AgeMarks › Pregnancy
Pregnancy, week by week
Before pregnancy
- Folic acid 400 µg every day, before you're pregnant
Start at least 1 month before trying (MoH prefers 3). The neural tube closes before a test turns positive. 5 mg only if a doctor says so.
- Iodine 150–250 µg daily from a month before
Israel is iodine-poor (desalinated water). MoH: start ≥ 1 month before conception, continue through pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Vitamin D 200–400 IU daily
MoH recommends it before, during and after pregnancy. Test your level if you have dark skin, cover up, or work indoors.
- Caffeine under 200 mg a day
About one large café hafuch. Higher intake is linked to miscarriage in some studies; energy drinks — none.
- Know the fertile window
Ovulation is ~14 days before the next period. Sex every 1–2 days in the 6 days ending on ovulation day; LH strips or mucus help.
- Travel: avoid Zika and malaria regions
Zika damages the fetal brain. After exposure: men 3 months, women 2 months before conceiving. Ask a travel clinic before booking.
- Start the hygiene habits now
Meat cooked through, produce washed, gloves for litter and garden, hand-washing after a toddler's diapers/nose, no shared cups or spoons.
- Review every medicine with the prescriber
Some need switching before conception (isotretinoin, valproate, methotrexate, ACE/ARB, statins, warfarin).
- No alcohol or cannabis once you're trying
There is no safe amount in pregnancy and you won't know the exact day. Partner: heavy drinking and cannabis lower sperm quality.
- Preconception visit at the kupah
OB or family doctor: history, chronic conditions, medicines, weight, BP, rubella/varicella/hepatitis B immunity, CBC, ferritin, TSH.
- Genetic carrier screening — before pregnancy
Free MoH panel (CF, SMA, fragile X for all + by ancestry). Results take 4–8 weeks, so do it now. Partner is tested only if you carry.
- MMR / varicella if not immune — then wait 4 weeks
Live vaccines can't be given in pregnancy. Check rubella IgG and varicella history; vaccinate now and avoid conceiving for 4 weeks.
- Both partners: stop smoking, vaping, nargila
Halves time-to-conception and cuts miscarriage and preterm risk. Nicotine replacement under supervision is better than smoking.
- Get diabetes, thyroid, blood pressure and weight in range first
HbA1c under 6.5 %, TSH under 2.5 on treatment, BP controlled on pregnancy-safe drugs, BMI as close to 18.5–25 as realistic.
- Partner: your part before conception
Quit smoking and heavy drinking, keep weight in range, skip hot tubs, get flu/COVID shots, do the carrier test if asked.
- Check your supplementary insurance for pregnancy tests
Early anatomy scan, NIPT and private OB are refunded partially by kupah supplementary plans; joining has a waiting period — join now.
- Dental checkup and cleaning now
Gum disease is linked to preterm birth; x-rays and treatment are easiest before pregnancy (they're still allowed during).
- When to ask for a fertility workup
After 12 months of trying under 35, 6 months at 35+, right away with irregular cycles, PCOS, endometriosis or known male factor.
First trimester
- Folic acid 400 µg daily through week 13
The critical window is now. After week 13 the dose in a prenatal multivitamin is enough (MoH: continue through pregnancy).
- Iodine 150–250 µg daily, all pregnancy
For the baby's brain and your thyroid. Check the prenatal label — many don't contain enough. Continue while breastfeeding.
- Vitamin D 200–400 IU daily
MoH recommendation through pregnancy and breastfeeding; higher if your level is low.
- No alcohol, any amount, any trimester
No safe threshold is known. A drink before you knew you were pregnant is not a reason to worry — just stop from now.
- Caffeine under 200 mg a day
≈ 1 large café hafuch (120 mg) + a tea. Espresso 60–80, cola 35, dark chocolate counts; energy drinks — none.
- No hot tubs, sauna, hamam or hot yoga
Raising your core temperature above ~39 °C, especially in the first trimester, is linked to neural-tube defects.
- With a toddler at home: CMV hygiene every day
CMV is the top infectious cause of birth defects and spreads in toddlers' saliva/urine. Wash hands after diapers and noses;
- Cat litter and garden soil: someone else, or gloves
Toxoplasma hides in cat feces and soil. Litter changed daily by someone else; gloves and hand-washing if you must; the cat can stay.
- Food-safety rules for the whole pregnancy
No unpasteurised dairy, raw or smoked fish, undercooked meat, pâté, sprouts, cold deli meats, or buffets that sat out. Wash produce.
- Eggs fully cooked — Israeli eggs aren't pasteurised
Skip runny yolks, homemade mayonnaise/aioli, mousse, tiramisu and raw cookie dough. Commercial mayonnaise is pasteurised and fine.
- Early pregnancy: signs that need the ER now
One-sided pain, shoulder-tip pain, dizziness or fainting, or heavy bleeding with cramps — go to the obstetric ER now;
- Same-day call or ER — any week of pregnancy
Bleeding beyond spotting; severe or constant belly pain; fever ≥ 38 °C; no fluids kept down 24 h; painful urination with fever; fainting;
- 150 minutes a week of movement, whole pregnancy
Walking, swimming, stationary bike, prenatal yoga/pilates, strength with moderate loads. Talk test: can talk, can't sing.
- Pelvic floor: 3 sets a day, from now on
10 × 10-second lifts + 10 quick squeezes, exhale on the lift, relax fully between. Prevents leaking and prolapse;
- Sleep 7–9 hours, naps allowed
Fatigue in T1 and broken sleep in T3 are physiological. Fixed wake time, morning light, caffeine before noon, screens out of bed, cool room.
- The pregnancy plate: no 'eating for two'
No extra calories in T1, ~+340 in T2, ~+450 in T3.
- 2–2.5 litres a day; 3+ in summer
Pale-yellow urine is the test. Dehydration brings headaches and contractions in the Israeli heat; carry a bottle; avoid the midday sun.
- DHA 200 mg daily if you eat less than 2 fish meals a week
MoH recommendation for the baby's brain and eyes. Algae-based DHA works for vegetarians.
- Fish 2–3 times a week — the low-mercury ones
Salmon, sardines, trout, tilapia, sea bream, sea bass, cod, canned light tuna. Avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, marlin;
- Seatbelt every ride: lap belt under the bump
Lap belt low across the hips, shoulder belt between the breasts and beside the bump, airbag on, seat back from the wheel.
- Positive test: book the first OB visit for 6–9 weeks
Home tests are reliable from the missed period. Call the kupah OB now; start folic acid, iodine and vitamin D if you haven't.
- Medicines: what's fine, what to avoid, whom to ask
Keep prescribed chronic meds unless the prescriber changes them. Pain/fever: acetaminophen (Acamol).
- A heartbeat can be seen (~6 weeks)
Visible on a vaginal scan from about 6+0. Once seen, the chance of miscarriage drops a lot.
- One prenatal multivitamin can cover it — read the label
It should have 400 µg folate, 150–250 µg iodine, vitamin D, B12; iron 30 mg only from week 13; no vitamin A over 3,000 µg (retinol).
- Stop smoking now — every cigarette counts
Smoking, vaping and nargila raise miscarriage, low birth weight and SIDS risk. Quitting at any week helps. Ask the kupah for a quit program.
- Everyday exposures: what's really a risk
Fine: hair dye after T1, nail polish with ventilation, dental x-rays with a shield, airport scanners, Wi-Fi, cleaning with gloves.
- Hazardous work? Tell your employer now, not in month 5
Chemicals, ionising radiation, heat, heavy lifting, anaesthetic gases: the law lets you notify immediately and be reassigned;
- Where to go and whom to call (Israel)
Kupah nurse line, the maternity ward, or the obstetric ER at any hospital — no referral needed in an emergency. MDA 101.
- What's true about early loss
10–20 % of known pregnancies end early, mostly from chromosome errors — not from exercise, sex, work, stress or a coffee.
- Check what your supplementary insurance refunds
Early anatomy scan, NIPT, private OB, birth-prep course, lactation consultant: each kupah plan refunds differently.
- First OB visit (weeks 6–9)
Confirms the pregnancy and its location, heartbeat, dating, your history and risk factors; opens the pregnancy file and orders labs.
- Carrier screening now if you skipped it before pregnancy
Results take 4–8 weeks and matter for CVS/amnio decisions. Mark done if you tested before this pregnancy.
- A plan for nausea (weeks 6–14)
70–80 % have it; peaks at ~9 weeks, mostly gone by 14–16. Small frequent meals, dry crackers before rising, ginger, vitamin B6;
- Dating ultrasound (weeks 6–12)
Sets the due date (it overrides the period-based date), counts the embryos and confirms the location. In the basket.
- Partner: quit smoking, get flu and COVID shots, come to the scans
Secondhand smoke harms the pregnancy and the newborn. Tdap for the partner at 28+ weeks if more than 10 years since the last dose.
- Prenatal nurse every ~4 weeks
Weight, blood pressure, urine protein, swelling, guidance and the week-26 questionnaire.
- First blood and urine tests (by week 12)
CBC, blood type + Rh, fasting glucose, urinalysis + culture; often TSH, rubella, CMV, toxoplasma, ferritin. Rh-negative → antibody screen.
- Syphilis, hepatitis B and HIV tests (from week 9)
Routine for everyone; all three are treatable and the baby can be protected if found early. In the basket.
- Decide about NIPT (cell-free DNA, from week 10)
Private (≈ ₪3–6k, partial refund via supplementary insurance). Detects > 99 % of Down syndrome; screening, not diagnosis.
- Nuchal translucency + first-trimester screen (11+0 – 13+6)
Ultrasound + PAPP-A/free β-hCG blood test → combined risk for Down syndrome. Basket with copay. Twins: NT only.
- CVS (11+0 – 13+6) — funded from age 32
Diagnostic test of the fetal chromosomes (CMA). MoH funds it from age 32 at conception or on medical advice; book via a genetic institute.
- Dental checkup during pregnancy
Cleaning, fillings and x-rays with a shield are all safe. Gums bleed more now — keep brushing twice and flossing.
- Decide when to tell family and work
Many wait for the 12-week scan. Legally you must tell your employer by the 5th month (earlier if your job has hazards).
- Week 12: all organs are formed
The fetus is ~5–6 cm; the riskiest window for exposures is over; nausea usually starts to ease; the uterus rises out of the pelvis.
- Flu shot in season, any trimester
Pregnancy raises the risk of severe flu; the shot also protects the newborn for months. Inactivated vaccine only (no nasal spray).
- Iron 30 mg daily from week 13 to 6 weeks after birth
MoH recommendation for everyone. Take it away from dairy, tea and coffee, with vitamin C; alternate days if it upsets your stomach.
Second trimester
- Early anatomy scan (weeks 12–16)
Not in the basket but covered by every kupah supplementary plan. Looks for structural problems early; book at week 11.
- Low-dose aspirin from week 12–16 if you're at risk of preeclampsia
Prior preeclampsia, chronic hypertension, diabetes, kidney/autoimmune disease, twins, or several moderate risks.
- COVID vaccine per current MoH guidance
Recommended before and during pregnancy by the MoH; timing and product change each season — check the current recommendation with your OB.
- Heartburn and constipation: the fixes that work
Small meals, upright 2 h after eating, calcium-carbonate antacids; fibre 25–30 g, 2.5 L water, walking, psyllium/docusate;
- 5 minutes of slow breathing a day
In through the nose 4 seconds, out through the mouth 6. Lowers anxiety now and is the base for labour breathing.
- A weekly 20-minute talk with your partner
Fears, money, who does what after the birth, sex, the toddler, names. Roles shift — say it out loud once a week instead of at 03:00.
- Your weight-gain range (by pre-pregnancy BMI)
BMI under 18.5: 12.5–18 kg; 18.5–25: 11.5–16; 25–30: 7–11.5; over 30: 5–9; twins 17–25. ~0.3–0.5 kg a week from T2.
- Lifting the toddler: squat, hold close, no twisting
Bend the knees, bring them close, exhale as you lift; a step-stool for climbing into the car seat/bath; carry on the hip with a bent knee;
- Second-trimester screen / triple test (16+0 – 19+6)
Blood test (AFP, hCG, estriol) combined with the first-trimester result. Basket with copay.
- Amniocentesis (16–22 w) — funded from age 32
Diagnostic chromosome test with CMA; MoH-funded from age 32 at conception or on advice, public route only. Rest 24–48 h after;
- Tell your employer in writing by the 5th month
Legal deadline (≈ week 20).
- First movements you can feel
Usually 18–22 weeks in a first pregnancy, 16–18 in later ones; an anterior placenta delays it. Flutters at first, kicks by 24.
- Preeclampsia signs (from 20 weeks to 6 weeks after birth)
Severe headache, vision changes, pain under the right ribs, sudden face/hand swelling, BP 140/90+ — same-day check, now if severe.
- Preterm labour signs (20–37 weeks)
Regular tightenings, period-like cramps, pelvic pressure, wave-like back ache, watery or bloody discharge — go to the maternity ER.
- Travel: 14–28 weeks is the sweet spot
Flying is fine to ~36 w (32 twins); airlines want a letter from 28.
- Exercise changes from 20 weeks
No long spells flat on your back, exhale on effort (no breath-holding), lighter loads, no crunches, no fall-risk sports.
- Partner: learn the two emergency signs and come to the 22-week scan
Reduced movements and preeclampsia signs mean 'we go now'.
- Late anatomy scan (20+0 – 24+6)
The main structural scan: organs, heart, spine, placenta position, growth. In the basket. Partner should come.
- Back and pelvic pain: posture, belt, physio
Pillow between the knees, pregnancy belt, sit to put trousers on, no single-leg loading, swimming;
- Week 24: viability
From now a hospital treats preterm labour actively. It's also when movement patterns start to become recognisable.
- Learn your baby's movement pattern (from 24 weeks)
By 28 weeks movements should be daily and familiar to you. There is no magic number — the pattern is the point.
- Book a birth-preparation course for weeks 28–34
Hospitals (often cheap), kupot (subsidised) or private; 4–6 sessions with the partner. Places fill — book now.
- Choose the hospital and time the route
Distance in traffic, epidural 24/7, NICU level, rooming-in, partner/photo policies, pre-registration. Birth is free anywhere;
- Itchy palms and soles → ask for a bile-acid test
Mild skin itch is normal.
- Practise going to sleep on your side
Start now so it's automatic by 28 weeks, when side-sleeping matters. A pillow behind the back and one between the knees;
- Glucose challenge test (24–28 w)
50 g sugary drink, no fasting, blood at 1 hour; ≥ 140 mg/dL → 100 g fasting test. Gestational diabetes is common (5–9 %) and manageable.
- Blood count at 24–28 weeks
Haemoglobin under 10.5 → treatment-dose iron (check ferritin); alternate-day dosing or IV iron if tablets don't agree with you.
- Mood questionnaire (EPDS) around week 26
10 questions with the prenatal nurse; score over 10 → talk to someone. You can ask for it any time.
- Ask HR to send Form 100 to Bituach Leumi
Makes the maternity allowance automatic (15 paid weeks with a full qualifying period; cap ≈ ₪1,750/day in 2026).
- Book a breastfeeding class (for weeks 30–34)
Kupah, hospital, La Leche Israel or a lactation consultant.
- Book an infant first-aid & CPR course (for weeks 30–36)
MDA and the kupot run short courses. Both parents, and the grandparents who will babysit. Refresh every 2 years.
- Pelvic-floor physio if you leak or have pelvic pain
Kupot cover it with a referral. Teaches strengthening and relaxing (for pushing) and treats pelvic-girdle pain;
- Telling the toddler
A simple sentence around T2, a 'big sibling' book, feeling kicks later, routines unchanged, no bed or daycare changes near the birth.
Third trimester
- Rh-negative: antibody screen and anti-D at 28 weeks
Antibody screen at 24–28 w (basket), then an anti-D injection at ~28 w and within 72 h after birth if the baby is Rh-positive;
- Fewer or different movements → go now
Any reduction or change from the usual pattern: call the maternity ward or go to the obstetric ER now — not tomorrow morning.
- Start the baby-gear list (buy at 30–34 weeks)
Crib meeting the standard with a firm mattress (no bumpers), car seat, stroller, carrier, feeding supplies, 6–8 bodysuits, thermometer.
- Go to sleep on your side from 28 weeks
Falling asleep on your back in the third trimester is linked to about double the stillbirth risk in large studies. Either side;
- Visits every 2–3 weeks (28–36)
Blood pressure, urine, fundal height, heartbeat, position, your questions. Bring the pregnancy file; ask that every result is filed in it.
- Waters broken, bleeding, or a big drop in movement → go now
Note the time and colour of the fluid;
- No new high-intensity or balance-risk sports from 28 weeks
Keep what you know at a talking pace; swap outdoor cycling and running on uneven ground for the pool, walking and the stationary bike.
- Gestational diabetes: the first week's plan
Dietitian within days; 3 meals + 2–3 snacks with 30–45 g carbs each and protein; 10–15-min walk after meals;
- Whooping-cough (Tdap) vaccine, weeks 27–36, every pregnancy
Your antibodies protect the baby until the 6-week vaccines. Free at the kupah; best at 27–32 for maximum transfer.
- Birth-preparation course (28–34 w)
Stages of labour, when to go, pain options, positions, breathing, the partner's job, caesarean walkthrough, the first hours with the baby.
- Fear of the birth? Say it at 28–32 weeks
The course, a hospital tour, a planned pain-relief conversation and, if needed, a specialist clinic (tokophobia) all help.
- Insomnia, restless legs, snoring: what to check
Restless legs → ferritin (iron helps); snoring or gasping plus high BP → sleep-apnoea screen (CPAP is safe);
- Cord blood: bank privately, donate, or skip
Private banking is expensive and rarely used; public donation exists at some hospitals; delayed cord clamping takes priority either way.
- Third anatomy scan (30–32 w, private, optional)
Not in the basket; ISOG says every woman may do it. Looks for late-appearing structural findings. Supplementary insurance may refund part.
- Growth ultrasound (~32 weeks)
Growth centile, fluid, placenta position (recheck if it was low), baby's position. In the basket from week 27.
- Pre-register at the hospital
Most hospitals have an online form; bring ID, kupah card and the pregnancy file on the day.
- Breastfeeding class (30–34 w)
Latch, positions, how often, colostrum, signs the baby gets enough, where to get help in the first week.
- Practise the labour breathing patterns
Slow breathing (≈ 6/min) through early contractions, light breathing when slow stops working, pant-blow in transition, exhale-pushing.
- Who takes the toddler when labour starts — two backups, any hour
Two adults who can come at 03:00, a packed overnight bag, a written routine, keys and a car seat with them, a practice sleepover.
- Prepare the dog
Rehearse the new routine now, play baby sounds, bring a baby-scented blanket home first, a calm on-lead first meeting, never unsupervised.
- Set the leave dates — yours and your partner's
26 weeks (15 paid) with ≥ 12 months' tenure, 15 weeks otherwise; may start up to 7 weeks before the due date.
- Baby turns head-down
Most by 32–34 weeks; still breech at 36 → your OB discusses turning the baby (version) around 37 or a planned caesarean.
- Infant first-aid & CPR course (30–36 w)
Choking, CPR, fever, falls, safe sleep. MDA/kupot, 2–3 hours. Both parents and the grandparents who'll babysit.
- Sibling preparation (30–36 w)
A sibling class, a doll for gentle-touch practice, their own baby photos, a small gift 'from the baby', a plan for the first meeting.
- Perineal massage 3–4 times a week from 34 weeks
5 minutes with lubricant, thumbs 3–4 cm inside, stretch down and sideways. Reduces tears needing stitches in first births. Partner can help;
- Car seat bought and installed by 36 weeks
Rear-facing infant seat meeting the standard (ECE R129/i-Size), never second-hand of unknown history. Practise the buckles;
- Newborn essentials ready at home
Crib with a firm mattress and nothing soft, sleep sacks, changing area, 6–8 bodysuits, thermometer, saline, diapers, a feeding chair.
- Choose a pediatrician and find your Tipat Halav
Pick a kupah pediatrician near home; locate the Tipat Halav station (tipatchalavlocater.health.gov.il). The hospital reports the birth;
- Brit milah (day 8) or naming plan
If it's a boy and you plan a brit: a certified mohel (Chief Rabbinate list), a venue, the pediatric check first.
- When to go to the hospital
Contractions every 5 min, ~1 min long, for 1 hour (first birth; earlier for later births or a long drive) waters break bleeding
- Decide on contraception before the birth
Ovulation can return before the first period. Options: progestin-only pill from 3 weeks, IUD at the 6-week check, condoms;
- Birth-plan conversation with your OB (34–36 w)
Pain relief, positions, delayed cord clamping, skin-to-skin, who cuts the cord, photos, what if a caesarean. One page; keep it flexible.
- Pack the hospital bag (by 36 weeks)
ID, kupah card, pregnancy file (GBS, blood type), birth plan, phone + cable, snacks, front-opening robe, nursing bras, pads, baby clothes.
- Freezer meals and a help roster for weeks 1–3
Ask friends and family for specific tasks (a meal, a toddler pickup, laundry, a 2-hour nap shift). People want to help;
- Weekly visits from 36 weeks
Blood pressure and urine every week, position check, birth-plan talk, signs of labour. From 40+0: monitoring and ultrasound every 2–3 days.
- A few dates a day from 36 weeks (optional)
60–80 g/day is linked in small trials to a shorter first stage of labour. Skip with gestational diabetes.
- No flights from 36 weeks (32 with twins)
Airlines refuse from around 36 weeks; from 28 they want a doctor's letter. Stay within an hour of your hospital in the last month.
- GBS swab (36+0 – 37+6)
Vaginal + rectal swab for group B strep, in the basket for everyone. Positive (about 1 in 4) → IV antibiotics in labour, not a caesarean.
- 37 weeks: term
Early term 37–38+6, full term 39–40+6, late term 41, post-term from 42. Labour from now is not 'early'.
- After the due date: monitoring every 2–3 days
Fetal monitor (NST) and an ultrasound for fluid, at the kupah or hospital. In the basket.
- Due date — only ~5 % arrive on it
From today: monitoring every 2–3 days, an induction conversation at 41 weeks. Walking, rest, and patience;
- Induction talk at 41 weeks
Israeli hospitals usually offer induction between 41 and 42 weeks. Options: membrane sweep, prostaglandin, balloon, oxytocin.
After the birth
- Your hospital days: what to expect and ask for
Bleeding and BP checks, pain relief, walking early, the lactation nurse, rooming-in, discharge ~48 h (vaginal) / 72–96 h (caesarean).
- After the birth: signs that need the ER now (6 weeks)
Soaking a pad an hour for 2 h or clots bigger than an egg fever ≥ 38
- Bleeding and perineal care, weeks 0–6
Lochia red → pink → white over ~6 weeks.
- After a caesarean: the first 6 weeks
Walk from day 1, hold the wound when coughing, nothing heavier than the baby for 4–6 weeks, drive at ~2 weeks, keep the wound dry.
- Eating while breastfeeding
+330–400 kcal, protein, iodine 250–290 µg, vitamin D 400 IU, DHA, water to thirst (~3 L). No allergen avoidance needed. Caffeine ≤ 300 mg;
- Partner: own one night feed, and check your own mood
A 4–5-hour protected sleep block for the mother is the best prevention of postpartum depression.
- Partner is the visitor gatekeeper (weeks 1–2)
Short visits, only people who help, no one with a cough or cold sore, hands washed, no kissing the baby's face.
- One protected 4–5-hour sleep block a day
Someone else takes the baby (expressed milk or formula for one feed). Add a daylight walk and one adult conversation a day.
- Rh-negative: anti-D within 72 hours if the baby is Rh-positive
The hospital tests the baby's blood type and gives the injection before discharge. Confirm it happened — it protects your next pregnancy.
- MMR / varicella before discharge if you weren't immune
Safe while breastfeeding. Also Tdap if you missed it in pregnancy, and flu in season. Ask on the ward.
- Feeding in the first days: get help early
First feed within the hour, then 8–12 times a day on cue; colostrum is enough until day 3; a good latch stops hurting after seconds.
- Walk from day 1; pelvic-floor squeezes from day 1–2
Short walks, more each day. 10 × 10-second squeezes, 3 sets, plus 10 quick ones; exhale on the lift. Fixes most early leaking;
- Baby blues (days 3–14) vs. something more
Tearful, irritable, sleepless for a few days — up to 80 %, gone by 2 weeks.
- Register the name, get the ID number, add the baby to the kupah
The hospital reports the birth; you register the name with the Population Authority (online) and get the ID number;
- Check the maternity grant and allowance arrived
Grant (2026: ₪2,103 first child, ₪946 second, ₪631 third+) is automatic after a hospital birth.
- Mood questionnaire (EPDS) at Tipat Halav ~6 weeks
10 questions about the last week; over 10 → the nurse refers you.
- Postpartum check at 6 weeks
OB or family doctor: BP, bleeding, wound, pelvic floor, mood, contraception, sex, thyroid if symptomatic, blood count if needed.
- Contraception from 3 weeks
Ovulation can return before the first period. Progestin-only pill from 3 weeks, IUD at the 6-week check, condoms;
- Stop the iron at 6 weeks (unless anaemic)
MoH: iron to 6 weeks postpartum. Ask for a blood count at the 6-week check if you bled a lot or feel exhausted; keep iron-rich foods.
- After gestational diabetes: glucose test at 4–12 weeks
75 g test to see if it resolved;
- Back to structured exercise (6–12 weeks)
Low impact from 2–6 weeks as bleeding allows; strength with light loads from 6 weeks (8 after caesarean, with clearance).
- Still leaking or feeling heaviness at 3 months → physio
Kupah pelvic-floor physiotherapy with a referral; also for diastasis, pain with sex, or a bulge. Very treatable;
- Choose the 'savings for every child' fund within 6 months
Bituach Leumi deposits monthly; you pick the fund and can double the deposit from the child allowance. No choice → default fund.
- Hair shedding around 3 months is normal
Peaks at 3–4 months, stops by 6–9. Extreme fatigue, feeling cold and low mood with it → ask for thyroid and iron tests.
- Running and jumping: not before 12 weeks, and after a check
Pelvic-floor check first (physio or the 6-week visit), then walk-run intervals. Sport-specific training from 3–6 months.
- Returning to work: the paid breastfeeding hour
Full-time employees get one paid hour a day for 4 months after the leave ends.
- One year on: your own checkup
Blood pressure, weight, mood, iron, thyroid if symptoms, contraception review, pelvic floor, cervical screening if due.