6 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me During My First Pregnancy

I’ve partnered with Ocean Spray® Mocktails for this post. All opinions are my own. 

Pregnancy is such an amazing time and, to be honest, one of my favorite seasons of life. It’s so exciting to know that you’re growing a tiny human inside of you! Plus it’s fun to plan and dream for your future together! The first pregnancy can be a little bit overwhelming at times though. You’ve never experienced pregnancy before and you’re bound to learn a lot about it by the time your 40 weeks are up (or 42 if you’re a late birther like me!). Today I wanted to share with you some advice that I wish someone had shared with me my first time around.

Take the Pictures

I’m really not sure why, but I took very few pictures when I was pregnant with my first child. Back then we didn’t have smartphones, so a selfie wasn’t as simple as it is now and I guess I just didn’t think to ask my husband to do so. Trust me, from someone who didn’t do it nearly enough, take.those.pictures! You will cherish looking back at your growing belly and your child will too as he/she grows up.

The picture above is one of the only photos I have from Maggie’s pregnancy. As you can see, the quality isn’t great at all, but I still cherish it. This photo was actually taken during labor – my water had just broken! Oh how I wish I could go back in time and take lots and lots of photos!

Gummy Prenatal Vitamins

When I first got pregnant, I wanted to do everything “as healthy as possible”. That meant spending high dollars on fancy prenatal pills. Now, I’m not putting those pills down. In fact, I still take fancy prenatal pills…but usually not during the first trimester. I found myself gagging on those huge pills, so far too often I skipped taking my vitamins.

While gummy prenatal vitamins might not sound as nutritious, they have really come a long way over the years and they are certainly better than taking nothing at all. Keep a bottle of them on hand for days when you just can’t handle swallowing the bigger pills.

Pick a Good Care Provider (and it’s okay to switch!)

From the moment I got pregnant, I knew I wanted a natural, drug free birth. I’d heard that midwives were the way to go if you wanted a natural birth, so I found some in the phone book and booked an appointment. The only thing was, my appointments were never like I imagined. Honestly it felt like I was part of some assembly line of pregnant women they were just bringing through the line to check vitals and then send me on my way. After a number of office visits that left a sour taste in my mouth, I went in search of something better.

As luck would have it, I’d started taking childbirth classes and the teacher had birthed her children at home. The more I learned about it, the more I desired it. I interviewed the midwives and switched care providers when I was about 30-32 weeks along. It was scary to switch, yes, and felt even a little wrong to switch so late in the pregnancy, but I am SO glad I did. It was truly the best thing I ever did for my birth experience.

If your care provider isn’t willing to support you in the care you desire for yourself and your baby, it’s never too late to make a change!

Indulge a Little

Sometimes pregnancy can seem a little restricting. You can’t eat certain foods or drink certain drinks. You’re advised not to participate in certain sports, sometimes you might even end up on bed rest. It’s important to still indulge a little during pregnancy, sometimes you just have to find a work around.

One of the things you have to cut out when you find out you’re pregnant are your favorite cocktails, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a great drink every now and then! Thanks to Ocean Spray®, creating delicious Mocktails is easier than ever! They recently introduced 3 delicious flavors:  Cranberry Peach Bellini, Cranberry Sangria, and Tropical Citrus Paradise!

Ocean Spray® Mocktails are premium, non-alcoholic juice drinks inspired by your favorite cocktails. They taste amazing straight from the bottle or mixed with sparkling water, (or wine or liquor once you’re no longer pregnant). Ocean Spray® Mocktails are made with real fruit juice and no preservatives or high fructose corn syrup.

I like to freeze mine to make slushies in the summer and add a little bit of fresh fruit. Then put my feet up on the deck and relax!

When we’re hanging out with friends, I make sure I have some Ocean Spray® Mocktails so I don’t have to feel left out, and my friends can enjoy their drinks without feeling bad for me.

On a Budget? There’s a Lot You Don’t Need

Don’t let all of the baby advertisements fool you. There are a LOT of baby products you really don’t need. Sure they are nice and cute, but you can do without them. For instance, the crib bedding sets can cost you well over $100, and most don’t even come with a sheet. Here’s the thing though, those big comforters that come with the crib set, you’ll likely never use them. Same with the bumpers, which most pediatricians do not recommend. Find an affordable crib and purchase a sheet, and you’re good to go. I spent a lot of money on an adorable bedding set and really regretted it later. I could have spent that money on a lot of other more useful items for our baby.

You can also do without baby towels. Again, adorable, but one of your bath towels will do just fine. If you are purchasing a playard, get one with a built in changing table, and then you won’t need to buy a changing table. It’s one of those pieces of furniture which will be useless in just a few short years.

Another thing to consider is borrowing baby gear from a family member or friend. Babies only use a bouncer seat or swing for a few short months. Borrowing is a great way to stay in budget!

Enjoy It

I know this seems like a cliche thing to tell you, but truly, take the time to enjoy your pregnancy! So many times it’s easy to get wrapped up on wanting baby to be born, but trust me when I tell you that you’ll miss those sweet little kicks from within or lovingly rubbing your belly every morning. When you’re in your first trimester it might feel like baby‘s due date is so far away, but it will be here before you know it!