So! Maternity Leave is here! *Twiddles thumbs*

[LuckyOwl28]

Maybe it hasn't quite sunk in yet but did anyone else feel a bit lost when they finally finished work?

I woke up like clockwork this morning at 7am and have basically spent the day moving from room to room fiddling with things, watching TV and feeling restless. My husband is in the forces so we don't have any friends and family nearby for me to see, and I'm worried these 5 weeks are going to drag.

I could get the bus into town or walk to the next village, but worry I'll end up spending money that we don't have.

There are a few things in the Nursery I need to finish off and I plan to make some meals to freeze over the weekend, but that will only take a day.

It turns out i'm not very good at 'resting' as feel agitated and guilty as if I should be doing something more productive.

I am being so awkward aren't I!

Am I the only one???

You'll be busy soon!

Could you visit friends + family?

Put some things on eBay?

Watch films you've always wanted to, that dh doesn't want to see? Netflix does a free 1 month trial and has lots, also tv series.

I went for long walks trying to get labour started when I finished work!

Baby could come early! Make sure you have absolutely everything ready, then kick back and relax. Read some books about breastfeeding (if you intend to) and care of a newborn. then Stock up on sleep - you'll need it :-)

I'm at the end of my first week of maternity leave and still wake up normal time (7:15). It was very odd for the first couple of days but I've got into the swing of mooching about now. So much so my plans to finish my hospital bag still haven't materialised. There must be other things that you have been putting off you could do, for example on my list I've put 'sort out bedroom drawers' and this is something I've been meaning to do since about Christmas.
Are there any bumps and babies groups near you? I plan to pop to one near me next week. It's just a coffee afternoon - so shouldn't be too costly. There are bound to be places near you.
Honestly though relaxing, reading a magazine or a book now is probably more than we are going to manage in a few weeks time

I did lots of DIY jobs that DH we had been putting off for years and had a general clear out and tidy up of the whole house. I also constructed IKEA bookshelves while in labour! I knew that once the baby arrived nothing would get done for years. It was lovely to have a tidy house when home with a newborn as you don't have any time and looking at the mess all day is depressing, and especially now as DD is toddling its good to have all the junk away.

Rest while you can! My DS arrived 3 weeks early so I didn't get chance to enjoy the 3 weeks of chilling out I had planned when I finished work.
Left work at lunch time on Friday, waters broke Saturday afternoon! Not even one day of rest!

I know how you feel! I've been off for three weeks now and I'm climbing the walls! It's like being off sick from school, you think it will be great but all your friends are at work all day anyway so you end up sat indoors eating toast and watching Jeremy Kyle day after day. I've got everything for baby, organised it all, packed and repacked my hospital bags, washed all the clothes and sheets, cleaned my flat top to bottom... I have literally nothing left to do. And if I go into town or something by myself I end up convincing myself I desperately need something and blowing loads of money. I've already decided we need a new set of pans, a kitchen bin and some pictures for the living room walls, then I see how much I've spent and start to panic! It's very lucky that we don't have to pay council tax this month.

Exactly what catlady1 said! Also not helped by the fact I'm in limbo as to whether or not I'll have to have a section or not so desperately hoping this bump puts in an appearance ASAP! I had no idea it would be this tedious...it's just given me time to worry and eat

Oh yes docsarah the eating! I'm sure I've just about doubled in size since I've been off work. I was doing really well before as well, I'd only gained about a stone throughout the whole pregnancy, but I must have gained at least another these past few weeks. I daren't look!

Make the most of it. DS is nearly two and I recently had my first day in the house alone since before he was born!

How exciting! enjoy it, go to the cinema, shopping, anything that tickles your fancy!

I can't wait to go on maternity leave ... :)

YY to going out. Anywhere you fancy, whenever you fancy it. A few weeks time and popping out will be a thing of the past.

Drink hot drinks. Not lukewarn-forgotten-about-for-four-hours-due-to-cluster-feeding drinks.

Watch an entire programme/series without interruption.

You can't 'bank' sleep either, so may as well enjoy these last weeks of peace!

Agree with the 'enjoy it while you can'! Was really looking forward to my 5 weeks maternity leave and DD arrived one week in! I felt very cheated! This is the last time inanely years that you can do what you want, when you want....

Thanks for the tips girls!

Husband came home earlier to find me on the bed fully clothed staring into space. Think he'll be driving me back to work next week lol!

I have been looking forward to finishing for so long but have never really been good on my own with nothing to do. Have enquired about a local bumps and babes groups but looks like i'll be the only pregnant one - everyone else has kids to take. Will still give it a go.

Think i'm going to make a little schedule for myself to motivate me to get out at least once a day and keep busy.

Oh dear. I wish I was more like you. I'm the exact opposite and I hate it...well no. I love it.

I LOVE lounging around all day like a lazy, fat cat doing nothing but stuff my face with food and watch TV programmes (One born every minute is now on Netflix mums-to-be).

I wish I was more active and productive!

Twiddle those thumbs - it'll be a while before you get the chance to do so again!

Lydia my husband is exactly the same so cant really empathise with how i'm feeling. It would be his absolute dream to have a lie in and watch what he wants on TV all day. Maybe I'll get more into it as the weeks pass. Starting to Sky Plus anything that looks semi interesting!

I have an 8 month old ds. I was really glad we got the house decluttering and tidy before our ds was born as it made life so much easier afterwards. Jobs just don't get done, we did nothing until ds was about 6 months old so do all of those jobs like clean fridge, sort drawers, cupboard etc. I watched so much TV afterwards that I wouldn't worry about that although Netflix was a god send in the early days as I used to sit with him and watch whole series at a time. I am not a great cinema goer but wish I had gone in my maternity leave in the day on my own with a big bag of popcorn. I would also love to just chill out in a coffee shop with a drink and a magazine. I have bought but never actually managed to read one in 8 months!