What am I supposed to do for 12 weeks at home?

[adognamedboo]

I've finally conceded defeat at the hands of SPD and taken sick leave from work.
I'm only 27 weeks but it's been agony despite the pain killers, support belts, physio and every other remedy under the sun.
So I've gone from full time ward nursing to pottering round the house, and I'm worried that I'm going to lose my mind.

I can still manage the school run (other DCs are 8 and 10) and drive short distances, but walking is so painful, so I can't get out and about like I normally would on my days off. My mum is coming round once/twice a week to help and is very involved with the kids anyway but I can't lift a washing basket and it takes a long time to get up the stairs. The poor dog can't understand why DP is walking him every day when I'm home.
I wasn't planning on starting mat leave until 36 weeks, so now I have all this time whilst the kids are at school and I don't know what to do with myself.
Anyone got any ideas? Suggestions for new TV box sets or hobbies welcome! Pre-pregnancy I rode horses, cycled and walked miles, so I'm not used to sitting for so long, it's so frustrating!!!

Try to enjoy yourself. The best book I read in the last couple of years was "Shantaram". For TV series: Breaking Bad, Weeds, Orange is the new black, Homeland, Mr Selfridge and Modern Family for a good laugh. Most of these are on Netflix. Enjoy :-)

Ive been off with hyperemesis for around 8 weeks (I'm now 14). Some days I'm soo ill that I'm quite glad to be lying on the couch watching tv. On my good days I do get really bored. If ur housebound there's very little too do. Every morning I look forward to watching catch up tv wen ds and hubby are away to school and wot. But after that I'm sooooo fed up. Hoping i can get bak to work in next couple of weeks. But ur further on than me so just enjoy ur time before baby comes. Xxx

Knitting sounds like fun, it would keep my brain going too. Do you think I could learn from a book? Or is it a person to person skill?

I'm going to have to get Netflix, aren't i?

Lots and lots of MN!

A few random ideas:
Something crafty like cross-stitch or embroidery for baby's room?
Read some good books - see what's on amazon best sellers list/join a book club.
Sort all your photos out on your phone and print some digital albums.
Sudoku/cross words.
Online food shopping?
Teach your dog some new tricks or do some training sessions with him.
Never had spd, so this might be totally inappropriate, but can you manage swimming?
Get one of those new baby journals and fill in all the bits you can about before baby being born.
Download some good Radio 4 podcasts to listen to in the bath.
Baking.

Run out of steam now, not sure any of that would fill ten weeks!

You tube is your friend for learning a new skill. I have just taught myself crochet that way

I was going to suggest knitting or crochet - you can definitely teach yourself these from books/YouTube videos and it's quite easy to make a nice baby blanket.

Boxsets are another good idea!

Hope that you can rest and relax and the pain eases when you're not up and about too much.

Oh yes, midwife has recommended swimming a few times a week so I don't seize up and become a whale

Sorting photos DP has been pestering me to do that for months, I've got no bloody excuse now

Read/watch an epic series. Game of Thrones?

Also batch cook lots of freezable meals to have once the baby is here. I made and froze a load of healthy seed flapjack bars last time as well to have during night feeds!

NowTV is good, you can sign up for movies or for the entertainment package. On the entertainment choice there's lots of box sets. It's owned by sky so plenty of program's on the Discovery channel etc.

I'm working my way through 'Brothers and sisters' on nowtv

Gentlygently I didn't realise you could freeze flapjack, what a good idea.
Thanks all for the suggestions so far, no doubt I shall be spending far too much time MNing so keep them coming

Resolution number 1 is get enough sleep so I'm off to bed now, night all

Watch Breaking Bad. And look after yourself.

I'm sorry about your SPD.

Can you do antenatal yoga? I go & there's some ladies there with hip, back issues etc. you could try find a class in your area or try YouTube

Or Aqua natal classes are good too

Also I watch sex and the city box sets always cheers me up

Learn the piano? You can get rent-to-own deals.

Learn to knit, crochet, or patchwork?

Sort photos, definitely.

Read some nice books.

Maybe join some short course - there always seem to be things like creative writing going on at the library.

I loved swimming, it was the only thing that made me forget about spd. But be careful with your legs, no breaststroke as you need to keep your legs close together to protect your pelvis. I hope the rest makes you feel better

Audiobooks - subscribe to audible or download them onto a tablet or Kindle?

Have you ever researched your family history? All you need is a laptop & a subscription to Ancestry & it can be very immersing. I'd had all the men in my family traced by others, but not the women. It was interesting to learn about their jobs, how many kids they had, where they lived (& if those houses were still standing) what they did after spouses died etc. I got back as far as 1841 with some of them. It even influenced ds1's name!

Sorry about your SPD it sounds so painful.
I suppose if it were me I would get a sewing machine and make crafty type things? Are you artistic? Cook elaborate new things I'd never tried before, make ice cream or bake. I do feel for you as I hate being bored and inactive.

West Wing, obviously. All the series (last time I looked). Are on Amazon/Netflix on demand. Just the best TV EVER. I miss them all.