Top tips to make the most of life before becoming a mum?

[Jenko77]

I?m 29 weeks PG with DC1. So far I?ve had a nice easy pregnancy (but don?t want to tempt fate!) although starting to get a bit bigger and more knackered now.

I have been so focused on what to do when the baby arrives, I?ve only just realised I should be making the most of time now that?s just DH and me.

We?ve had a weeks holiday recently, and we try to go out for dinner once or twice a week (mainly because I get too lazy to cook). Anything else we should be making the most of before the new (and much anticipated) arrival turns our world upside down? We both work full time, and I still have another 8 weeks left before mat leave starts.

And top tips gratefully received!!

Wow - you have just started the thread I was going to! I just mailed my DH about maybe going somewhere in Sept (baby due in Dec) so that we can spend some quality time together.

I'd be really interested in seeing some suggestions too

Me and DH have a week off together starting this Friday and am also thinking about doing nice things- if only to give us a break from blooming decorating! I am 24w ish and won't have another break until my maternity leave starts on 24 September- grrr.
The things on my list are- day trip to the seaside, wander round the local art gallery and have a nice lunch somewhere, dinner at our favourite (expensive) restaurant, go to the cinema at least once, get hair done and maybe a facial too, and a weekday trip to Ikea . Maybe the last one is less fun!

I'm 29 weeks now and me and my DH have been doing things like going out to our friends houses and staying late, going swimming together, going on holiday next week to just lounge by a pool and read books...

To be honest though, I completely can't wait to have my baby.. it kind of feels like i'm just trying to speed up time till then x

SLEEEEEEEEEEEP. Loads. Do it now.

sleep!!! have pub lunches etc...

Lie-ins, nice baths, reading, starbucks with an arm full of papers, museums, shopping, meals out, weekends away, doing nothing!

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep until your head drops off. Seriously, it'll be a bloody long time till you can do that again.

Lie in bed with tea, toast and the papers or whatever floats your boat.

Have long baths.

Go to pubs that don't serve children (there's a lovely one near us that is out of bounds in the winter because kids are only allowed in the garden).

Put all your best ornaments and knee level and just look at them

Leave biros on the coffee table just because you can.

at knee level

Go to the movies! Used to go once a month or so. Since having kids (6 years ago) have been probably 5 times.

I was like this last summer. Everyone kept teling me to enjoy my time off, read lots and sleep a lot. I spent most of teh summer pacing round the house and bouncing on my ball, willing the little buggar to come out.

This summer I am up at 6am every day and spending my time bent over clutching Ds's sticky mawlers whilst he tries to explore the house on his wobbly little legs. A whole afternoon to read a book seems like an unattainable dream!

Sleep
Read
Go to the shops
Eat out
Sleep
Sit on the toilet un-interupted
Have a loooooong bath
Sleep
Phone a friend
Sleep

Cinema.. Never appreciated at the time how impossible it would be to combine the holygrail of overnight babysitting, DP having time off and a good film on at the cinema. DS is 2.7 and I still haven't been )

Leave the house in less than 5 minutes. Just grab your coat, car keys and bag and...go.
Once the baby comes you wont be able to do that for a very long time!

Sleep
See all of your friends at night time, during the day, for lunch and for brunch
Have a nice long relaxing swim
Sleep
Read a book in a day
Cook elaborate dishes
Do all of your washing and iron it
Get your hair done
Get your nails done and wonder at how long it lasts
Shopping, slowly
Do boring things you always fancied - museum visits etc
Go on an adult holiday, somewhere really adult
Look at you OH intently. You might not see him properly again for a while.

clean the windows - you won't get a chance for another 12 months!

Sleep. Have long, lazy weekend mornings in bed. Have as much sex as you can manage. Eat out every night. See every film that you would vaguely like to at the cinema. Watch whole DVDs. Go to gigs. Go for a couple of weekends away. Read everything you can get your hands on, but be sure to include some long novels. Eat TONS of chocolate (hey, you can't drink, you gotta take your pleasures where you can). Relax. REST. I wish I had followed this advice when I was overdue with DD. Instead I marched up and down hills all day in an effort to budge her.

I absolutely love DD but what I miss is just being able to see a film I'd like to, as we have few babysitters, so try not to overuse them. We do go out about once a month so not too bad.... but I miss the cinema . And reading. And long lazy mornings in bed etc etc...

I like being able to have more than one glass of wine though .

Agree totally with the cinema if that's your thing. We used to go every week to two weeks... not been since Quantum of Solace was out

Other things to enjoy:

Eating a meal while it is still hot
Putting anything down on the floor and it still being there later
The ability to leave drinks/food at a low level
Leaving the room without being shrieked at or followed
The house staying tidy
Going out anywhere for the day without planning military operations and taking the most ginormous bag with you (that could be just me though!)

However, after the initial shock, it is enjoyable chaos and our 15 month dd gives us plenty of laughs. Good job as dc2 is due in November

And whoever said about biros... guess what dd has in her hand right now!!! Got to go

Just go to bed now and do not, under any circumstances, get up until your contractions start.

Ooooooh

Lie in bed and then lie in bed some more.

Go to a posh hotel and lie in bed there.

Whether at home or out have long leisurely meals with more than one course ( meals in our house feel like a Formula 1 pit stop now)

Go for coffee with friends and engage in converstation rather than crisis manage.

Hair done.

Nothing new to what others have said really.

But in addition I would say do anything you like doing alone, a lot, because soon it will become a team sport and it will stay that way for years.

Depends on what you enjoy / how much you need to be saving up for the costs of a new baby. Some stuff I did:
Lie ins, lazing around
Cinema
Girls' night out (obv not drinking much but fun nonetheless)
Entertaining at home e.g. if you enjoy cooking fancy stuff that you won't have time for
Going to a smart bar that wouldn't be child friendly
Dedicating time to hobbies e.g. I knitted a blanket
Getting hair done / coloured / going to a department store and getting make-up done and buying new make-up
Leisurely wander around the shops
Enjoy random strangers cooing over you, saying "ooh, when's it due", getting up for you on the tube and lifting stuff for you

do nothing....i dont think i have just done "nothing" for 6 years, its always oh i'll just do this then this then this etc etc etc.

Spend at least 15 mins in the shower, making sure you have actually rinsed shampoo and conditioner out!!

Buy and wear some new make-up.

Wake up, look at the clock, roll over and sleep some more.

Read lots and lots of glossy magazines although flick past articles about celebrity mums and baby weight!!

Play your favourite music loud!!

Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

Maybe a bit late for you now, but if you had any plans to go to far away countries do it before getting pregnant as when your DC is young you'll be worrying about illness and malaria, then when they are older it will be "Ugh, don't want to go there!"
So if you always wanted to visit the Amazon jungle then you'll have to wait until they leave home

That's what I'm waiting for, got at least 12yrs to wait.

Get up, grab your bag and leave the house. You dont have to go anywhere - just appreciate it taking less than an hour to do so

Go for a wee all on your own.

Wear clean clothes

p.s. they are so worth it really