don't go nuts running to three stores to find the perfect lamp, when the one poached from your living room would do just fine. 

Maternity photos?
Other posters have given great tips on this. Do it when you feel your best!

Prenatal classes? 
The hospital where I gave birth preferred to take your name/number/email/due date and set up the class schedule based on aggregate need, so when they scheduled it, that's when I went. I believe it was in that 6-week-before due date range. I could've picked any time of the 4 that they offered that month. Some are all-day-Saturday affairs, which cover a lot of topics plus a tour, and some are just a 2 or 3 hour class on a weekday evening. We opted for the first type, and having that tour put our minds at ease immensely. Def worth the price of admission.* We knew exactly what to expect upon arrival, which parking garage to use, which floor to go to, etc., and the class gave us great tips about the food trays we could expect in the recovery rooms, etc., so you learn a lot about how the hospital operates, beyond the whole birthing process and everyone's role in it.
*Also: insurance companies sometimes cover prenatal class fees, in part or in full. Worth looking into!

Research pediatricians? My OB actually told me to go ahead and do this, but I have no idea what I do once I feel I've picked one. I can ask her at next appt though.
Look for a ped office that's covered by your insurance and is located nearby (proximity is the most important, because you won't want to drive an extra 15 minutes in the car with an ill baby, in a rain storm, stuck in traffic, passing by tons of other medical offices on the way there...). Give your chosen offices/practices a call. Ask if there's anything you need to do before the birth to register with them. (Mine said no, that if I gave their name at the hospital, the hospital would send all the info straight to them and we'd go from there with making the appointments that first week, etc.). Ask if they'll send someone from that practice to the hospital to check the newborn. Ask about sick appointments (how soon can you be seen if you call on a given morning; how many slots do they keep open every day; what times of day do they actually answer the phone---some are 8, some are earlier, this may be a big deal to you---and what are the office hours in general, do they offer evening appointments?). Ask about urgent care/answering service/nurses' line/how they prefer to handle emergencies or off-hour sickness, what's the policy. Get a sense during this phone call about the staff: helpful, informative, can't be bothered? First impressions count. Ask about all those other things that matter to you (for me, parking was kind of a big deal. Lugging around a heavy car seat, by myself, whilst dealing with a recovering body... I didn't want to take more than 10 steps from my car, LOL). But of course, there's a lot of important questions to ask about the person/practice that will impact your child's health care needs beyond just being a newborn---issues that carry over throughout childhood are important to consider: doc's years in practice, continuing education requirements for the staff, immunization schedules, etc., are all valid Qs to ask. OK, that's enough from me. Good luck with all of your planning and researching, to all of you ladies!!!

nda_roxybabe

@SKZW It's like you read my mind (or browsing history)! I was looking for a new table lamp last night because the old living room one, doesn't go 100%. GREAT advice on picking the ped.! I will do that.

KMD1106

When should I register? I think we did ours after our 24 week appt because I'm a nervous nelly and that's viability. 

When should one have their shower? I had 3. One at 28 weeks (felt too early, but host picked it), another at 34ish, and the last at like 36?.

When should the nursery be complete? After the baby is born. Honestly this is something I wish I wouldn't have worried about so much. DD didn't spend any time in there til she was 7 months old. 

When should I get maternity photo's taken? I'd say 34-36 weeks. 

When should I take any prenatal sorts of classes? They are good to take. I think I was into 3rd tri when we took it. 

When should I research pediatricians? I'm no help here. We were assigned a pedi in the hospital and loved her. We researched a little to make sure she didn't have any red flags, but kept her after all looked well. We still love her 3 years later.

ETA: We actually travel to the third closest clinic beside we like her pedi so much. It's still only 10-15 min away, but worth it for us. If it's an emergency or urgent care need, you're unlikely to get in with your specific pedi anyway, so going just to the closest then works. 

mdlorenz

As an aside about baby's doctor, depending on what part of the country you are in and how common they are, you can also have a family doctor care for your (entire) family - perhaps catch your next baby if they have OB as part of their practice. The continuity of care from pre- to post-natal is a beautiful thing. 

mcvgal

This is not on your list of questions, but it came in super handy with DS2. Check with your insurance about a free breast pump. My insurance website said to call around 36 weeks. Being the planner I am, I called around 30 weeks for more information, and the agent sent it out immediately along with storage bags. He said "you just never know if you need it earlier". He was right, DS2 arrive at 36 weeks and it was nice to already have it at home.

My friend has the same insurance and was unable to keep nursing so she ended up giving me her pump (closed system). It was great to have one for work and one for home, so I didn't have to lug it around all the time.

nda_roxybabe

@mcvgal Great thinking! I already called my insurance about mine and they said to call 30 days prior to my due date, but I'm going to try doing a bit before that.

kat81

When should I register? Everything says 2 weeks before the shower, but uh...I like to research crap, I need more time. Also my 2nd Q...
There is no harm in doing this well in advance, other than some products being discontinued, but that's pretty rare. Just do it now and over an extended period. I found the baby bargains book SUPER helpful (don't know if they're still printing new editions of this, though--we used it in 2010). It suggests products but also helps you find what makes sense with your personal values.

When should one have their shower? I know I'm not planning this myself, just wondering.
I know that when I had mine was a good time. It was just under 2 months before the due date, so about 32 weeks? You should be far enough along so that you look quite pregnant (i.e. having one now-ish is not great) but you should not have it so far along that you might miss it because the baby is born. I think 30-32 weeks is a good time.

When should the nursery be complete?
I would NOT stress about this. My answer is kind of "never." Just make sure you have some bare necessities -- car seat, sleeping place (can even be a pack and play if your crib is delayed), diapers, a couple of clothes. Obviously the more you do before baby the easier it will be to have a "complete nursery" but I'll just say that we never really did a nursery (it was always more so just a room with essentials in it) and that was totally fine by us! We've lived in a different place for each baby. We have not even started to think about how to set up this baby's room (and whether the baby will sleep in our large-ish bedroom for the short term or if we'll have to destroy our office for the baby to have a room.)

When should I get maternity photo's taken?
I never did this so I don't have a good answer. I'd say early 30s, though, so you look cute pregnant but not overly huge, maybe? Someone else can chime in. I bet if you ask a photographer who does these, s/he will have a good answer.

When should I take any prenatal sorts of classes? Also, honestly, should I bother with any?
I HIGHLY recommend some kind of instruction on breastfeeding. We skipped this first time around and I regret it (we did still BF but it was about 10 weeks of hell at first, and some of that surely could have been avoided with more knowledge.) I also recommend some kind of birthing class in case you want to consider the med-free route. Even if you do get an epidural, it's nice to delay when you get it and when you go to the hospital, so pain management is helpful. In terms of when to take these, ask your OBs/midwives. They probably have recommendations. Another class we took before #1 was a one-morning "parenting" class that I found very helpful because we had no experience (i.e. no experience babysitting newborns, etc.) So yes, I would take all 3 of these classes. In terms of when to take them, I know the birthing class for us was like 1.5 hours over a 2 month period, or you could do an intensive all-day one. But if it's something with multiple sessions you obviously have to start early, like around the start of the third trimester. I'd probably aim to have all classes wrapped up by 36-37 weeks or so, just in case.

When should I research pediatricians? My OB actually told me to go ahead and do this, but I have no idea what I do once I feel I've picked one. I can ask her at next appt though.
You can ask people for recommendations. We always chose based on location convenience and insurance coverage, and then just asked around briefly to see if other people thought these places were good (and they were). You won't officially "choose" them until the child comes and you put them on insurance.

JCWhitey

Register:  I think I did this around 24 weeks, once I passed viability. 

Shower: I had one at 28 weeks and one at 30 weeks.

Nursery: My son is 3 and I still haven't finished his Nursery.  Lol!  We co-slept until age 2 so we've never had a nursery. 

Maternity photos: 32-34 weeks is the best.  You're very noticeably pregnant, usually, but not all bloated and uncomfortable yet... usually.  

Birthing Classes: I started classes super early with my first.  Like, 8 weeks.  But it was a class designed to be taken once a week for 30 weeks of pregnancy.  Around 24 weeks I started Hypnobirthing classes.  I liked the timing of the hypnobirthing.  It was designed to be 8 weeks long and then I started repeating it which I found helpful.

Pedis: We only have family doctors here, not pediatricians,  so my kids' doctor is also my doctor who is also DH'S doctor, and also my OB.  Makes life easy to have a one-stop shop and I'm happy we can do it this way.  Everyone having a different doctor would be a pain.