Mat leave OOO on! What would you do with final week of freedom?

[roarfeckingroarr]

My out of office is on and mat leave starts today! I'm 38 + 5 so not much time before first baby arrives. So far I've booked in a hair appointment (full head + trim), massage and pedicure, plus two lunches with family and friends over the next few days. Baby things are ready, house is as stocked as it needs to be, cleaner is here today so don't need to do any practical bits except move maternity summer dresses out of wardrobe and autumn/winter clothes back in, which will take an hour tops.

It feels like being in limbo and I could have two weeks of this (or two days!). DP is wfh until I go into labour and we spend the evenings together.

If you already have kids, what would you recommend doing with your last bit of child free time? I already have early nights and lie ins in mind :).

If you're anything like me you'll make loads of plans and then go into labour first thing tomorrow. Still haven't forgiven DS for that one!

I was going to get my house tidy, do some batch cooking to stock up the freezer, wander around the shops, meet up with a few friends, catch a daytime movie at the cinema etc...

Sleep
Eat
Drink cups of tea that are still hot
Read a book without interruption
Put your feet up.

Schedule a power nap every afternoon. Most people labour overnight to some extent, so you’ll be glad of it when the moment comes!

Cinema (if Covid appropriate!)
Try and see friends as the next few weeks post baby will be a blur
Batch cook
Stock up on tasty easy snacks for post labour newborn cuddles
Long walks
Good tv!
Eat out (if Covid appropriate!)
And enjoy sitting and eating a full meal
Pamper with nails / hair
Birthing playlist
Make house spotless! (Cleaner if you can ;)
If you're super organised maybe write your Christmas cards start Christmas shopping / wrapping

Long bath and book.
Sit in a child unfriendly coffee shop/pub and read a magazine/newspaper.
If you normally shop in little boutiques for
Christmas, get some
Shopping done now, as
Shopping with a pushchair can be a pain in little shops.

Batch cook.

Organise eeeeverything that might need to be done in the next few months (Christmas shopping, insurance renewals, MoT whatever).

Put the cot up. I did it the morning before DD arrived which was less than ideal.

See as many people as possible for adult conversations.

Newborns are the best thing ever, but don't half distract you from real life.

Just enjoy it.
I planned 5 days off before my scheduled section with DD1 only for her to bloody arrive on day 1....and I didn't quite make it to Mat leave with the twins as they showed up when they wanted to not when they were scheduled. Swines.

Don't bloody batch cook ffs. You'll have one single tiny newborn, plenty of time and a husband who works at home.

You've got time to cook fresh meals as and when you need them!

I’m finishing in a few weeks and planning to get my Xmas shopping done and wrapped!

Go out to a coffee shop with a magazine- you will likely be chained to the couch and feeding for a while.
I hoovered my stairs daily when on mat leave and the one day I didn’t I went into labour- a clean house is the best to come home to after giving birth

Don't bloody batch cook ffs. You'll have one single tiny newborn, plenty of time and a husband who works at home.

Of course batch cook!! Our DS was a Velcro baby, needed walking for every nap, needed held all night or he'd wake up. Not all newborns can be put in a bouncy chair and watch as you whip up a 3 course every night. And WFH means the DH will be working.

Having a supply of healthy meals in the freezer was amazing. I'd also suggest making and freezing brownies. They defrost really well and its nice to have a treat every so often if you are BF and get stuck during the cluster feeding phase.

Sorry, back to the question. I spent my ML prebaby going to the cinema, reading books curled up on the sofa, coffee with friends, swimming, going out for long lunches, it was great!! And batch cooking to fill our freezer with tasty healthy food that was easy to reheat!

Can any newborns be put in a bouncy chair? 3 course meals.

Nah, don't waste your time OP. This is not a time for spending a day chained to the stove

@PleaseGodLetItEnd

Schedule a power nap every afternoon. Most people labour overnight to some extent, so you’ll be glad of it when the moment comes!

That's a great idea. I swim every afternoon and worry a bit that I'm going to be tired for when labour happens so a nap is a cracker of an idea, thank you.

Thanks everyone! I'm going to keep up a light swim, 20 lengths only, every afternoon, have an afternoon nap, spend an afternoon batch cooking (maybe) and go for a coffee or lunch on my own with a book every day.

Inevitably baby will now arrive this evening!

Still don't have a name either.

Go out, and tut and extravagantly roll your eyes if any baby so much as whimpers.....

Or, nice fancy meals Out.

Any botanic gardens near you? They’re lovely without children in tow.

@myhobbyisouting

Don't bloody batch cook ffs. You'll have one single tiny newborn, plenty of time and a husband who works at home.

You've got time to cook fresh meals as and when you need them!

See, everyone's different. I couldn't put DD down for the first few months, and the time 'off' I did get I wanted to spend sleeping not cooking. DH was working very hard

I couldn't do this in advance because DD showed up early, but only MIL filling our freezer we would have eaten a lot of ready meals.
Plus, I enjoy cooking when not also baby-wrangling.

Sleep. For a whole night uninterrupted. My two are 7 and 9 and I still don’t get an uninterrupted nights sleep.

@Saz12

Go out, and tut and extravagantly roll your eyes if any baby so much as whimpers.....

Or, nice fancy meals Out.

Any botanic gardens near you? They’re lovely without children in tow.

YES! I'll make sure to glare at the men/women taking advantage of "family swim" times at my over charging health club too.

It's terribly unfair that you don't get a week where you can drink before the baby arrives. Ideally the risks would disappear the day you hit, say, 38 weeks, so you could have a proper party.

@Jellycatspyjamas I haven't slept more than two hours without needing a wee for at least two months 😫

Just... Relax. I'm on mat leave with DC2 atm, she's a very good sleeper and DC1 is at nursery so it's as easy as it gets, but it's still rare to get true downtime.

Go for a fancy meal out with your DH, the kind of place that you wouldn't dream of bringing a buggy (if possible with covid).

Start a few box sets, it's hard to make yourself follow new characters etc when you're exhausted.