mat leave!

[TheMrs04]

Well today is my first day of maternity leave and I have to say I'm bored already! I'm 35+1 weeks and wasn't forced to take my mat leave but after struggling for the last few weeks I've been talked into it by my DH! Any ideas on keeping myself occupied for the next few weeks until my baby is here!

Hi, I'm in the same boat but 35+3. Wasn't due to go off yet either but have been unwell so thought it best. I've been scratching round all morning but then decided to wash a pair of trainers I've been meaning to sort for ages (wild!), have a bath and now I'm reading my kindle.

Planning to use the time to nap and rest. Going to do an obligatory IKEA trip and then sort the babies clothes out, wash them, do my hospital bag, batch cook ready for the arrival and try not to focus on the fact that it could still be 7 weeks!! 🙈 If you have any crafty style hobbies you could do those? Go for walks? It's tough it feels like it's a long way off yet!

Enjoy it. It will feel like a beautiful dream when the baby is here!

Ooh, congrats on getting to mat leave! I'm very jealous... I have two older DCs already, so my mat leave will be filled with school runs then entertaining during the school hols!!

So, if I had time to chill, what would
I do? Def the bits recommended above (batch cooking, washing and organising baby clothes etc) and would also go for mooches round shops, have tea and cake with friends or alone, go to the pictures/watch films or tv series at home, nap!!!!, pamper time (either in a salon or at home), leisurely walks (if you can walk!!).... sigh Sounds glorious!!!!

Enjoy your mat leave and good luck for when the time comes

Go shopping. Find the toilets which are big enough to fit a pushchair in.

Go to the cinema, hairdressers, pedicure, massage.

Visit any tourist thing you fancy where a pushchair or a hulk of a baby will be a pain.

Have lunch in peace

Well today consisted of traveling to the sea side to visit my mum then took ourselves to bingo!! ( old before our times and we didn't win) came home to DH sat moaning about work! So decided to cook tea which took me an hour to decide what I fancied! Luckily my sister had her baby 3 weeks ago and has asked me to help her plan her wedding so that will take a few hours out of my day plus i get to have cuddles with my adorable niece!! On the plus side I have to admit it was nice to not have to think about getting home on time to get ready for the night shift!! So pamper time it is!

I decided to start my maternity leave early and take 2 weeks leave to luxuriate in some lovely me-time...4 days and 1 ecs later I had my new ds to fill my days up! Two of my friends were exactly the same; started mat leave early cue early baby!

Dont begrudge it!!!! Mat leave with dc2 is hell on earth - heavily pregnant and a toddler/child and all you want to do is sleep or sit with your bra off.

Nap
Read books
Drink hot drinks
Cinema
Paint that wall you keep looking it (twp dcs in and it still needs painting).

Ahhh I loved my pre-baby mat leave with DS1. I'm sort of on mat leave agin although I only went back to work 2 days a week wfh so my life hasn't actually changed much this time. Last time I made a list every day with a few things on to do. Some household chore stuff and some stuff for me. I did swimming, aqua natal, lunches with nct ladies, shopping, walks, nails, hair. I look back on that time really fondly.

This time has comprised of toddler groups, toddler swimming lessons, playing 'run mama', playing 'crash 'copters', playing all other sorts of tiresome toddler games and lap still lunches with the nct ladies albeit far less relaxing.

Agree with above posters. I'm 28 weeks with baby 2 and this mat leave is going to be completely different to the last now I will have a toddler to look after too! I look back fondly on the 2 weeks I had before my 1st arrived- coffee and cake with friends, walks, a nap most days, pottering round the shops etc. Indulge and be lazy and don't feel remotely guilty about it!

I wish I had taken longer off to be honest.

Set up online grocery shopping if you haven't already.
Find out about your local breastfeeding groups, baby groups, places to park with parent child spaces, places to change baby when out and about.
Have a nap every day if you feel like it.
Get into a good box set or series.
Go for lots of lovely walks when the weather is nicer out.
Plan a little something for most days.
Consider planning stuff (that is easy to cancel) beyond your due date too so that if you go over, you have nice things to do. A friend of mine planned lovely things every day until her due date and then was bored stiff and really frustrated when she went overdue and had 2 weeks with nothing planned. On her advice, I was planning a lovely massage and manicure after my due date - baby came a week early. I didn't mind one bit, but was actually looking forward to the pamper session.