6 things I wish I would have known when I was pregnant

Most women probably regret some things they did or didn't do during their pregnancies. I wanted to take note of mine so I don't make these same mistakes the second time around. Here's the list:

1. Take that vacation: Relaxing alone time is hard to come by in this household. I find myself wishing I would have cared less about the money and have just gone on vacation somewhere fun. I'm sure we could go on vacation soon and get someone to watch Ari now that she is older, but I just can't bare the thought of leaving her for more than a day. One day, though....

2. Newborns don't wear real clothes: I don't know about anyone else, but we LIVED in PJ's those first couple of weeks. Myself included. Those cute little dresses and grown-up looking clothes that you bought in size newborn will not be worn or worn maybe once for a couple hours until they get poop or spit up on them. Also, it might have had to do with the fact that I gave birth to a 9 pounder, but Ari fit in newborn clothes for maybe a month and a half.

3. Paint more: I wish I would have painted all the time. I actually had the time to do that when I was pregnant. I also wish I would have done more things that I enjoyed doing by myself, at leisure, because I really don't get much of that anymore.

4. Have a solid birth plan: My plan was to go with the flow. It ended fine and I'm glad I didn't go crazy about having a set plan. However, I definitely think the second time around I'll either get a doula or talk through what I really want my birth experience to be like, with my doctor. I was not as prepared as I probably should have been and I didn't consider some major what-if's.

5. Eat better: I worked out and ate pretty well at the beginning of my pregnancy. That turned into sometimes working out and eating everything I wanted because I was finally noticeably pregnant. I was on my feet at work, so I stopped working out but I kept eating allll the cravings. If I could do everything over again, I would definitely think more about what I feed the tiny body growing inside me. I'm feeling the effects of that now- still trying to work off the unnecessary pounds I gained during my pregnancy from eating all the things.

6. Don't worry: Doctors know that they are doing and birth is incredible. Gaining 50lbs is ok and your body will go back to normal eventually. You don't need to be completely prepared and buy every baby product before baby arrives. You can survive without making a dozen frozen crockpot meals (except that was actually a fantastic idea and totally helped -thanks mom) And missing prenatal vitamins won't make your baby stop growing. These are things I would have told myself about 16 months ago.