Don’t have pregnancy regret

Bounty mums tell us it’s only when they look back on their first pregnancy that they wish they’d enjoyed it more and worried less. Here’s some pregnancy regret they shared, sound familiar?

Feel the joy when you look at the pregnancy test. Yes, you might be terrified and/or shocked. But allow yourself to feel a bit of the magic, too.

Enjoy choosing maternity clothes. Let’s face it, you’ll be wearing them for up to a year (sometimes for a few months after the birth too) and possibly again in another pregnancy. So have fun shopping and don’t feel too sad about not fitting into your skinny jeans.

You think you’re tired now – just wait. It’s nothing on how you’ll feel after 12 weeks of night-feeding. So take all the chances to rest while you can and don’t try to be Superwoman.

Save the cake eating for after the birth. Ignore the advice that says you should eat for two. Eat enough but not too much – you’ll only have to lose it when the baby’s born and you’re sleep-deprived and all you want is… cake.

Enjoy those lie-ins: they’re gone until you’ve got a teenager who thinks 12pm is a perfect time for breakfast.

Buy some big jogging bottoms or harem pants for after the birth: you won’t fit into your normal clothes yet but maternity jeans are WAY too depressing to wear (and you will wonder why they even still stay up now that the baby’s out. But they do. Sadly.)

Make sure there are some photos of you. You might think you look like a whale but pregnant women in pictures look so damn glowing and, well, a lot more awesome than they’ll look right after the birth.

Get out in the evening with your partner. You might not feel like going out for a meal or to the pub, but savour the couple time while you can. It’s easier now than after the baby’s born.

Enjoy the pram/cot/car seat shopping. There’s so much to buy and so many choices to make, it can seem overwhelming. But how hard is shopping, really?  Take a friend and try to savour the experience.

Keep exercising. It’s hard, especially if you don’t feel great, but even a brisk walk every day can make the birth easier and post-birth recovery quicker.