What to do on mat leave before baby arrives?!

[fl0b0t]

Hi all
I've got 4 days left of work and am getting a bit worried about what people DO on maternity leave before their baby comes? I have a feeling my baby will be late- it's due 17th Sept and I finish work this coming Thursday.

I'm a pretty active person (thought getting more tired and swollen by the second) and worried about being bored- especially if baby is very late! Obviously I know that I'll be slowing down anyway, and that once I've pottered about the house and watched a bit of telly that will be time killed, but I'm so used to doing stuff!

So far my list includes:
-do hypnobirthing (try it)
-library
-swim/walk/cycle (one a day if I can)
-touch up paintwork around the house
-cook & freeze meals
-photography and art
-Bumps & Babies groups

I have already packed hosp bag (had a couple of trips away so had to be prepared), baby room is finished and I think we're pretty much prepared. I do have a few friends with children I can meet up with too.

Anyone got any bright ideas?

(ps I know that relaxing and enjoying my last few weeks of being just a person, not a mummy is really key too)

thanks :-)

I went twenty days over so had lots of time on my hands. Plan a creative birth announcement, make some bunting for the nursery and make an album of your pregnancy. And, do do and do again your hypno birthing practice and some yoga. Worked for me! ENjoy your time.

I pottered a lot. Batch cooking was great! I did enough to last us a month! I met up with friends for coffee too.

Personally I had an irritable uterus so I tried to put my feet up. I would also do stuff like stock up on household goods (loo roll, toothpaste etc) because you won't want to pop out to buy them. I didn't get to watch films for the first three months so I'd watch anything you think you'll enjoy! :) good luck with the birth!

Sleep!

I took lovely long naps in the afternoon.

I found it difficult to do much! I had a list similar to yours but just got exhausted and too big to sit at my sewing machine in the last couple of weeks.

I really wish I'd got a haircut and done something really relaxing like a facial - those things are so much more challenging to do with a baby in tow! Also just enjoy vegging out with your favourite book / box set / netflix series or something - uninterrupted time will be a luxury once your baby is here.

I had a feeling of aimlessness in those few weeks - it sort of feels like limbo, just waiting for your baby and I found it a challenge to get my mind into a new pace, not being constantly driven my to do list at work. But if you get that feeling don't worry, it soon passes when your baby arrives!

Hope you enjoy it, it's a special time )

Cinema.

Sleep. Sleep. Then sleep some more.

Then when you're finished sleeping, go back to bed.

Anything you want! That's the best bit! I tried to make plans but usually I just couldn't be bothered the day i intended to do them.
Just take each day as it comes and do what you want.
I visit family more even just for an hour, gets me out and breaks up the day.
Lots of mumsnetting and reading about labour and newborns, smiling at your baby's things and getting all excited :)

Relax and treat yourself with stuff like massage, facial and haircut. Sleep as much as possible and perhaps batch cook. I need to clean this time round and my time off when DS1 is in nursery will be my only chance. Might be the last chance to deep clean the house for years!

I went to the cinema/theatre/opera/concerts a lot! My last chance before babysitters became necessary. I saw loads of great stuff - and bump kicked out of time throughout don giovanni.

Oh the luxury of being on mat leave with your first before baby arrives - no toddler(s) to run sound after while you're heavily pregnant! With my first, I used to:

yoga classes
Swimming
Cinema
Wash baby's clothes
Read
Watch films/TV
Nap everyday
Shopping - for clothes for me and baby
Clean
Met ith other nct mum friends for coffee
Researched all the baby groups around in preparation

Now it's running after 2 year old whilst overdue at the park/ soft play/ museums not resting or sleeping at all!

Sounds like some great ideas! I've called it my "Can do" list rather than "to do" so I don't feel I have to do it all, and can just do the fun/easy/relaxing things!

Definitely hair cut- pedicure if you like them, I did shopping for presents and cards for the first few months too so that I wouldn't have to dash out and get things in week 2

sleeeeeep

for me too

Do bloody nothing whilst you can!

Actually I couldn't sleep, I was so uncomfortable. So don't stress if you can't.

Batch cooking is def up there. And cinema.

I'm 38+4 now and really feeling the tiredness but can't sleep as much as I'd like due to being the size if a whale uncomfortable. It means I can't do too many tasks in a day so I'm trying to spread things over the week :)

I'd get some vinylux nail varnish so your toes are nice!!!

I finished 2 weeks before due date then DS was 2 weeks late it drove me crackers!! I mainly went out for walks, shopping, read books while I could and as it was winter bedded in with the tv. Glad I read plenty as didn't again for a long time

I had a massive to do list and was worried I'd be so bored. Two weeks in and the time has gone SO quickly! I've cleared out stuff, cleaned up then repeated the cleaning after decorators have been in, had a pregnancy massage and a pedicure, met up with friends etc. I only sleep about 4-5hrs a night max, and can't seem to get comfortable in the day, so I've been really slow. I'm just so glad I'm not at work - my bump is huge and I'd never had lasted the commute!

Don't try to plan too much. I have a pile of unread books, haven't watched daytime TV and have only done hypno CD every 2-3 days and somehow the time has still passed quickly!!!

xx

I had 5 weeks at home and it was bliss 7 years later I still look back at that time as a wonderful time!

I slept a lot, watched daytime tv, did my nails, shopped, went out for lunch and ate lots of

I also started a winnie the pooh cross stitch sampler for the nursery so I spent a lot of time doing that. I had almost finished it when I went into labour and I never picked it up again. If DS1 had been a day later, I reckon I would have finished it

Go to the dentist, hairdresser, beautician.

Randomly leave the house with no notice and no preparation!

Catch up with friends.

Sleep, and lie around a lot doing nothing much at all.

Go to the card factory and buy two years worth of birthday cards and stamps. Something else you won't want to pop out and buy. They also do thank you cards in case you want to stock up on them.

Movies, reading, batch cooking ( I cooked two months of food, all portioned into bags ) it is the best thing I did.

I bounced on a ball a lot and walked the dog. It's boring really.