Going crazy on maternity leave

[joolsandfrances]

Been on maternity leave since February. Going back to work at the end of Jan. I am SO BORED of being off work. I'm busy with my 4 year old and 9 month old but I think my brain has left the building . Am I the only one?

[PastaDee]

no..... I was like that for the last 3 months of my mat leave. Friends i'd made went back to work and the week seemed very loooong.

Back 3 days now and very happy.

[SlightlySoupStainedBabygrows]

I'm 4 months in to mat leave, and starting to get inklings of that. I really enjoyed it at first, but in the last month have been starting to feel more drained and perhaps a very very tiny bit down.

You could try something like www.codecademy.com/ - I've been finding it great fun to play with, the lessons are very short so I can manage them during naptime (or when baby's feeding, though typing's a bit trickier then), and when I get interrupted it's easy to pick up again. This seems to have helped, I feel like I'm learning something new and useful, and it seems to be helping me to have 10 mins a day or so where I'm actually focused on something - I'd been feeling quite scattered and vague which I don't like.

Try something like www.codecademy.com/tracks/htmlcss to learn how to create a web page? The only drawback is that it doesn't seem to work on my phone at the moment.

[CatsRule]

I'm the total opposite! I went back to work 4 weeks ago and I hate it. I loved being on mat leave and being with ds all day, if financially I didn't have to go back I would still be at home with him. Enjoy tour time off while you can.

[OneLittleToddlingTerror]

No you aren't the only one. I felt my brain has left me during maternity. All the talks about babies and weaning and sleep really really bored me. I'm back at work for a year now and I'm really enjoying it.

[OneLittleToddlingTerror]

Slightly I'm a software engineer, so that codeacademy is a bit .... basic. But I did a lot of cooking and craft during maternity leave. For example, I got fabric from ikea and made new curtains for the entire house. I'm that bored.

[slightlysoupstainedbabygrows]

I had such fond plans during pregnancy of all the lovely cake I was going to make once off on mat leave. Pah. Before giving birth I was unable to stand in the kitchen for long enough to cook (SPD) and since then have managed to make ONE batch of biscuits, which took me all day with all the interruptions...

OneLittleToddlingTerror - yep, codecademy is going to be too basic for a software engineer! It's aimed at beginners with no background so it's meant to be baby steps. I think they've done a reasonably good job of making it appealing. I'm not really a beginner (not a dev, but I do code for part of my job) but I've enjoyed playing with the Javascript stuff anyway - am now hooked on beating my points per day streak so I guess the gamification aspect has really worked for me.

I think the recently announced plans to make mat leave more flexible sound like they'd work a lot better for me - if I could carry on mat leave but split the week with my partner so we both got a bit of time, that would be ideal. I do love spending time with my son, but am finding I just need the stimulation of work to keep me happy.

[smile4me]

I've been off work for nearly 5 months already and just starting to want to go back! Just for some social interaction and brain stimulation really, which I know is quite selfish but some days i think I'm going to go nuts! In saying that, i've been trying to finish of my Masters while I've been at home and Dd has such short naps (I only get 30mins by the time i've put her down) that it's just been impossible! Had a look at codecademy though and look about basic enough for me :) so maybe I'll give that a go.

[LadyKinbote]

Not long to go now! Plan in a few things to do with the baby which you won't be able to do once you're back and the time will start to go quicker once you get close. (At which point you'll probably wish you had longer!). I agree though, as hard as it is to work FT with a LO who's not sleeping (I went back when both DC reached 7 months) it's much better for your sanity than maternity leave! Be prepared for a period of guilt when you go back - once you're in a decent routine it passes though.

[slightlysoupstainedbabygrows]

smile4me I don't think it's selfish at all to want a bit of social interaction and brain stimulation - it's a normal human need! I've had a couple of evenings out recently for the first time since my son was born (and after a couple of weeks where we didn't go out at all because he and I were both ill) - and judging by the amount of giggles, I am a much more fun mummy when I'm getting a bit of stimulation myself.

[Nevercan]

Join your local NCT group. It stopped me going bonkers on maternity leave and I still do some work for them even though I am back at work. I look after membership and help organise our nearly new sales etc.

[scottishmummy]

maintain email contact with work, keep up relevant reading
I couldnt wait to get back, only so much wind the bobbin up I could listen to at groups
I did crave adult contact and mental stimulus.something other than ft mum

[blueshoes]

For my second maternity leave, I cut it short. Would have gone back earlier but for the fact I had to settle ds in nursery first.

By the second child, I was wise to the fact I disliked M&B groups and hanging out (too much) with other mothers. So I gave myself projects, like house improvement or eBay selling or just reading. I continued to put my first child in the nursery. It was much better for me. I was so pleased to be back at work.