Photo: bodysensestudio.co.nz
1. I will watch what I eat and drink.
I shudder now when I think of all the times (almost every day!) when I swing by the Convenience Store before I go to the office - to buy potato chips and a bottle of orange juice. Wah! I was such an unhealthy pregnant lady!
2. I will take care of my skin.
From the time I was younger, I rarely get pimples. I am blessed to inherit my mom's skin. However, during pregnancy, I got acne on my forehead. Thankfully, it disappeared after I gave birth. But while I inherited my mom's facial skin, I also inherited her tendency to have stretchmarks. I have a lot!!! I didn't care much before and didn't bother buying oils and creams to reduce them, so now I'm suffering the consequences. I hope Bio-Oil can still fix my tummy skin. *cries*
3. I will invest in breastfeeding-friendly dresses.
I had planned to breastfeed before I even gave birth, so this should have been common sense on my part. While I didn't buy any proper maternity dresses, I did buy several dresses. In hindsight, I should have just bought dresses that were breastfeeding-friendly like the front-zip ones I collected during Yuri's first year.
4. At the same time, I will buy skinny jeans.
On another note, I never foresaw immediate weight loss after I gave birth. I credit it all to constant and on-demand breastfeeding. During Yuri's first year, I had to buy a lot of clothes because none of my old ones fit me anymore. Now, in hindsight, instead of buying all those junk food, I should have bought "skinny" clothes!
5. I will go to the movies more often.
When I was heavily pregnant, I hated getting out of bed much less going outside. I didn't like not having anything to wear, and I didn't like walking with a heavy belly. I also hated going outside with a pimply face! Looking back, I should have gone to the movies more because I can sit comfortably and not worry about anyone seeing me. Also, since Yuri was born, I have been to the movies only once. I totally didn't anticipate that!
6. Give myself a break and will do less work.
When I was pregnant, I was working a full-time job and had a part-time job, too. Nothing's wrong with that especially because I barely had any workload in my full-time job during the last months of my pregnancy. However, I suddenly get workaholic in the morning for some reason. To use the energy up, I used to do work at 4:00 am. Can you believe that? I can't. If I only knew how, in the next few months, I will have to get used to 2-3 hours of sleep each day, I'm sure I would've slept in instead!
7. I will buy and read paperback books.
The last time I read a paperback book was maybe January 2013. And that was one book. The second to the last time I read a paperback book was before I gave birth. You see, books on mobile are so much more convenient to read for someone who only gets to read after her son's bedtime. Had I known this before, I would've gone to Booksale to hoard paperbacks!
8. I will have a maternity photoshoot.
Oh how I envy those pregnant ladies who were confident enough to have their photos taken! I never had the opportunity to have one mainly because of how busy I was (read #6). However, even if I had the opportunity, I'm sure I would have refused because of how insecure I was. It's only now that I realize how precious the time of maternity is, and it does deserve to get immortalized in photos.
9. I will exercise and do yoga.
I used to like exercising. I remember how I spent summer days during high school working out. But when I got pregnant, remember how I told you earlier that I hated getting out of bed? I felt lazy every day. While I did the occasional walk around the neighborhood, I did no intentional exercises. If I had known about yoga, I might have had a fitter body and a normal delivery!
10. I will spend more time with my friends.
Like what I pointed out above, I hated going outside. No matter how much I love going to the mall, pre-pregnancy and post-pregnancy, I dreaded it most. Mostly because there were so many people, and I hated going up and down the escalator, and I just felt lazy most of the time. I get lunch invites, dinner invites, and movie invites from new and old friends, but I seldom accepted. If I only knew how rarely I will get to socialize by the time Yuri arrives, I would've accepted invitations left and right.
11. I will spend more time with God.
It was a time when my zeal for God and my mission got lukewarm. Maybe because I was almost always in a pool of negativity. I blamed my hormones, but come to think of it, maybe the absence of a relationship with God was the reason for all those negative feelings! I would have been a happier and, maybe, lovelier pregnant lady if I spent more time with Jesus.
12. I will enjoy the pregnancy.
Again, I was almost always negative during the time I was pregnant. I just didn't feel happy. Honestly, I felt depressed because of my condition. But now, looking back, I should've felt more grateful every day because even if I got pregnant "not on schedule," I was in the pink of health (despite the junk food intake) and I had a relatively easy pregnancy (despite the daily nausea throughout the entire pregnancy).
Most importantly, I had things many women didn't get to have: the complete support of my partner, my family, and my friends.
PS: It's impossible that I'm pregnant now, and I'm not planning to get pregnant again in the near future. It's just that I'm seeing so many photos and news of pregnancy now! I couldn't help but remember the days I was pregnant, too, and I can't help but think of the things I would do differently if I have to do it all over again.
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