Ideas for maternity leave

[breakfastinbread]

Hi, I'm 34 weeks today and planning on going off work at the end of next week. However, health reasons mean that I may be off this week (pending consultant appointment coming up soon).

I am the sort that will go crazy if I don't keep myself occupied, but I need more ideas! There are no plans to induce me etc, so I may be facing up to 8 weeks off in total!

Here is what I have thought of so far:

Batch cooking (fish pies, lasagne, chilli, meatballs, sausage casserole)
Finish decorating nursery
Mahoosive house clean (1 room at a time- house pretty sorted already though)
Daytime cinema trips
Local art galleries
Paint/decorate some items round the house
Swimming x 3/week
Catch up with friends - walks/coffee etc.
Lots of reading and putting feet up!

Anyone else have some ideas?

I would recommend putting your feet up and just chilling. You will won't have a minute to yourself again for a very long time :)

I've made a big Netflix must watch list - both for post baby breastfeeding and for "feet up" moments pre baby!

I have an 11 week old DD and the thing I really regret not doing in my maternity leave before she was born is getting my hair cut.

Sit on sofa.

Haircut. I planned to have one, a manicure etc. Then DD decided to rock up early. Had my haircut 8 weeks later.

What about something like decopauge? Im starting my maternity leave in 2 weeks, and strting to wonder what the hell i will do. I have such a busy life, so to go to 6-8 weeks of nothing will be strange!! You can get decopauge stuff from hobby craft. I have done it before and its very therapeutic! You dont have to be arts and crafty, you can't go wrong doing it! That may pass time. You can stay at home in your pj's to dod it to :)

Print and sort photos
Go for walks / swim
Checkout local parent/baby activities available
Visit nurseries/childminders

Enjoy the sound of silence
Enjoy being able to do what you want, when you want
Sleep!
Read bioks

I have spent quite a lot of mine walking round places I have to get to by tube (ie will be a hassle with a pram or an expensive cab ride). And the opposite ... recon missions to Brent Cross, Westfield, leisure centres naice pubs to check pram friendliness and changing facilities!

Right now my main trips out involve buying curry, pineapple and walking up steps. In my due week, size of a barn!!

I've struggled with being off work and occupying my time, now in week 4 of mat leave. It takes a bit of adjusting to going from working long hours full time to being at home all the time. I've tried to work it so that I'm busy one day seeing friends or shopping etc and the next day is a rest day followed by a day cleaning / ironing etc. The rest days are really important, particularly if you're not sleeping well. I've been catching up on tv & books. I've had a pedicure, reflexology, hair cut, all the things that I won't be able to do with a newborn. I've also been to a local baby group to meet some local mums which was really useful.

Relax as much as possible and pamper yourself I'm pregnant with my 2nd and so different when you've got someone else to look after. Maternity leave with my 1st was so different :)

Sleep!

I will be spending a large amount of time knitting - my yarn stash lives in what will be the nursery so rather than give/throw it away I will be making blankets/clothes etc to use it up. The knitting will be done whilst watching DVDs

That said - there's no guarantee the nursery will be actually decorated by the time I go off so there may be some decorating involved as well.

Craft projects - I am currently making Christmas presents!

Weaning myself off school email finding it hard to let go!

I have to put on a display for a volunteer thing when bubba will either be 3 weeks old or a week so doing that now!

Lots of pottering jobs that never get done in the house!

Ooh, some good ideas here. I could make my Christmas cards early (made my own last year). That's another day filled!

Haircut is another definite, but I want to leave that as close as poss to due date.

I've already planted spring bulbs so that the garden looks nice for next year, but still lots of sorting (low level easy stuff, no massive projects/lifting- don't worry!) to be done as well.

Thanks all!

Ooooh, some good ideas! I've been thinking the same!

I went off at 36 weeks so thought I would have at least 4 weeks to relax and finish preparing.

As it was DS came at 37+4 so although id got all my bits done (had only packed my hospital bag the day I went into labour!) I missed out on the relaxing bit.

So don't assume you'll have as much time as you think, and do put your feet up!

I'm going to swim every morning (float around anyway)
Do some knitting
Get some reflexology
Watch some telly
Read some books
Paint some walls in the bathroom (needs colour!)
Do a bit of cooking for the freezer
Shop for nice foods for during labour (ice lollies mostly I expect)
Make the crib and sort it out ready for a baby to go in it
Enjoy the shagging part of the eviction process

I'm not going off work until tomorrow though, and I'm 39 weeks on Saturday, so I need a week for the above stuff and hope I get it.