Don’t get me wrong. I feel very lucky to have gotten pregnant so late in life. I also feel so lucky to have two healthy baby boys at the same time. But because a multiple pregnancy was considered at my age high-risk, and because I had to stay in bed during the last 8 weeks before delivery, I felt I had missed out on so many wonderful things that only pregnant women can have and do.

I don’t know if this qualifies as a “bucket list” strictly speaking but here are 5 things I would have loved to do while pregnant but couldn’t. And definitely I’d love to do if I ever get pregnant again (which is quite unlikely in this life).

• Wear nice maternity clothes. Oh, how I’d love to wear those cute maternity dresses! I got pregnant in autumn and by the time it was spring time and warm enough to run around in those cute maternity frocks, I was as big as a whale and could barely move, much less care for maternity fashion. Nothing would have fitted anyway. I got to wearing my husband’s shirts and boxer shorts at home. For the occasional visits to my OB, which is basically the only time I got out of the house, I was always wearing this tent-like contraption that my husband had to throw over my head. I had lunch with some friends the other day, three of whom are expecting and they were wearing the most gorgeous maternity clothes. “My pregnancy was a great excuse to get a whole new wardrobe.” one friend said. “Wearing maternity clothes is a privilege that only pregnant women can have so enjoy it while it lasts.”

• Shop for my babies. Neither had I much time for shopping for my babies. Before becoming pregnant, I had the pleasure of accompanying a friend on her various baby shopping trips. That was such great fun. When my turn came, I had to make do with flipping through catalogs and clicking through online shops. My mother-in-law, however, had most of the fun, shopping for 2 babies in one go. My husband had to bring home fabrics for me choose from for our made-to-order twins stroller and car seats.
• Spend time with other pregnant women. I see pregnant women taking strolls together, or sit in coffee shops exchanging pregnancy news and tips. I remember how lonely the last months of my pregnancy were. I was pregnant at about the same time as my sister-in-law but we never really got to get together because she lives 6 hours away and was busy with her job right up to the last days before her delivery. Another colleague living nearby was also on the way but she, too, was busy with work and her toddler while I had to sit – actually more like lie – at home.
• Do pregnancy sports. When I got pregnant, I knew I had to give up running (for a while at least) and shelf my dream to run a marathon. However, I joined a pregnancy aquagymnastics course during my first trimester which was fun. But that, too, I had to give that up when mobility – I couldn’t fit behind the steering wheel anymore at some stage – became too restricted. Towards the end, walking wasn’t even possible so that my husband had to push me on a wheelchair to get some fresh air.
• Look forward to a normal delivery. Finally, I would have loved to look forward to a normal delivery, attend Lamaze classes with my husband and share the unique experience of delivering a baby. Instead, I had to resign myself to the fact that a cesarean section was inevitable. I was grateful, though, that my husband could be with me at the operating room, that I was fully conscious though I couldn’t feel anything waist down. My husband could give me a minute–by-minute commentary on what’s going on. And- joy of all joys, I heard my little babies` first cry.

So for those of you who are expecting out there, enjoy your 40 weeks of pregnancy. And take time to enjoy your rights and privileges as a pregnant woman. You’ll never know if you’ll ever go through the experience again. Next thing you know it, you’ll be writing your own “bucket list.”

Tags: bucket list, maternity, preganancy