What did you wish to had done on mat leave?

[Aw12345]

Both before and after baby!

Due 4th August, don't want to look back and Feel like I've wasted my mat leave.

Sing and sign? Water babies? Church baby groups? Time with DH and baby? None of these things?!

I wish I'd sorted out a cleaner and some sort of childcare for a couple of mornings week so that I could sleep/have me time. (even just a few hours, not whole morning)

I absolutely loved having a young baby but didn't enjoy it as much as I could have done as it felt a bit relentless. I think a few short breaks would have helped loads.

I really enjoyed the pilates class I did where you took your baby with you and I had a group of mums and we met for coffee a lot and I like swimming at around 6 months.

It depends how long your MAT leave is but a lot of groups are more for children that move around so were not really relevant to me (I went back to work at 9months)

Definitely try to make the most of it - you will only get your first maternity leave once, and it's completely different the second time with a toddler too (if you have a second).

The things I missed from my first maternity leave - long walks, baby cinema, baby music classes, staying in bed breastfeeding until midday after a rough night. I also enjoyed "parent and toddler" type groups, and that's where I made the best friends.

I'm the sort of person who likes to have a timetable, and it helped me to try to follow the rule of every day doing 1) something social (e.g. attending a class, or even just texting my mum - just some contact!) 2) something "intellectual" (a bit of a futurelearn course, reading a chapter of a book, podcast, or even just sticking sky news on in the background) 3) something self indulgent (making time for exercise, self care, eating cake. Mainly cake, tbh).

Enjoy it!