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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what you did on maternity leave ...

83 replies

catsonlaps · 24/01/2016 11:52

Bit worried about this. Well, not worried but wondering.

How do you fill time on leave? I'm so used to charging around that I worry I'll get a bit bored ... :)

OP posts:
Original poster
catsonlaps · 24/01/2016 13:20

Yes expense is a worry!

OP posts:
Bodicea · 24/01/2016 13:28

Baby classes, toddler groups, coffee shops with other mum friends I made, long walks with the pram, trips to the park.
I had a blast. Can't wait to do it all again with no two.

BikeRunSki · 24/01/2016 13:34

Baby group
Buggy fit
Pram walk
Babies into Book
Rhyme time
Baby swimming
Walked for miles
Slimming World
Baby yoga
Mummy and me Pilates

NerrSnerr · 24/01/2016 13:34

I met with NCT friends once a week, the library bounce and rhyme group once a week and the children's centre baby group once a week. The rest of the time we went for walks, museums and watched Glee and House on dvd. I didn't feel bored at all.

redexpat · 24/01/2016 13:39

researched my family tree. DS would feed for 40 minutes so would sit by my laptop. With DD i couldnt get anything done.

mrsmugoo · 24/01/2016 13:48

Lived each day in blocks of time from one nap/feed to the next.

Occasional errands to the shops / chemist / post office. The odd coffee and cake in a coffee shop if by some miracle baby stayed asleep in a stationary pram.

A lot of day time tv.

Hated it to be honest and dreading this forthcoming 2nd time. Felt instantly happier when I re-started work at 8 months.

FannyTheChampionOfTheWorld · 24/01/2016 14:21

If expense is a worry, make sure you try and attend any free or cheap activities near you. If you're in an urban area there are likely to be a few £1 a session things within striking distance. I'd also say that you'll be surprised how much less you spend on certain things when on ML.

unimaginativename13 · 24/01/2016 15:40

Loyalty cards
Voucher codes
Free coffee at houses

If you don't currently online shop sign up to them all for money off vouchers and buy nappies and formula.

Never pay more than £7 for a jumbo box of pampers.

Amazon is your best friend.

Doublebubblebubble · 24/01/2016 15:44

I've been watching the kardashians and other rubbish tv non stop I am very much enjoying my mat leave no shame lol

Well I've been studying the time/space continuum

Runningupthathill82 · 24/01/2016 15:53

Lots of big walks in the countryside. Cake, coffee, food shopping, breastfeeding. Freelance work while baby was asleep. Swimming (well, splashing with DS). And erm, that was about it.

Didn't do any baby groups aside from baby yoga twice and cinema once, as I'm really not into that sort of thing. Maybe I was unlucky, but the ones I tried were full of uber-competitive super-parent types, who openly scowled at me for getting a bottle (of milk, not gin) out.

Mind you, I only had four months off, and it went by in a whirlwind, so I didn't have time to be bored or lonely.

This time round I'll be chasing a three-year-old all day, with a newborn strapped to my chest. So no chance of baby cinema, long walks in the hills or easy coffee outings. Not entirely sure how that is going to work...

Mia1415 · 24/01/2016 15:57

Baby groups,meeting up with friends, coffee shops, long walks, day trips (zoos, museums etc). It whizzed by though (only took 6 months). Make the most of it. I'd love to do it all again (& I too wondered what I'd do with my time!)

Doublebubblebubble · 24/01/2016 16:08

Oh yeah and I live in Costa now - breastfeeding constantly x

maybebabybee · 24/01/2016 16:11

I don't understand this - why do people get bored at home?! I find endless things to fill my time with - baking, cooking, sewing, crafty stuff, reading, walks, swimming, writing...

On mat leave at the moment and loving it. I must be decidedly odd Grin.

megletthesecond · 24/01/2016 16:15

First two months were mess, pain and too many visitors. I found my feet after that and mainly spent my time trying to stop ds crying by walking around showing him things constantly. He settled down at 7 months.

Whathaveilost · 24/01/2016 16:23

Our gym had a crèche that you could use for 2 hours a day so I went ever day between. Monday and Friday for both children.

Ds1 was a summer baby so I would finish the gym at 10.00am and he would have a nap if he hadn't already slept. I would do some housework and have lunch. Then in the fern on I would go to the beach, friends, walks etc.

It was a really lovely time.

By the time Ds2 arrived I would drop DS1 off at nursery and then go to the gym and finish at 11.30am, pick Ds1 up and have lunch. The weather wasn't always great with ds2 so we had more afternoons in.

NewLife4Me · 24/01/2016 16:24

You'll be too busy looking after your baby and enjoying your time together, you'll be amazed at how quickly he/she grows and you'll be too knackered to be bored.

GinandJag · 24/01/2016 16:27

I did whatever I wanted!

SuperCee7 · 24/01/2016 16:30

Netflix.

DrCoconut · 24/01/2016 16:38

I'm on maternity leave and I'm never bored, I'm loving every minute. I'm planning to seriously cut my work hours so I can continue like this (it's been discussed between us, I haven't just decided alone). Honestly there is so much to do that you will feel you do not have time to go back to work! The kids are thriving having me round more, our house and admin are in better shape and everyone is so much happier.

Purplehonesty · 24/01/2016 16:42

Slept a lot
Went for lots of walks
Cleaned up, washing, ironing etc
Met friends for coffee/lunch
Slept some more
Wandered around supermarkets a lot..
Went to baby groups which was terrifying at first

CurlyBlueberry · 24/01/2016 16:47

I would recommend you read What Mothers Do, by Naomi Stadlen.

munkisocks · 24/01/2016 16:48

I was going to learn to cook properly and carry on my studying. I went on maternity 4 weeks before my due date. Good bloody job too as the sod came 4 days later! I've watched alot of TV series, every episode of fecking in the night garden. I catch up on house work when she sleeps during day. I never got time to learn to cook.

limon · 24/01/2016 16:50

At first I was quite ill so was housebound. Then I went to a couple of groups. I found the lack of routine difficult but got some.great advice about having a plan in place for every day and keeping busy.

mrsmugoo · 24/01/2016 17:44

I think it massively depends on the baby to be honest.

toffeeboffin · 24/01/2016 18:08

I'll skip the sarcasm as I see its already been covered.

I walked a lot with DS, went to the mall a lot when it was cold, outdoors to the park when it was warm. He slept a lot when he was in the pram, hence the walking. Then I'd sit on a bench and chill.

Cooked a lot, actually ate really well, as had the time it seemed. And the walking helped lose the baby weight. Joined a couple of mummy groups but they weren't that good really, more trouble than they are worth.

My advice is to not push yourself to do much much, just stay close to home and look after baby and yourself.