What did you / are you doing during your maternity leave?

[charcb]

FTM Here! I was wondering what kind of things/activities/routines you did (or are doing) whilst you were on maternity leave? I heard how important it is for us mums and babies to build a routine and was wondering how most of us occupied their time. I guess walks, shopping trips, going out for a coffee, baby classes, meeting other mums and friends etc are quite common mum and baby activities. (I know the options now during Covid may be somewhat limited to what others have done during a "normal" period...)

My son is now 2 but when I was on maternity leave I did all you said. It has been a magical time for me and I loved it.
We didn't have a strict routine. Our free time was planned around his and my needs, but included going out for a walk or some shopping or a baby group almost every day. Then we did longer trips when his dad was home in the weekends.
Make the most of it as it goes so quickly and doesn't come back! I miss those times already now he's just a toddler...everything is so much more difficult. When he was a baby I would just dress him (no kicking back, no bribery to put his coat on...), pop him in the pram where he would just stare out or sleep, go to town/walks, find a quiet corner to brestfeed, then go about our days with no one care in the world.....
Now walking to town means bringing a ton of stuff with me, hoping he'll not get bored as it's impossible to manage pushchair and chasing a crazy toddler at the same time, remember his snacks or he gets grumpy....

During my maternity with our 1st child, i went to the playgroups, went to the park, spent time reading baby books, rhyme time.. sometimes would go swimming. I enjoyed it alot. This time round havent been able to do much because of covid x

My maternity leave has come to an end and it was nothing like I imagined because of covid. We spent our days going for walks. Managed to get 2 baby sensory classes in before another lockdown which just gave me a taste for what I was missing.
However I found all of the walking to be great for weight!!

I treated it almost like a job - I made a timetable of classes, coffee dates, play dates etc to give us both a routine. We did hartbeeps and baby sensory then a load of free classes run by the local children's centres, libraries etc.

It was a lovely time but was very glad when it was over and I could get back to work. I found 24/7 childcare and breastfeeding boring and my child was an early walker and difficult as Hell 😂

I'm giving birth next week to our second (planned c section) so wondering what a covid mat leave will look like in comparison

I spent the first 9 weeks staring at an incubator praying my baby would survive, hoping to be able to hold her.
Then spent the next 6 months ferrying her around to appointments.
Fun times!
Couldn’t take her to “baby clubs/ classes” incase she got sick.

At the moment, mostly doing bog all! (Newborn twins, so I have an endless repeated cycle of change, feed, rock, pump...).

With my eldest, we did lots once she was about 6 weeks old. Couldn’t see the point before that really. There were a few free activities within walking distance (local sure start centre had stay and play one day a week, breastfeeding support group 1 day a week, and ran bounce at rhyme at 2 local libraries on 2 other days - a trip out for 4 days a week sorted!). I used to take her for a pram nap/walk each afternoon so I’d get a decent amount of fresh air. Met up with NCT group at someone’s house or at a cafe one afternoon a week. As DD got older we’d have a daily playground trip so she could go on the swings for a bit. I think the days are very long with a baby if you don’t have a trip out of the house planned for the morning and afternoon, even if it’s literally just a walk round the block to show baby some blossom on a tree or someone’s Christmas lights.

Watching intently, currently pregnant and wondering how it's all going to work for me late on next year!

We walked a lot and did shopping etc. Met up with NCT mums and babies for lunches / coffee and cake. We did Baby Sensory and swimming as well. I loved mat leave! Dc2 was a bit trickier to do all these things though. Quite a different, but still lovely experience.

I didn't have a strict routine but made sure we got out at least once a day.

My maternity leave ends tomorrow. We've done 3 swim meets with our NCT group, a couple of outdoor mum and baby yoga, lots of walking and a few coffees when we were able to sit out slide and enjoy the weather. It's not been the mat leave I imagined, the few classes in this area booked up before I got a look in.
Ive loved having time with her but I really wish we'd been able to do more. And not sure if it's an 8 month phase but she is so clingy atm, when her nanny came to visit she wouldn't go near her and had always been fine before.
I found the 6 weeks or so leading up to her birth the hardest though, too much time to worry and convince myself she wasn't moving as much etc!
Whatever your mat leave looks like, just make the most of it as it's gone in a blink!!

I've been on mat leave through this covid year. The first 2/3 months I honestly sat on the sofa and watched a lot of telly. But after that, lots of and lots of walks! There have been online classes, I did one of them and we had a few weeks of a face to face class. But pretty much I had a calendar of a different person to meet up with outside, usually in parks that did takeaway coffee. On another day I might do the shopping. If you don't go anywhere at all, it's hard work. But one trip out to the park is actually quite a big effort, so I've still felt quite busy.

With my first 4 years ago I had a lovely time doing classes, swimming, coffee dates, visiting family etc. I have a nearly 6 month old now and covid mat leave has been very different 🤦🏼‍♀️. Personally I haven’t implemented a strict routine, fortunately my little lady is incredibly laid back and just going with the flow although some will argue strict routines work for them, my basic routine is she manages 1.5-2 hours of awake time between naps before she gets overtired. My 4 year old has a more strict routine and baby fits around that. We are in an area that has had quite tight restrictions right through. We get out for a long walk everyday and usually do this when baby is due a nap as she tends to sleep well in the pram. Lots of classes that can’t operate ‘in person’ are doing zoom online sessions but personally I wasn’t keen on them. There are a couple that are operating we do go to one pre bookable class per week while the older one is in school. It’s worth knowing you can have a support bubble if you have an under 1 even in tier 4! We are bubbled up with my auntie so pop to hers for a cuppa and a change of scenery quite often and she comes to mine a couple of days per week and watches baby while I get a few bits done (DH can’t WFH so it’s nice to have company). We meet friends for walks in the park/national trust gardens etc-get a good thermal cup and waterproof jacket 🤣
In many ways it has been a rubbish maternity leave in covid lockdown, my family live a couple of hours away (managed 2 outside meet ups) and DHs are in Europe so we haven’t seen them at all. However it’s been nice to not have the pressure of lots of visitors and lazy days while my older one is at school have been nice for bonding. I have also walked off all the baby weight and saved a fortune not getting my roots and brows done 😂

In the first year, they don't do a whole lot or need much entertainment, so we mostly hung out at home (2nd time around, I wrote a grant application and returned lots of emails), went for walks, browsing shops, did a couple of classes, and then we went and did errands that needed doing. They mostly just come along on normal life. I didn't do much that was special 'baby stuff' except for the two classes and more walks. I did go on holiday to Spain during my 2nd mat leave (just baby and I, as dh and older dc needed to stay at home). It was a great way to make the most of being off work and really lovely.

Lockdown baby here, so when we could- swimming. Apart from that just walks and park (also have a toddler) and just general mincing about. We have had a routine from about 6 months when I attempted to enforce a map schedule. He’s gone with that. So his routine is formed around when he naps, wakes up and eats. No clear routine in terms of what we do in the day

1st baby - baby yoga, baby sensory, library rhyme time, met NCT friends for coffee, long walks, went to the shops a lot

2nd baby (now) - standing in freezing cold playgrounds while 2yo runs off energy, long walks on nursery days and er, that's about it I think. All baby classes are on zoom at the moment so I think I'll leave it a few months to see if the situation improves and that changes.

Dec-Jan getting ready for Xmas, recovering from Xmas, recovering from c sec
Feb-Mar tentative steps towards taking babies on school run and coffee shops
Mar-Aug shielding with 5 yo and 6ish month old twins
Sep-Dec school run so limited to park, shops etc, seeing friends from afar and not visiting family

I start mat leave end of next month, baby due Feb. I plan on doing bugger all til she's here other than ferrying 4 other kids around for school. When she arrives I plan to take lots of walks, weather permitting, getting back into yoga and generally enjoying having her to myself/not being at work. Around ferrying 4 kids around, obviously. Babies are small for such a short time and this will be my last so want to enjoy every minute of it before the inevitable return to the grind of work x

Thanks for all the ideas! I agree that covid and other situations make it harder. It sounds like mat leave was very nice for all of you! I'll take some of your ideas :)

First mat leave - library rhyme time, playgroups, swimming lesson, Hartbeeps, meeting friends for coffee, baby massage, Monkey Music, Bobbin Bunnies

Second mat leave - first 6 months (before first lockdown) Baby Sensory, Hartbeeps, walks, park (older child at nursery 3 days a week)

After 6 months - (March onwards lockdown), The Baby Club on Cbeebies, messy play with porridge oats, jelly etc, washing play food/dollies, walks. Also got a mail toy subscription and it’s been a life saver, especially with my older child (Whirli). Local nature centre and petting zoo in Summer.

September- Older child started Reception. Re-started a baby group in September, swimming with baby when allowed and part time nursery.

Had a huge mental health crisis and spent 4 days a week at the outpatient bit of the mother and baby unit. I went back to work at 3 months.

I don't recommend my approach to mat leave - it's not what I had planned! I can't imagine how I would have coped with it during a pandemic. Best not to think about it

Pre pandemic but we had no routine outside of getting out of the house once a day and started the day with an episode of Law and Order SVU.

But in reality I had an easy baby so we went to sleep January after midnight and didn’t get up until about midday when I had lunch, watched an episode of Law and Order SVU and got ready to leave for a walk, usually along the beach for a couple of hours.
Then I would do something I wanted or needed to do, such as: bake or read a book, exercise, laundry, dishes, shower, get into PJs, napped and waited for his dad to return.
Then it was generally food shop, dinner, more TV with his dad until we went to bed.

Fuck all. I had my baby on 25 march. Ive since gone back to work. My entire mat leave has been defined by COVID regulations.