What did you do on maternity leave before baby came?

[Wherehasitgone]

I’ve been placed on maternity leave as of last week at 28 weeks due to covid (nhs worker) and just feel so bored. Feels too early to prepare anything and all my friends are working so I spend the whole day tidying up or napping!

It’s already effecting my mental health.. I have a Dd who is in nursery full time and I literally find myself counting down the minutes to collect her. The house is so quiet it’s making me uneasy!! I know I should be enjoying this time, i just feel very lonely!

I finished at 28 weeks too so it was just before Christmas which meant I actually had stuff to sort out! After Christmas I've been doing some surveys online to make extra bits of money and now I'm 36 weeks so doing some prep for baby. DS is in nursery too but only 3 days a week.

Sleep. I was very good at it. 😀

I'll soon have (hopefully) 2 weeks off before baby number 2. I plan to wash baby clothes, blankets etc that have been in storage, clean and sterilise the perfect prep, bring out baby items such as bedside crib and get them ready for baby. Might do some batch cooking.

I also want to sleep and watch TV 😊

I planned to watch lots of boxsets, sort out my house, go to the cinema and art galleries in the middle of the weekday. As it turned out, i went into labour at 37+5 and DD came only 5 days after stopping work. At least i managed to get Bridgerton watched before she arrived!

Plan things each week - lunch with a friend could meet some working friends in their lunch break ? Any decorating that needs doing ? Hair appointment? Sort out kitchen cupboards? If you gave things planned it won't make the days seem so long

Painted hallway
Painted garden metal fence
Tiled utility
Made curtains right length for baby room
Sorted garden
Made some food to freeze
Built cot/ Chest of drawers/ shelf up etc

Glad I did, as Ds is 1 1/2 and I haven’t had time to do above since, especially garden and baby room. If I had left baby room until he was using it when older baby it would have been a disaster

Booked things for my wedding with DS1 with DS2 I just slept a lot because I knew what was coming!

Batch cooking and prepped for forthcoming birthdays (got cards and presents sorted)

With my first I had a lovely time...apart from it was the hottest summer in years and being heavily pregnant was really uncomfortable. I read books, slept, watched films. With my second I was absolutely run off my feet with two year old DD so it was an entirely different time! I don't think I sat down much at all, let alone had a midday nap.

Anything I wanted!

Sleep
Watch tv
Swimming
Cinema on my own
Seeing my parents - they're retired.
Getting stuff done like haircut and dentist.
Browsing the shops
Maternity appointments
I had a number of weeks off before and dh and I had a night away, in UK.
Seeing friends/met up with new NCT group
Jobs around the house- I painted the shed at 40 weeks!
Batch cooking

It was brilliant!

Went to the cinema, took myself for lunch with a book, watched movies, had long baths, got my nails done, had a facial, met DH for lunch or picked him up from work and we went out for dinner, lots of things!

35 weeks pregnant I was all packed for a trip away. Still working ft...
Stopped en route at maternity for a quick check up at 8am.
Had an emcs at 12!!
Enjoy all the free time you can ladies!

I just did the usual cleaning, tidying etc that has to be done. But during the day instead of later after work. Plus the odd trip to town, visit parents, go to stuff at school (with second and third children). Antenatal appointments.

Batch cooked meals to keep in the freezer and that were easy for reheating once baby arrived.

Swimming, yoga video or just going on a walk every day.

I watched positive birth stories on YouTube and the videos from the positive birth company (this really helped me with labour number 2 as I'd had a hard time giving birth to DD1.)

I listened to a guided meditation or hypnobirthing track on YouTube or Spotify every day.

Napped.

Watched boxsets of series I'd always wanted to watch.

Read books.

Dropped DD1 off at nursery then went and bought a newspaper or magazine and went to a café for breakfast a couple of times a week and sat and read/had a quiet coffee in peace. I loved that little routine.

Get as much "you time" in as you can!

Get your hair & nails done
Go for a pregnancy massage (lots of salons have special ones for expectant mothers and your body will thank you!)
Get a cleaner in to do a good all over clean
Watch loads of telly 😂
Have a nice day out and lunch somewhere (not too far away from where you live!)
Get all the little outfits and things all washed and prepared - aww! And make sure your overnight bag is ready.

It's a lovely time and may be shorter than you expect if the baby is anything like mine so just bloody well enjoy it I say!

Lay in the sofa and watched cheesy films ok Channel 5. It was a few years before boxsets were a thing.

I had plans for loads of stuff but DTs couldn’t wait so only had 10 days in the end.

Think of all the things you’d really like to do which you can’t take a baby to and do them.

I had a haircut then a massage then had the baby. I had been hoping for time to read books and also meet up with people from pregnancy yoga and antenatal classes.

Hahaha!! Some of these posts gave me a giggle. Yeah I think I’ve been moping a bit as was really hoping to work up until 37 weeks but occupational health wouldn’t clear me. I’m also awaiting a consultant scan as baby is very small so I’m feeling really anxious about that and when the house is empty and quiet that’s my time to stew it seems!!

Definitely going to try some yoga and getting out of the house to do exercise. Even just a nice walk! Also love the idea of taking myself off out for breakfast!

I moved house 😱 wouldn't recommend that at 37 weeks tbh!

DS1 I didn't... He arrived 3 weeks early and I was still working
DS2 I had 4 weeks off as I planned for early arrival just in case

Slept, cleaned, organised clothes etc, went for walks, wandered a few shops, went for coffee.
Last week went take oldest to school, nap, shower, school pick up, DS hobby, home, bed pretty much I was exhausted

I started mat leave at 31 weeks (nhs worker too) and its much earlier than I wanted to. I'm now 33 weeks and have just started washing a few bits. In between the school runs I just spend time cleaning and just generally trying to organise. have a toddler with me all day though so its not easily done haha. I'm going to start on my hospital bag next week.

Played Xbox, read a lot of books. Watched box sets and napped a lot. I also tiled my kitchen.

Oh sorry I meant I learned to speak Mandarin and write my first novel

I am going to be in the midst of a house renovation - so lots and lots of painting and cleaning I assume!

Sunbathed.

I organised the whole house - sorted toys, tidied cupboards, wardrobes, baby things etc. Got on top of life admin. I only had two weeks, I would have enjoyed a bit longer to have planned a few more things! Also napped and saw friends. Would have done more pregnancy yoga, swimming and massage too.