what did you do to pass the time whilst on Mat leave?

[Gemjar]

I have now been off work for a week and I am bored!

DS is at nursery 4 days a week (will soon go down to 3, but nursery needed notice) and DH works full time.

between housework, cooking, picking DS up from nursery, I am still left with most of the day to myself. I am 36 weeks and if DS2 is to be anything like his big brother I will still have up to another 6 weeks to go before the birth.

Baring in mind that most of my friends work during the week and can't do much physical activity at this stage I am looking for any good ideas that people have as a way to relieve boredom, avoid watching Jeremy Kyle and stop me from getting too impatient waiting for the little one to arrive. Any suggestions welcome!

Just Mn

It eats days

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeep

I enjoyed the luxury of napping in the day, shopping on my own, batch cooking etc

Really - you won't get anytime like this after your baby is born so do lots of things you won't have time to do, like read a book and have a hot cuppa

You really must sleep. You won't do it again for at least another year.

Cinema
Crafts - knitting / Painting / photography - whatever your thing is!
Reading
Massage
Visit friends and family
Baking - make christmas stuff / learn how to bake bread
Sort out DS's photos and get any framed that you want to for yourself or others

I did all this with DC1 but with DC2 I was so uncomfortable that I just lay on the sofa and watched daytime TV!

I didn't get maternity leave for DC2 as I was working for my family and felt I couldn't let them down. With DC1 I watched TV, had lovely long afternoon naps and went out for lunch with girls I had met at my antenatal classes. It was bliss!

Are there no jobs around the house that have been sitting on your to do list for ages?

If I were you I'd get my Christmas shopping done. Early I know but do you really want to do it with a newbie in tow? Then wrap it as well (then build a secret cupboard so you can hide it from your DS until Christmas).

I start my maternity leave on the 16th Dec and school breaks up then too, so I'll have my hands full until the 4th Jan, but I know the waiting around can be boring.

What about a love film free months trial and get some chick flix or none childfriendly movies watched. Do a bit of reading? Friends get lunch breaks, can you meet people for lunch - it's a trip out. And don't forget the pre birth hair do!

Once calm decends and I'm just waiting in January I plan to sort out all our paperwork, which is very boring but hasn't been done since I had DD 3.5 years ago.

And if all else fails take a bit of time realising what a together, organised, wonderful, rational human being you are by giving in and watching Jeremy Kyle!

I agree with rubyslippers, batch cooking so you can live on microwave cooking for a few weeks after DC is born. Although that is hardly going to fill up 6 weeks. I guess that's why my mother and grandmother both know how to knit and new babies in our family have always been well knitted for. Unfortunately my granny is probably too old to do things like that anymore so I either learn or go without. :(

when not vomiting/recovering from vomiting, or looking after DD, I was madly organising my house, while having the loft built, living in chaos then decorating almost the entire house before baby arrived, then moving DD up into the loft. It was not relaxing!

With DD, i slept mostly, tidied and prepared, chilled out in the sun.

There are jobs to do around the house - I am currently washing all of DS1's old baby clothes - but fun things would be better than all the boring chores that I have very carefully avoided so far.

I like the book reading and painting ideas, although my attention span has dropped to nearly zero as I get preoccupied with baby stuff.

Also the batch cooking will be done along with organising my very messy recipe notebook

i enter competitions online. never win any though

I'm jealous!!! Would love some time like this NOW & I'm only 12 weeks.

Before DD came I did lots of walking in London's parks - slow lovely walks at my own pace. Did entire Henry Moore exhibition at Kew Gardens on a deserted Tuesday the day before I went into labour - gorgeous day very bright in my memory.

Read.
DVD box sets (borrow from friends?)
Sew?
Online shop for Xmas.
sleep

i'm not on maternity leave but have taken a year off from university as my baby is due at the beginning of the second term.

if you can, go to the cinema. i've been going loads, even though i used to hate the idea of going alone. daytime showings are so much cheaper than evening ones, just make sure you sit towards the back so you can get to the toilet quickly...

I have always done a tapestry when off on mat leave - I say A as it has only been ONE! Started when on mat leave with DS, continued on mat leave with DD and have only just finished this pregnancy whilst on bed rest!!
Tis good if you just want something to concentrate on and keep hands moving while watching telly/listening to raido - I'm a real fidget so need something to make me sit still.

Clean the house, go shopping, find a new series box set to get through, learn an instrument?!? Try and think of what you've always though you never had time for, and try and fit it in!! Make the most of it, as it'll be over too quickly!x

Hooray, my maternity leave starts today - so I have approx 5 weeks!

I am looking forward to catching up with friends for coffee, but i need to sort out the nursery and get little clothes washed, and buy all the stuff I wasn't given.I have loads of books to read and some box sets lined up.

I am also not looking forward to, but have lots of paperwork to sort out...

I think I will prob get bored, but so relieved I don't have to work any more - was getting such a struggle to concentrate!

i filled up the freezer, did cleaning and tied up old projects that were unfinished. Then I went 2 weeks overdue and spent the time ranting instead

Oh, the luxury of maternity leave pre-birth! My DD decided to come along 6 wks early- waters broke when I was at work (fortunately not in a huge gush!) and this time I have DD who is a full time job in herself- but things I wish I had done before she arrived

1. work out exactly how to fold/set up/move buggy up and down stairs 2)know how to put car seat into the car 3)put cot together 4)batch cook. Oh yes. We lived from M&S for about 3 weeks, v. expensive! I'd also do some batches of soup for quick easy lunches when you have your hands full
2. Spring clean the house. I let it go after she was born and we have never really got back on an even keel since!

I did manage to organise our finances and I am SO glad that I did as I definitely did not have the energy for the conversation that requires once she was here! (when I say organise it gives the impression there is lots! Sadly not the case!)

Oh, and if you can sleep. I spent far too much time just watching her when I should have been asleep myself. Won't be making that mistake this time.

Good advice @jeffily there's a lot of stuff I need to figure out still, cot-wise etc so might as well do it now whilst I can still move around!!

I'm jealous. As lovely as my DC are, I do wish I had time to myself, sigh. I don't work but DD is still part time at school and DS (2.5) doesn't go to nursery or anything yet (nor does he have a daytime nap anymore) so I have no time to myself at all. I'm only 15 weeks but have just got over the sick stage and now have much more energy. I would really love to go swimming, do yoga, decorate the house, read, sew, go to art exhibitions etc etc. But most of these are tricky to do with a toddler in tow. Instead I spend my mornings at playgroups and my afternoons freezing in the park or visiting the library.

If I were in your shoes I'd really try to make the most of it, do anything you enjoy. Spoil yourself. Try your local nct group too, they usually have meet ups in cafes each week.

with ds1 i had a month off to watch the whole of prison break

i used a gym then so would go in the morning or for a swim, lunch, dvd/little sleep on the sofa, cook big batch of something nice for dinner and freeze 1/2. if i had more time to kill then nesting, spring cleaning and arranging baby clothes/equipment would fill a few hours!

Cinema definitely! I love going alone, betrer than with someone actually. Best films I've watched on a whim by myself have been Fargo and Sin City.

Or dvd's, Lovefilm is awesome, have a nose around their site.
I once tried to learn french by watching only French films for a month, but I only learned a few new words. Must try harder.

am due to start mat leave this friday.....and intend to do the following:
lie in
read in the bath (lots!)
go for a pedicure (can't be bothered struggling to get to my feet anymore)
get my haircut
batch cook
write xmas cards and finish the xmas shopping (all online, of course )
finish bits of decorating that have been hanging around for AGES
watch lots of naff daytime tv
sleep when i want, which is pretty much all the time at the mo

here's betting the wee one turns up early!!!