Following Up...

I know I had posted earlier about what I would change during my second pregnancy and left it pretty open-ended. I think I’ve nailed it down to the top things I would do differently if I were to get pregnant again.

Take more pregnancy pictures
I’ve seen women who take a picture of their stomach progression every single day of their pregnancy. At first I thought “Too much work!” but after seeing a few clever photomontages, I think I’d want to try something similar. Maybe not everyday, but at least once a week! Take a peek at a few that I found here at My Life in Transition and Backwards In Heels.

Prepare with a better hospital bag
When Lily was born I brought my pajamas to the hospital. I didn’t even think to pack some of the essentials and my DH had to run out and buy stuff on the fly. He literally made 4 trips to Target and I’m sure wasn’t thrilled about it. I found the ultimate hospital bag checklist at Pregnant Chicken and she includes items I never would have imaged (trashy magazines…why not!)

Bank our babies’ umbilical cord blood
I mentioned this before and I did quite a bit of research surrounding umbilical cord blood banking. I talked to many moms (and dads!) about their decision to bank and store their child’s cord blood. I even called Viacord (my friend Meghan banked with them) to learn more and hear it “straight from the horses mouth.” A few things struck me that I thought were worth mentioning. For starters, they don’t just store the blood, they actually have to extract the stem cells from it, and if they aren’t able to obtain enough from the blood, some private banks will refund your money. One less worry! Also, when wondering what set them apart, I was encouraged to find banks like ViaCord partner with non-profits and universities to research how they can help children with diseases like cerebral palsy, diabetes, and leukemia. It’s nice to know they’re not just storage facilities.

Not eat so much
During my first pregnancy I ate 2 bagels every morning. When I think about it now, that it outrageous. I used my pregnancy as an excuse to eat double the dessert or dive into the snack bowl. I did a lot of research afterwards and found that organic foods, fruits and vegetables are much better options for pregnant women. I learned the hard way that pregnancy weight doesn’t just melt away like I had thought. Lesson learned!

With those thoughts in mind, my husband and I have talked more seriously about trying for another child and it may be sooner than we planned. I’ll make sure to keep you all posted!