3rd week of maternity leave and I've done nothing

[tiba]

I'm 37 weeks pregnant, on my 3rd week of maternity leave which I started earlier than planned due to stress and pregnancy related pain.

But I realise now I haven't done anything.
I haven't even watched any day time tv.

My typical day for the past 3 weeks is say goodbye to dp at 7am,
Fall back to sleep if possible or stay dozing for a few hours.
Eat breakfast and have a cup of tea.

Check mumsnet and wander around the house moaning to whoever will listen (dogs).
Then have some lunch, have a bath, have an afternoon nap and wake up just before dp gets home at 6.

We then have dinner, talk, sometimes do a bit of baking, and maybe watch a film together before going to bed.

Ok good days, my mum takes me swimming.
Some days I have appointments or ante natal classes, and sometimes I force myself to leave the house to see friends or get dressed in time for a friend to visit me.

I just don't seem to have the energy for anything else.
I had such high hopes for my maternity leave before baby arrives, but everything seems to be an effort.

I'd love to take the dogs for walks but most of the time I'm struggling to walk.

Is it just me?
Should I be forcing myself to get out there more?

Is there something you want to do? No harm in giving yourself some time to relax!

You've got a little one on the way that's going to consume your entire day! Don't feel bad about taking this time for yourself! Sleep as much as you want and take in the last few weeks of just being a couple with your partner because very soon it won't be just the two of you anymore :) x

I'm bloody envious OP, enjoy it, I'd do as little as possible too if I could! I'm being induced tomorrow and am working today - I've got soooo much to do when I get home tonight.... and why am I wide awake at 2.30am?! Arghhh!!!!

You sound like you need the rest! It sounds like you are going out to do things most days so I would just relax and rest up. Yet another pressure we add onto ourselves that ML pre-baby should be spent accomplishing multiple projects, if you want to then fine but if you started ML earlier due to pain and stress it sounds like you are doing the right thing.

@tiba I've been the same - due next Weds and have been on a combination of holiday / Mat Leave since March 31st!

Unless I have appointments, I do sod all and felt really guilty to start with.

Someone asked me the other day if I had a 'routine'!?... to which my response was...

DH wakes at 8am, we snuggle watching TV in bed till 8.30am when he makes me breakfast in bed and then goes downstairs to start work

9am-10am watch Fraiser in bed
10am-11am nap because theres nothing on
11am-12pm watch Gordon Ramsey in bed
12pm-2pm perhaps drag myself out of bed to have some lunch downstairs with DH
2pm-5pm have a bath, paint my nails
5pm-8pm sit downstairs watching TV whilst DH cooks, cleans etc
8pm - go back to bed and wait for tomorrow to start

It sounds terribly lazy, and I felt guilty for weeks, but I'm bloody wiped! A lot more than I ever thought I would (FTM here) occasionally I muster up a wave of energy to do some cleaning etc but if I do - I instantly need a nap once I'm done.

Don't be so hard on yourself! ☺️

Sounds like the perfect way to spend ML before baby arrives!

Is it your first maternity leave? I'd carry on doing nothing and enjoy it. I realise now at nearly 11 months in that it will never happen again. If you have another it won't be nearly as relaxing. Don't feel guilty, spend your last days doing as much or as little as your want too and reliesh it.

Sounds like great days to me! I hope to do the same :)

all your responses make me feel much better about my seemingly slovenly ways.

This is my first maternity leave, so I guess it is the last time I will get to myself and be lazy.

Thank you :)

Absolutely be lazy, plus it's not really 'lazy' when you're heavily pregnant!

Enjoy your peace and quiet and time to yourself. The more relaxed you are the better your body and mind can prepare for labour.

My only tip would be is that if you can manage it try and do some batch cooking for your freezer as that will save you time and expense when your lovely baby is here. I'd also set up an online shopping delivery account/delivery pass if you don't have one already. Just makes life a little easier

You are growing a person! From nothing but your own reserves. Enjoy the rest.

Me and SIL were pregnant around the same time and I was like you on mat leave and she was dashing round glossing her skirting boards and what not. Both happy. Both just doing what we wanted.

Make the most of it while you can before the baby's here and you won't be able to lie in bed! Enjoy xxx

I've been on maternity leave since April 3rd for similar reasons (I'm 38 weeks) and have also done nothing except for read and slob about. It's ace!

I have been off for 10 weeks and apart from some batch cooking and paperwork/washing baby clothes, have also done nothing!
I have reassured myself by thinking it's the last time in my life I can just pootle around for a day! X

It's like you read my mind!
I'm currently 36+4 and on my 2nd week of maternity! Still waiting for this whole nesting thing to start as all I've done it lay around and do nothing.
Felt pretty guilty which was made worse when a neighbour went on to call me lazy as she wasn't like this when pregnant....
Glad I'm not the only one

I had high hopes for mine.. planned to decorate the house, knit for the baby, deep clean the kitchen.. But I was so exhausted, had frequent headaches, hips and back ached constantly, couldn't sleep properly at night.. my brain and body just gave up and I was marooned on the sofa for most of it mindlessly watching junk TV. Broken up by a bit of batch cooking for the freezer and occasionally seeing friends (no coffee, decaf or otherwise, as tea or coffee made me vom through pregnancy ). I felt dreadful!

You're growing an entire human, it takes a lot of energy. I found it useful to focus on that fact when I felt useless - even sat on the sofa apparently doing nothing you're still being useful

You've been growing a baby, that's fine! Just make sure your hospital bag is packed and you've got some stuff ready for post baby.

That sounds like heaven! What else do you want to be doing?! You sound like you need the rest. So it's either what you're doing now or tire yourself out and be in pain.

My second mat leave started quite early and it was not relaxing as I had a toilet training nearly 3 year old who was just starting nursery around my due date and I was knackered, sore and i pretty much relied on cbeebies for weeks especially as I was overdue and had to be induced. My first mat leave was wonderful and relaxing and lazy until baby appeared!

Enjoy it while it lasts!

Enjoy it!

I planned for a relaxing month off before baby arrived... Then he joined us a fortnight before I was due to go on mat leave!!

Be lazy!! As long as you don't feel the day is dragging, be lazy as you possibly can! Next time you are on mat leave you will have an older child and no chance to be lazy! Enjoy it :)