What did you do on maternity leave before your baby came?

[Mandraki]

I finish work on Friday! I'm so ready for a little rest before baby arrives but I am acutely aware that this being our first baby, I will never get a time like this again where I have no responsibilities and some free time. If we have another baby I will be looking after this one while I'm on mat leave.

I'm planning on batch cooking a bit, hopefully find energy to clean a bit more, going to try and get out every day (I know I will get depressed if I am stuck in) and try and keep to some kind of routine (I.e not lying in bed all day, I don't think that would be good for my mental health either).

What did you do in the short time before your baby came? What do you wish you'd done?

Good point re reading. I sorely regret not understanding breastfeeding better. I'd listened in the antenatal classes and I'd read a bit about getting the correct latch but I was not well versed enough about what needed to happen to encourage my milk to come in. If I had my time again I'd do all the reading I've now done about feeding before the birth so that the crucial first week went better.

I watched most of 24 on box set, napped. Wish I'd read more. And slept more :)

I had West wing to watch. That was the plan! Still haven't watched it. My daughter is ten next month!

I started maternity leave at 38 weeks. For the first week I felt really good and energetic and had a lovely time going swimming, pottering around the shops, meeting friends and doing the very advisable batch cooking.
For the second week, there was a sudden heatwave and I spent my time flopped in an arm chair, watching tv, moaning about the heat and feeling like a beached whale.
I was very relieved when baby arrived on her due date.

Napped a lot, read my way through local library, made a lot of flapjacks and cleaned! It is the cruelest thing being able to clean everyday, have the house spick and span, and then the baby arrives! Enjoy this time , it is your last big dose of 'me time' xxx

I went to a Buckingham Palace garden party.

I spent a week with a relative at brighton, which included gay pride festivities.

Then I had DS, 3 weeks after stopping work.

Clean, eat & sleep.

Mostly sleep as I'm up during the night.

I had quite a few weeks maternity with ds1. Around 8 weeks I think. I was sleeping awfully, waking around 2 each morning and not getting back to sleep so spent most of my mornings going back to bed to sleep! Afternoon were then spent relaxing, reading, tv watching, meeting up with people and sometimes a little more sleeping!

Ds2 was slightly different. Same sleep problem, but had a 3 year old who was in school part time. Spent the mornings playing with him, whilst he was in school for the afternoons I went to bed or had appointment (was consultant care so had a few appointments towards the end). I also only had 3 weeks second time around.

I did baby shopping and making . We were due to move house 1 month after due date and Christmas was also in the same time frame so I got ready for that, tidied up a bit etc
This was DC 1 ... the freedom to poddle around shops and get out the sewing machine didn't really happen once I had toddlers to wield.

Took long walks, sat in coffee shops, went to the gym, took afternoon naps, cooked like a maniac. Remember it fondly. Stopped at 37wks, gave birth bang on 40.

14 weeks until I go on Maternity leave and counting every day, I can't wait!

My plan is to sand the entire staircase I love DIY, hoping I'll feel up to it if I take things slowly.

I planned to clean the house, batch cook, have my hair done, have massages and reflexology, go out for lovely lunches and practice my hypnobirthing.

Baby decided otherwise and I went into labour the day I finished work! So enjoy every second!!