Things you'll do differently next time...

[magpiedee]

I was just sitting at my desk, sweating through my work clothes, anticipating a very difficult day... and was thinking about the things I will do differently next time i'm pregnant. So far i've got:

*no teaching children in the last 2 months (I have NO patience!)
*not planning/coordinating any big events in the last 3 months
*shoot for an EDD in cooler months
*not register for so many classes (they haven't been very helpful)
*pick a more laid-back and close-to-home vacation spot
*buy more supportive shoes

Anybody else got plans for the future? :

[NewAtThis]

If I'm pregnant again and have the slight possibility of wearing a swim suit...I'm definitely getting a bikini wax!

[Ary99]

This is the next time around for me, so this is an interesting question. It's different though, because I'm busy chasing DS around.

Things I *have* done differently:

Worried a lot less

Accepted the changes in my body with greater ease

Forgiven myself for not doing meditation and yoga on a regular basis

Listened to my body more

[mrs rockstar]

Try to actually PLAN a pregnancy, so I can skip the summer months

[peilover010202]

Like someone else, this is a next time for me, but the next time:

I will keep up on exercise, I did the first time and felt better prepared to labor/birth that time than I do now.

Not feel guilty for having dh help more with childcare and housekeeping responsibilities.

Try to convince my dh that a homebirth really is a safe option and let him meet a midwife before I stop fighting that fight.

Plan another AUGUST baby and try to take off more time during the summer to spend with dh and my 2 boys!

[veganf]

Well, this is already my third, but next time:

- I'd really like to get pregnant ON MY OWN SCHEDULE!!!! Every pregnancy so far has been an "early oops", meaning we were planning to have another one in the near future (ie. 6 months-2 years), but as soon as we even discuss it we end up pregnant again. I really want a spring baby!
- If there IS a next time, we want to have the sperm spun or dyed to increase the chances of having a girl (if #3 turns out to be another boy), otherwise, I'd really just like to adopt.
- Now that I know about it, I'll take drugs for morning sickness MUCH sooner, because morning sickness SUCKS!!! I feel like I've spent a full 2 year of my life with the stomach flu!!
- Next time I hope I can feel good enough to exercise again like I did with my first two pregnancies. I sure felt better when I could exercise.
- Hire someone to cut the lawn?! LOL. Why did I actually have the delusion that my husband might help out with any of these tasks?? :
- Break in a new babysitter...wish I'd done that, but I didn't want to spend the money.


The things I AM doing differently this time:
- Stocking up on the food!!! I've really planned ahead for meals this time, because I know my husband...
- I actually made an official birth plan in case of hospital transfer this time.
- Got birth supplies organized BEFORE 36 weeks, just in case of an earlier than anticipated arrival like last time.

[Bay Area Babe]

I think I will refuse more tests and try to have a homebirth (we live in a 1BR apartment w/two cats - not the cleanest or more private place in the world). Also exercise more after even with the morning sickness.

[2 in August]

This is my next time and last time. What I did different:

*declined almost every test there is (I still pee in a cup but that's it)
*researched a lot more to really understand what is going on so I can be prepared and informed instead of having things happen
*instead of following the standard diabetic diet, stuck with my vegetarian diet and not stress about it (I've gained more weight, but I'm healthier)

[ColoradoMama]

This is my last time. If I get pregnant again, I'll be jumping for joy and thanking God that we found an incompetent urologist! As for doing things differently, hmmmm.... I'll have to think about that one!

[3_angels]

not work 50 hours a week in new york city
not be away from df
not touch anything on the subway and get deathly ill :

[libbylu]

things I am doing differently:

-labeling birth supplies better. we had a homebirth and the midwife asked my mom to get the four-by-fours. She meant the gauze pads, but my mom was going around the house looking for pieces of wood!

-do something with the cats during labor. last time, they kept escaping. we are so used to them, but others at the birth would forget to close the doors right away. then they immediately escape into the basement and get into fights with the neighbor's cat. Not what I want to be thinking about while giving birth. Still, haven't actually come up with a plan yet, except that there will be fewer people (less chaos?) at this birth.

-try and relax! I've been realizing that I might be falling into idolizing the birth experience, like I have to somehow really enjoy it or it's not successful. I was sort of hard on myself last time because I think I was expecting labor to be more fun than it was. We had a great birth, but I wouldn't call it FUN. I'm trying to just let it be how it is this time and not be so hard on myself. (I think I also was disappointed in myself for not feeling more Amazon-like during the birth. I was thinking it would be powerful like a thunderstorm, and it felt more like a twister. I was mad at myself for being scared.) hoping to let go of all that!