Congrats, if you’re an expecting parent! Pregnancy is such an exciting time, but it’s also overwhelming sifting through all of your options for baby stuff and trying to get everything ready. And for most of us, we have no idea what we’ll really want or what our baby’s preferences will be. Wouldn’t it be nice to get a little guidance, while pregnant, from your future self? Well, one mama has offered seven things she wishes someone had told her when she was pregnant:

1. You’re focusing on the wrong things: I spent so much time and energy on things like crib sheets and strollers, which really weren’t that important. And I didn’t spend any time on the really important stuff. It never occurred to me that pumping wouldn’t be easy, and that I should have a back-up plan in place (hospital grade pump). Meanwhile I was spending all this time on crib sheets— He slept in a rock-n-play, then in bed with us—he never even slept in his crib!
2. Spend the time and money on things to make day-to-day life easier: I think I only had one wrap in the beginning and I baby-wore a lot. If there’s anything to have a lot of in the beginning, it’s carriers. That’s where my baby money should have gone, not to super-expensive strollers, but to things that would make day-to-day life easier.
3. Tell your support system that you’ll need food and water: I wasn’t prepared for how much I’d be trapped in one spot nursing all the time. One day, I told my husband, “I don’t know if you realize, but it’s a struggle for me to get myself fed in the morning. So if you can just bring me a bowl of cereal, that’s a huge deal for me.” I think that’s the info that people in your support system should have. It’s not just taking turns giving the baby a bottle. It’s so much more than that. It’s taking care of mom, so she can take care of the baby.
4. Stock the house with easy-to-grab food: I wish I’d stocked up on more things in the house I could eat with one hand, like granola bars and snacks.
5. Line up a baby sitter or doula: I wish we’d put a little money aside for a post-partum doula or just someone to make me meals, and I wish I’d taken the time to find that person before having the baby.
6. Snap n go is the way to go: I’d read in Baby Bargains that you were going to end up with four strollers and I couldn’t believe that was possible. But it’s true. The stroller we chose initially, based on research, I didn’t like at all. Get a snap n go, not a travel system. I wish I’d known to get the basics, but then to take time pick out things as I had experience with them.
7. You’ll still be able to run errands: I wish I’d known I’d have some ability to get more baby stuff after he was born. I thought I had to have every little thing in place before he was born. And it was good to have some stuff, when he was really little. I’m glad I put together the swing and bouncer. But a lot of the things would have made a fun errand.

Nothing can really prepare you for what it will be like, when you’re a new parent. But hopefully this mama can help you think of a few things that you otherwise may have missed. Congrats!!

Thanks to this mama for sharing her tips and experiences.  If you want to receive Mama Lovejoy articles automatically through your Facebook feed you can, by liking the Mama Lovejoy Facebook page.