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!!

I might sound a little naïve and no-offence to any single mums out there, but wouldn?t your OH?s just watch the baby for an hour or two so you could have a nice long bath?? Or a nap, or have the baby for a few hours to let you go shopping in peace?

I?m due in 8 weeks?I?d kind of hope he?d give me a break now and again :S

There's a difference though Mam2Be. Bathtimes before children were alot more relaxing, no shouting, squealing and "muuuum, Dad says I cant have this" Trips out they have to be planned in advance there's no "oh im off to the shops" and 20 minutes later you are in town. There's getting the children settled, tantrums to calm down, there is very rarely a minutes peace once that child is born!

Thanks for all the tips everyone. Looks like my next few weekends will be taken up with plenty of me time (hair, nails, bubble baths) and us time (museums, cinema, pubs and friends) and of course sleep.

greygirl - think I'll give the window cleaning a miss though - it might give the MIL something to do next time she comes over and insists on helping out!!

Lots of great tips, although I feel slightly more terrified and unprepared about becoming a family now

And if you have a BF baby that prefers to eat every hour then trips out sans enfant are a thing of the past for a long while!

Sleep. Wake up, look at the clock and go back to sleep again. Lie in bed listening to birds in the morning, wondering what time it might be.

Cinema.

Go to a posh hotel and lie in bed late and then get up and have a leisurely breakfast and then wander round the shops slowly. Have some lunch when you feel like it, not because someone will get over tired and fractious if you don't eat before 1pm.

Lie poolside reading trashy novels until you're bored and then wander off for some nice (non alcoholic cocktails)

Museums. Pub lunches and gentle strolls. Staying out til late, no particular plans.

Ooh good thread, I'm 27wks, going on holiday to Norfolk next week last one just me and DH for a while so looking forward to it! Also decorating the house like a mad woman t the moment as I'm not sure I'll have the energy or funds to do it for a while.

Sleep

Read a book

Cinema

Haircut

Pregnancy friendly spa trip

Nice restaurant dinners

Holiday

I say all these things but am blatantly going to be spending every free minute decorating until this one arrives!

Yeah, we are in mad decorating mode too, but have firmly decided to stop for a few days and give myself some time to recharge the batteries before the long hard slog at work until I break up for maternity leave. Think DH is looking forward to not having to be up ladders painting stuff too- although if he thinks it's an excuse to reacquaint himself with the Xbox then he is sadly mistaken

oh.......well it's too late to go back now LOL

Reading this post is like being on a ride and you want to get off! I feel like my life is officially over

Mam2Be - you do get time to yourself, but it is different.

If you are having a bath and can hear your baby crying, then you will get out of your bath and go and and see if you can stop them crying. Yes you might leave it a few minutes to see if your DH can calm them down, but not much longer than that - in my experience anyway.

Much depends on how you feed. DS was BF, so he needed me. We didn't get on that well with expressing.
DH used to take him out for an hour or so on a weekend morning so I could have a lie in, but there is no getting away from the fact that your life is going to change out of all recognition. It is worth it, I promise

Mam2Be your life isn't over, a new life is just beginning. You can still do some of the old stuff just less often. The joy and laughter a child brings to your home is well worth the loss of window shopping time and nights at the cinema.

If I had my pre-baby time again, I would:

-Go on some weekend minibreaks. This will clearly never happen now.

-Have lots and lots of lazy sunday morning sex. This will also never happen again.

-Sleep in as much as possible.

-Indulge in whatever hobbies you have. Leave the bits all over the place.

-Long indulgent baths.

-Cinema. As much as possible. Going to the cinema after having DC requires military planning and can fall through at the last minute.

-Go on last-minute, spontaneous holidays if you can.

-Go out with only your purse and phone.

-Wear white.

-Leave sharp knives and other contraband out on surfaces.

Do this, because after the baby, you will look back on your pre-baby time (particularly on your maternity leave if you have a decent length) and wonder what the HELL you did with your time.

Bitter, moi?

Wish I hadn't read this thread! So depressing to think of everything I won't be doing soon!!!!

I'm with you Cupcakes - wishing I'd never asked!!

But apparently it's all worth it, and as Mam2be said 'it's too late to go back now'.

I'm still counting down the remaining (eleven) weeks, and seriously can't wait, but at least I have another checklist of things that I need to make the most of before DC comes along.

I think it is just a question of not taking your free time for granted. Whilst you sit in a cafe supping on a moccachino and leisurely flicking through a magazine, take a look around you and appreciate the ease with which you are doing it.

Once you've had your baby, you wouldn't trade any of the above for:
Gummy smiles
new baby smell
stroking tiny little feet
baby snuggling into your neck
tiny hands patting your boob while they feed
proper chuckles
raspberry blowing
fuzzy little head.

It really is worth it, motherhood is the best! I hand on heart would not go back to life before children. I won't deny it's hard work, but it's wonderful hard work.

Sockmonkey I'm with you. You might give up a lot but you gain so much.

Being a mummy has made me laugh out load a lot more often, made my heart melt daily and made me brave. Lie ins, cinema trips and solo toilet trips never did that for me.

Tis different but better. I didn't want to ever change eating fish finger sandwiches and riding my scooter in the front street every day when I was 7, but life moves on and you find new things to enjoy.

Hmmm, I could just go a fish finger sandwich .

Sockmonkey.. your post made me choke up a bit :p

xx