During maternity leave did you.....

[bigbaubleeyes]

a) goto lots of mother baby things (b. gym & massage course etc)?

b) do anything special?

c) do bits of work at home?

I've found my DS to be quite a good baby. After recovering from CS I now have the use of car again and a lot more mobile. I have enjoyed quiet time away from work and think i want to make best use of my mantenity leave. Any ideas?

i went to baby massage classes and met a great couple of girls there. After the classes had finished we started meeting at each others houses and did loads of stuff with the babies, it was lovely to spend my maternity leave with people who had babies the same age.
Go to something new if you can, I didnt like the idea of joining an already formed cliquey mother and baby group

Yes to mother and baby things - breaks up the day and baby massage relaxed us both. I really liked just drifting around with my first baby esepcially in nice weather, pootling in parks and cafes and looking at what people who weren't at work got up to during the day...

I went to a couple of those mother and baby group things with my DTs but struggled as I only have one pair of arms! ALso they werent that friendly. I did go to baby massage when a friend could come with me adn really enjoyed it.

I did a bit of work as I had my work laptop at home and I hate feeling that I dont know whats going on at work so i kept my oar in as it were!

Re anything special - not really, just the usual walks, shopping, trips to friends etc. And we took them to Australia when they were five months old to see DH's family so I suppose taht was pretty special

baby massage under 6 months

post-natal groups

.. this was with first child when I think its really important to get in a room with other people in exactly the same position as you .. new parents .. new friends

I found sort of drop in things were best - there was a Steiner one near me. We made one lot of mum and baby friends at baby massage and wnet to the park with them. I found it incredibly peaceful just hanging out with baby DS1in the sunshine.

We did baby massage and I caught up on a LOT of stuff - scrapbooking, card making, etc.

But I have a toddler, too.

I enjoyed going to an under one's group, meeting with our ante-natal group and going swimming. I also used to go shopping a lot, and found it was so great going when there's hardly any people around and having lunch out. It was a lovely summer the year dd was born and I spent a lot of time with her in her buggy and me in the paddling pool reading magazines (I used to phone in to work and gloat), and we went to the beach a lot too. Oh and there was bounce and rhyme at the library too. It was great.

I didn't bother with anything like Jungle Gyms because I had enough to fill the days and also they started so early in the mornings and I'm not a morning person!

Oh yes, swimming with a baby is lovely.

I'm most definately trying to keep my oar in at work!!! I did some work lastnite online for the first time since starting leave and I'm going over work mates house tomorrow night with DH for curry.

I have my patchwork playmat to make for DS and a dolls house partially wired in cupboard (another abandoned hobby).

The days just seem to be flying by and I treasure my morning play and afternoon cuddles(big nap)

To be honest I never expected to have the odd bits of time on my hands as he is such a good baby as he sleep for an 8hr stretch at night. I almost feel guilty that i can stay at home with DS and have bits of spare time .

When I was pregnant with dts, I planed to go on maternity leave early and have a good rest, so I started my maternity leave at 32weeks, and had dts 6 days later so much for my planned rest.

I spent most of mine dossing around watching daytime tv, occasional lunches with friends, mooching round the shops and totally ignoring any jobs that needed doing round the house. Did nothing "improving". Loved every minute of it.