8 little life pleasures to enjoy before you have a baby

We asked readers what they wish they had taken more time to savour before bringing home a baby.

1. Reading “It takes me forever to finish a book now...if I have 10 uninterrupted minutes to read in silence, I most likely fall asleep. The pile of books in my to-read pile has been growing right along with my kids—keeping pace in fact. It's at least as tall as one of my five-year-old twins.” —Kathleen C.

2. Going on dates “A date feels like a distant memory that will never happen again. We are so busy with the kids, I don’t feel like I’ve been on an actual date since the kids were born, and even when we did go out for an anniversary one year, all we could think about were the kids. I never realized how amazing it was to go out for dinner without worrying about anything or rushing to finish because the kids are tired.” —Melissa C.

3. Being creative “I wish I had created more art and music before my daughter came. I love to be creative and I never realized that I would have to put a lot of my projects on hold during the newborn/infant stage. Now I mostly leave the home for my creative outlets.” —Candace M.

4. Sleeping in “Never did it before, [but] heard rumours it is amazing.” —Ashley B.

5. Hanging out with girlfriends “Once you have your first child, it’s not as easy anymore and then they don’t have the same interests. Finding new mom friends is a terrible hobby and it gets lonely.” —Julie G.

6. Travelling “[I wish I would have] travelled more with hubby when it would have been cheaper and easier.” —Shohreh B.

7. Even travelling around the corner “[I miss] the simplicity of getting in and out of a vehicle without having to bring/carry extra humans!” —Alicia R.

8. Dining on your own schedule “Eating all the food I want to eat, at the time I want to eat it. Dinner at 5:30 just isn't the same.” —Laura R.

Read more: How to get your body ready for pregnancy
10 things you need to know before having a baby