Pregnancy bucket list

crabcake18

what is/was something on your bucket list to do while pregnant? Could be this pregnancy and /or another one. Did you get to it before labor or is it still on your mind?! 

I really wanted to get into a bikini with my bump both pregnancies since both were during summertime. I did each time but only got a picture once. I like to document my bump so was bummed to miss the second one, but I went into labor before I expected anyway this time. I also wants to rest more this pregnancy and I definitely did that! 

SmashJam

I wanted to be more active and do yoga the entire time to help me go into labor on my own. I was pretty successful this time: yoga hasn't been as often as I'd like but I'm walking at least a little bit less than a mile ever day around 4 days a week with my doggos plus keeping up with outdoor things and gardening. 

My other pregnancy bucket list item is going into labor on my own...I'm trying everything I can this time, but I won't know for several weeks if I've achieved that bucket list item, lol.

flockofmoosen3

My bucket list item was floating in our pool with a giant belly. Couldn't do it with either my May or February babies, but I have now done it several times with this baby. There isn't as much unassisted floating as my silly brain kept picturing but it still feels really good putting noodles under my arms and under my feet or my belly and just paddling around. It also isnt as relaxing as it could be since my kids are usually also in the pool with me and they want to play games or climb on me while I float. I was a water horsie for a while yesterday. Oh well! (My BF this week would be the hot weather but it makes our unheated pool feel amazing, so...)

zande2016

Mine is definitely going into labor on my own this time. Like @SmashJam said, doing everything I can to help that along, but trying not to get my hopes up because I just don’t know if it’s in the cards for me. 

wildtot

Last pregnancy was just to be able to get out of the house and do normal stuff lol i was in bedrest for 8 months so just being out was nice. I got to do it once i was cleared to walk at 37 wks when preterm labor was not a concern.
This time was be more active but that didn’t happen how i wanted it to. I throught about working out lightly but instead my work outs were chasing after this household. I also wanted to enjoy this pregnancy more. I think i did in a different sense but not fully what i imagined it.

hillbillywife

Im hoping for a spontaneous labor this time too. I’m trying to not disappoint myself and get my hopes up, but it would be really nice. Third times a charm, right? 

chaser61

@flockofmoosen3 I took my son to the pool and thought it would be nice to float around but he clung onto me most of the time so that didn’t work! At least I didn’t have to pretend to be a horsey though...lol.

I wish I was in better shape and continued lifting weights through this pregnancy. I feel out of shape and labor is a marathon.

cseley321

I wanted to be in better shape this time, but I failed miserably and I feel worse off than last pregnancy. I was on bedrest for about 5 weeks of the first trimester and also was anemic, so I just never got the energy to do anything and used being anemic and lack of spare time as a crutch

runsomewhere

I wanted to get in to prenatal yoga during this pregnancy but it hasn't happened. I thought I'd have all this time once my leave started but it's not happening like I thought it would. I also rally hoped to go in to labor on my own, which isn't looking promising. Last, I'm hoping to get in to breastfeeding this time. However, I kind of think I have the wrong personality for it if that makes sense. I think I lack the patience it takes to power through the difficult early weeks, I don't feel much mom guilt over not breast feeding DD for more than 2-3 months and my focus in general is about choosing the stress free/fun options for myself and my family.

So in short, I suppose I'm a bit of  failure.

SmashJam

@runsomewhere not a failure! I also worry about my ability to give BF a fighting chance with the MOTN feedings...DS was sleeping through super early and I'm worried that was related to formula feeding...although people on here have said before that they thought it was a myth the two were related. With another kiddo to chase around I dunno how completely sleepless will go for me, although I've been doing a solid job the last few weeks with all the pregsomnia and pain!

runsomewhere

@SmashJam thanks, I'm slightly a failure in some areas lol but shit happens.

Same about the MOTN feedings. DD was sleeping through the night super early. My supply was always a struggle and I remember a LC telling me that the best thing to do was to pump every 2 hours through the night. I was like LOL no.

I nursed DD for the most part during the day and did formula at night or if we were out somewhere were there wasn't a good place to BF. While I was BFing it was probably 50/50 BF/FF. I have also heard that formula helps babies sleep longer at night as it's not digested as quickly.

This time I do want to BF but I don't know at what expense.

zande2016

@runsomewhere @SmashJam if it gives you any hope/encouragement, my son never had a drop of formula and he started sleeping solidly through the night at 8 weeks. Actually probably earlier because I think sleeping through is defined at 6 consecutive hours, but at 8 weeks he slept a good 8-9 hours. By 4 months he was doing 12 hours a night and is still doing that now. So breastfed babies can sleep! But either way you are not a failure

SmashJam

@zande2016 when I'm up in the MOTN feeding I'm gonna use your experience to get me through, haha. Hopefully it'll happen! @runsomewhere and the PUMPING. I wasn't originally going to have to mess with it but with going back to work now I'm worried about pumping at night too. I hated pumping. But...we can do it! My SIL had great success with setting small goals she's got a 4.5 month old and still going strong. 

acunamatada

DS was a great sleeper from very young too and he was BF. Once my milk came in (delayed but that’s a different story) he gained weight like a champ. Once I was comfortable not waking him for feedings, he slept really well. By 12 weeks he’d sleep 12 hours, and he still sleeps 11 hrs a night now. I could’ve just been lucky, but I do think the extra weight helped vs the feeding method. 

@runsomewhere you’re so not a failure if you don’t BF! Honestly my biggest factor in deciding to power through those early weeks was that I hated cleaning bottles and didn’t want to pay for formula. 

wildtot

I had to pump within the first week and i went every 2-3 hrs which evening went to 3-4 hrs. At 5 months i got tired of pump and it was making my ppd/ppa worse. Unfortunately i was not luck with DS sleeping longer with formula. It wasn’t until we actually slept trained around 9 months that we got longer nights. Even with cereal or solids he didn’t sleep through the night. Hopefully #2 will be easier.

flockofmoosen3

DD was a better sleeper than DS, but I attribute that to her using a pacifier while DS refused them all. Hoping baby #3 likes pacifiers!

ssthomps

I planned on doing Maternity pics this pregnancy because I refused last time. Since this is my last pregnancy I feel obligated. I have finally found a dress and scheduled with a friend so let’s see if it happens. 

chaser61

@zande2016 and @acunamatada That is music to my ears! DS didn’t start sleeping longer until 9 months and then it was only four hour stretches here and there. I feel entitled to a sleeper this time!

kbernal2021

I have also heard FF babies sleep longer at night for the reason of digestion taking longer. I have no experience with FF babies as I BF my son for 13 months and going strong so far with DD at almost a week despite already having thrush. I will say I think sleeping depends on the baby though. DS slept solid 4 hour stretches from birth, and so far DD has followed the same trend. Both had/have great output on wet and dirty diapers and both were/are gaining weight at solid rates so drs said let them sleep and I'm not arguing lol. Here's to hoping all of your babies follow good sleeping habits quick!

My bucket list was to document my entire pregnancy with weekly bump photos since I didn't with DS and I was successful on that. Also spontaneous labor would have been a bucket list item had DH been here towards the end but I was terrified it would happen with him being gone.. and well it did but we had a happy ending so all worked out lol

And846

I'm piggy backing off of @kbernal2021 on the documentation. My goal was to do chalkboard art each week and take a photo that I can then turn into a book on mpix.com. 

Like a lot of you mentioned, spontaneous labor would be another goal. I have a feeling I will either come start of WK 38 spontaneously. If not, I'll be late. 

With all previous children, were any of you right on when you thought you'd deliver versus when you actually did?

kbernal2021

With my first I dropped at 32 weeks and thought FORSURE it meant I wouldn't go late so I thought very close to my due date. (I was a FTM lol) I went past my due date and was induced with 0 dilation and about 50% effacement.
Because of my first I thought FORSURE my body didn't know how to labor and I would make it to my induction date (which was scheduled for today.) And ended up with her coming at 38 weeks 3 days gestation on her own. 

So I realized if we ever have more children (which would be totally unintentional as we are planning on being done) I'm just not gonna know what's gonna happen and roll with whatever that baby throws my way lol

SmashJam

@and846 first time I was uncomfy and thought I'd go early, but it was wishful thinking, I was about as late as you can be and induced. Second time I hoped for earlier thinking, "I can't go any later!" but was pretty sure I'd go late and was induced on the same day (41 +5) as number 1. This time around I am just assuming I'll go to 42 and trying to focus on that expectation so I'm not disappointed when I do, but also hoping that it being a third baby, plus being older and more active, that maybe my body will do this on its own this time (although likely late!). 

And846

@SmashJam and @kbernal2021 great insight! It’s funny how I’ve read and prepped all aspects of getting ready for baby and birth but I’m kinda stumped about this labor process. 

@SmashJam i’m curious as well to see if you’ll go earlier this time based on those factors! 

Sarafuss

I think my biggest pregnancy bucket list item is to go into labor on my own.  Due to pre-e and GD I've always been induced and I'm only able to go to 39+6 this time before induction so we'll see if it is in the cards or not.  I'm hopeful though!  I also wanted to be more active which I definitely was for the first 24 weeks but then stopped working out altogether.  I'm still very happy with my weight gain but I would like to try to fit in some prenatal yoga or something and start walking more to try and get labor going (after Friday when I'm 37 weeks).  I'm having awful pubic bone/pelvic pain though so I'm not sure about it.  This is definitely our last baby, so overall the goal was to not wish it away at the end and enjoy my pregnancy as much as possible because I know I will miss it later on.    

crabcake18

@Sarafuss I just have to say you’re not a failure, we have to make the best choice for our family that we can. @and467  with my first I went into labor exactly a month after he dropped. This time, My babies were 32 weeks so looking back things like losing some of my mucus plug (didn’t pay much attention at the time) and real contractions infrequently were telling me it as soon. I just had this feeling but pushed it away. I planned early maternity pics and went into labor two days later so in hindsight I had some idea 

SmashJam

@crabcake18 I always get my intuition and hopefullness confused. I feel like I've always felt there was no way I'd go so over and then...I did! I have to calm myself down and be like, ok, reasonably you aren't going to go early. Nothing is happening. Settle in there for the long haul, lol.