Mat leave bucketlist

[LMBK33]

I really want to make the most of my maternity leave as I'm planning on heading back to work full time.

So, I'm wanting to make a bucket list if wonderful, meaningfull things I can do with my baby.

And ideas...

Is this your first baby op?

Sleep?

I think the only thing on my list was surviving the newborn stage.

I wouldn’t put pressure on yourself OP, wait and see if you get a sleeper!

First baby - Went to all the museums/art galleries/walks/scenic points/trips I had always wanted to do but never had time for. Did baby cinema, swimming, signed up to a sign language course, tried things like baby sensory and bounce n rhyme. Went out every day, plus decorated a huge portion of the house during nap times, got very frustrated when naps didn't go to plan and I didn't get to do the activity as I hoped.

Second baby - had a toddler so lots of going to the park/playground/skatepark/beach and feeling like I needed more eyes. Toddler free days were for chores and errands. It was busy.

Third baby - older two are at school (apart from during the holidays obviously). The only thing on my list is gaze at baby, enjoy baby, hold baby as much as baby wants, give in to the absolute chaos and don't worry if nothing else gets done 😅🤣 oh and sleep....if at all possible.

Good lord what have I just read!!

Maternity leave is not the time for a bucket list.

The gods laugh at those who make plans.

I'm currently on my second maternity leave and iv made a list of things I want to do but they are things like: life admin that iv been putting off, DIY projects at home, days out or areas I want to visit, restaurants I wanted to eat at, holidays I wanted to take etc.
When they are really little, some things might not go to plan but I don’t believe you have to sit at home doing nothing.

With both I also went to some baby classes/ mum fitness/ walking clubs and made some local mum friends which was lovely. I still regularly see mum friends I made with my first child nearly 5 years ago

Had great plans to spend the days leading up to the birth helping DM sell off the stock from my late DF business.
In reality I spent the whole day in my underwear eating ice cream (in my defence it was a hot summer).

I planned to be one of those ladies who kunch at the tennis club and go once a month . My son had other ideas - never slept. I used to go to the leisure club and put him in crèche so I could have a shower in peace!!!

Have the baby, keep the baby alive, occasionally shower and nap. (The third and fourth are optional depending on your child's mood!)

@Pebbles16 oh yeah I remember #2 being a fundamental part of the bucket list 🤣 DH and I had a celebratory glass of wine when everyone was still breathing after a full calendar year.

Incredible how often #3 drops off the achievement list.

OP you may be lucky and have an easy baby that allows you to tick items off a bucket list, or you could be surviving a colicky, refluxy baby who doesn’t sleep until well past toddlerhood. Aim for keeping baby alive and yourself reasonably sane and you’ll be achieving plenty.

My list of things to achieve was:

Work out how to get the baby in a car seat for its first trip home

Learn how to eat pasta with one hand whilst rocking a crying baby

Put a savoy cabbage into the weekly shop (IYKYK)

Confirm the nursery had space for the baby at 4.5 months (max 6 months mat leave, much unpaid, back then)

Thing is you can know you might have a colicky baby that doesn't sleep and you can still hope/plan for good times. Even if baby is tricky it won't always be like that. Just the same as the best baby ever will have bad days occasionally. Two things can be true. It's nice to plan some things to look forward to.

I'd start with finding out what's available in your local area that interests you. Have a good mix of things for you (i.e. museums, galleries, walks, coffee shops, restaurants, maybe visiting a pottery painting thing to do footprints and stuff if that's your jam) and things for baby (bounce n rhyme (wasn't my thing), baby sensory, swimming, babysign language, stay n play, parent groups etc). See what's available and what interests you.

I found the peanut app helpful for meeting mum friends. Meetup can be good for finding groups.

Have you had the baby yet?