Lessons I Learned From My First Pregnancy

Being a mom of four I remember after my first pregnancy looking back and thinking about what I could have done differently or what I wish I would have known going into motherhood.  After my first pregnancy I definitely felt better prepared when it came time for my second child, and of course even more prepared when to my surprise I found out years later that I was pregnant with twins.  The following are the lessons I learned from my first pregnancy.

Knowledge is Only Half the Battle

When I was pregnant with my first child I tried to educate myself on pregnancy and babies as much as possible.  How was my body going to change every month?  What stage of development is the baby going through each week?  What is labor going to really be like?  These are just a fraction of the questions I had as a first time mom.  I got all the best pregnancy books for moms like What to Expect When You're Expecting and devoured every page trying to soak up knowledge.  What I learned however was that knowledge was only half the battle.  When you're in labor with your first child and then when you first get your new baby home reality sets in.  Somehow during 12 hours of labor I didn't really feel like the book quite prepared me enough for all of that!

Be Fully Prepared for Baby's Arrival

Any fellow mom will tell you this advice but it really is true that being prepared with the essentials well ahead of time before baby's arrival is key.  This is just one of many things you can do to prepare before your baby arrives.  I did this ahead of time and I'm glad I did because I had a lot of pre-term labor complications with my first pregnancy.  You truly never know what might happen and you will want to be prepared.  If there's one thing I learned most surrounding this rule from my first pregnancy is even though may think you are stocked up on diapers for your baby's arrival, more never hurts!  Watch for sales and add them to your baby registry.  Diapers are expensive and you will go through them fast!

Relax and Enjoy the Experience

My most important piece of advice and the biggest lesson I learned is to relax and enjoy the experience of being pregnant and having your little one while they are still that small.  Mine are growing up so fast and I wish I could hit the rewind button to enjoy the days when they were babies again, so cherish those moments.  While pregnancy can be hard sometimes it is important to find the joyful moments.  Relax and pamper yourself.  Your first pregnancy will always be one to remember!