They say hindsight is 20/20. They are right. In the last two years, many of my friends who were going through their first pregnancy asked me what I wish I’d done differently. Now, I’m not a person who lives with regrets but there are a few things I wished I’d done, starting with…
- Get professional belly photos. While I’m happily married to an amateur photographer (who is actually quite good) and he took many pictures of my belly throughout my pregnancy, this was the closest to a professional photograph I got at the end of the nine months and I almost died trying to get it.
Photo by Eric Hudson Note the frozen waterfall in the background. I’m standing on a sheet of ice that covered the entire parking lot, walkway, and bridge to Multnomah Falls. I was 37 weeks pregnant, and as I skated down the pathway the only thought that went through my head was “Don’t fall.” And while I’m happy to report I never ended up on my butt, that was the stupidest thing I did in my entire pregnancy. I wish I would have shoveled out the extra $300 and gone to a place like Starlight Photography (their whimsical fairy set was something I really wanted to do).
- Go on a babymoon. We did have a mini babymoon in Victoria, BC (my favorite city) but it was to celebrate our eighth wedding anniversary for a long weekend. I was only ten weeks along and still had very bad morning sickness (24/7), so we didn’t really get to explore as much as I would have liked. I really wish we’d stayed there the entire week in a nicer hotel and ordered room service every night. Oh, and later when I was 24 weeks and feeling like I could climb Mt. Hood.
- Take prenatal yoga classes…consistently. I did go to a couple of classes and, toward the end of my pregnancy, I managed to do a yoga video a couple times a week. But because I didn’t go as often as I should have, I didn’t have the tools and skills I needed when it came time for labor. Yoga not only strengthens the muscles needed in labor, but teaches you to relax and focus—something that comes in very handy when the mega-contractions hit. Alma Midwifery, Yoga Continuum, and Yoga in the Pearl have wonderful prenatal yoga classes. For those on a budget, try Yoga on Yamhill. They operate on donation basis.
- Hire a doula. If you’ve read my book or blog, you probably already know my birth story didn’t turn out as planned. One thing I remember from my experience was the sense of feeling lost and wishing somebody would tell me what I was supposed to do. I needed someone to hold my hand, somebody that understood exactly what I was experiencing. Even though I had gone through a beautiful birthing center, and midwifes and assistants were beyond awesome, I didn’t feel supported and couldn’t relax. When I ended up in the hospital, I really wished I’d had a doula with me there. Portland Doula Love and Birthing Stone Doula & Childbirth Services are two local resources.
- Get a pedicure before delivery. I know that sounds superficial and insignificant, but I remember looking down at my feet when it was time to push the baby out and thinking, “I need some cotton candy pink or a shimmery purple on those piggies.” Having pretty toes for me is a self-care thing. Shiny, newly painted nails makes me feel like a queen. Anything that makes you feel good about yourself is important, especially when you become a mom and your needs seem to move to the back burner. Ironically I did have pedicure scheduled the week before my due date, but went into labor two weeks early.
If I ever decide to have baby 2.0, you better believe I’m doing every single one of the above items. And I’ll go for electric blue nail polish.
