Have you heard the news?!? We are expecting our second baby in just a few short months! In light of this news, I wanted to share the top 5 things I regret about my first pregnancy and how I plan to do things differently this time around.
When I say that I regret things about my first pregnancy, I don’t necessarily mean that I had a bad experience or would really go back to change the experience I did have. I simply mean that now that I am on the other side of pregnancy and childbirth, there are a few things I plan to do differently this time.
Let’s jump in! Here are the top 5 things I regret about my first pregnancy.
1) Not Taking More Progress Pictures
This one might seem silly, but I genuinely regret not taking more baby bump progress pictures. Would I really do anything with these progress pictures if I had taken them? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, I would love to have more pictures to compare my progress and even share with my daughter someday.
What I’ll do different: This time, I am taking weekly progress pictures from the end of the first trimester onward! I’m not really sharing them with anyone right now, but it’s fun to see the progress. I’ll definitely be continuing these, and who know, maybe I’ll share them later on.
2) Not Journaling More of My Experience
I am not very good at journaling consistently. I am a notorious journal-purchaser who only fills out a small part of the journal before moving onto the next one. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the journaling experience….I just struggle to find the motivation (or maybe it’s discipline I need) to actually begin journaling. This lack of journaling definitely spilled over into my first pregnancy. I don’t know that I journaled much of anything during those nine months.
What I’ll do different: This time, I am making it a point to journal at least three times a week. This goal allows me to have some flexibility and doesn’t seem as overwhelming as committing to journaling every day.
3) Not Prepping Meals Before Baby’s Arrival
If you’ve ever experienced a busy, stressful season, you know how difficult it can be to simply find time to prepare a meal. This is so true during the postpartum period! Not only are you trying to care for a completely helpless human that you literally just met, you’re also recovering from birth. For some reason, I thought that I would be totally able to function normally and prepare meals after birth. I mean, I wasn’t going to be working anyways, right?
What I’ll do different: I have begun to form a list of meals and ideas for things to prep and freeze prior to giving birth. I will be sharing a list of those meals and ideas, so be sure to keep an eye out for that! In the mean time, take a look at the recipes I currently have on the blog here.
4) Not Prepping a Space for Baby Sooner
Okay, this one was a little out of my control because we were still in the process of building our house. This meant that we were living in an apartment and didn’t really know when we would be able to move into our house. Because of this, we weren’t able to really prepare a space in our new house until several months after my daughter was born. I know this isn’t the case for most people, but I would definitely change it if I could.
What I’ll do different: We are now in our house, yay! This time I have the ability to prepare a space for the baby however I want to. Granted, much of what I’ll be using will just be what we used for my daughter. But I am still so excited to get everything back out and ready!
Related: read my Top 5 Newborn Item recommendations.
5) Not Establishing A Bedtime Routine
This one isn’t so much about pregnancy, but immediately after birth. Rather than establishing a bedtime routine immediately with my daughter, I just assumed that she would figure it out. That was probably the most stupid thing I could have thought…..I have definitely regretted this lack of routine. Our routine now is much better established and I couldn’t be happier. Pro tip: create a simple bedtime routine from day 1. You’ll be glad you did.
What I’ll do different: This time around, I will be creating a simple routine for bedtime. It will likely be a portion of my daughter’s routine and involve quiet time, a book or two and the baby sleeping in their own space for a little while before my husband and I go to bed.
I hope that this list of 5 things I regret about my first pregnancy is helpful to you! Whether you are experiencing your first pregnancy or are a seasoned veteran, I hope this list helps you prioritize the things that are important to you in your pregnancy journey.
Let me know in the comments if there is anything you might add or change in this list of top 5 things I regret about my first pregnancy.
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