Before Birth

Here's what I advise for all pregnant first time mommas. 
Before the baby arrives do everything on the following list at least once--and really appreciate it:
1. go to a sit down restaurant
2. go see a movie
3. spend a whole day just watching tv with your spouse, only getting up to eat food and potty
4. throw a party with all your friends
5. stay up late and sleep in late

Why you ask?  Because for my foreseeable future these things will not be happening easily.  Breastfeeding, while being very cost-effective, easy to prep, and fun for baby and momma, does attach you to your baby.  Yes, emotionally which is great...but also physically, which is great but also prevents the above list from being easy to accomplish.  (Obviously if you are a pro at pumping and are awesome at hauling around a pump, or if you're using formula, you will not find some of those things a challenge.)

Also, "sleep while you can" is not really helpful advice.  A modified piece of advise would be to really appreciate the sleep you're getting, because soon a tiny and adorable siren will awaken you at all hours of the night.

Something else that I wish I would have done more is read a little less about pregnancy and child birth and a lot more about what baby will need when s/he arrives.  There aren't that many things you can screw up if you're having a typical pregnancy--and while you should be prepared for delivery and informed about decisions that you'll need to make or that may be made for you--at the end of it all you have a baby.  That's right, out of seemingly thin air (yeah, right) the nurse hands over to you a helpless human being whose only form of communicating with you is crying--and it's now your responsibility to keep it alive and thriving.

Now in the midst of trying to become an expert nurser, sleep whisperer, soother, and playmate, all while recovering from child birth and functioning on random chunks of sleep, you also have to squeeze in time to scour books and websites trying to answer baby questions you never knew you would have.  So my advise, read up while the only distractions you have are ones you're use to and the occasional kicks coming from inside your belly.